Chapter 405 Boundless

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Chapter 405 Boundless

Wei Lu smiled bitterly and said, "Since Zhenwu Jiedushi has sent troops, it is obvious that the Han army in the Western Regions is ready for a large-scale attack..."

King Zuo Xian was so violent that he thrust the dagger in his hand into the cases in front of him.

"The Han army in the Western Regions was dispatched in large numbers. Apparently King Youxian did not act according to plan!"

Hu Yantuan Chanyu smiled bitterly. At this time, he already understood that Qian Hu could not devour Wuhuan this time.

What we need to do now is to reduce unnecessary losses.

King Zuo Xian also thought of this.

"Chanyu, you must immediately send someone to inform King Zuogu Li to retreat!"

Hu Yantuan Shanyu nodded and immediately sent his trusted aide Tu Yang as a messenger to Wuyuan.

Wuyuan County of the Han Dynasty was the eastern half of Jiuyuan County established by Zhao State and Qin Shihuang during the Warring States Period.

The Jiuyuan County area is called Beijia, Henan Province in ancient books.

In the 26th year of King Wuling of Zhao, the State of Zhao "exploited the territory as far north as Yan, Dai, and west as far as Yunzhong and Jiuyuan", and incorporated the Hetao area into the territory of Zhao State.

At the end of the Warring States Period, the Hetao area was occupied by the Xiongnu. In the 33rd year of Qin Shihuang's reign, he "sent 300,000 troops to attack the Hu north and seize Henan" and established Jiuyuan County.

Unfortunately, after the Han Dynasty and Qin Dynasty, the entire Jiuyuan County was occupied by the Huns.

It was not until the second year of Yuanshuo (127 BC) that Emperor Wu ordered the chariot and cavalry general Wei Qing to "go out west of Yunzhong and reach Gaoque, then conquer Henan and reach Longxi."

The Han army plundered territory to the north to Beijia, regained the Hetao area, and then used the former Jiuyuan County of the Qin Dynasty to "separate Shuofang and Wuyuan counties."

After running wildly for several days, Tu Yang finally led a group of people to the foot of Wuyuan City.

Even though he was mentally prepared, the boundless camp of the Han army still shocked Tu Yang's heart.

"How many troops did the Han army dispatch? It was more than 60,000 people.

Tu Yang looked at the Han army camp outside Wuyuan City in surprise.

The Han army indeed numbered more than 60,000. In order to prevent King Zuogu Li from escaping, Shuofang Town recruited another 20,000 garrison soldiers three days ago.

In addition, the Dongqiang people who did not participate in the rebellion also dispatched more than 30,000 people in order to quell the anger of the Han Dynasty.

The number of troops gathered in Wuyuan County now exceeds 110,000.

These large armies surrounded the entire Wuyuan County.

The Huns and rebel Qiang who invaded Wuyuan have been divided and surrounded by the Han army in Wuyuan City and several surrounding cities.

There were Han army scouts patrolling everywhere within a few hundred miles of Wuyuan City.

Tu Yang actually lost more than a dozen of his men in order to reach Wuyuan City.

He tried several times to get close to Wuyuan City and get in touch with King Zuogu Li in the city, but he was discovered and driven away by Han army scouts.

In desperation, Tu Yang could only send out men to notify Shan Yu while continuing to wait for the opportunity.

At this time, the Han army had already begun to launch siege campaigns against several cities around Wuyuan.

In fact, if Zhao Chongguo was not unwilling to suffer too many casualties, Zhao Chongguo would have launched an attack on Wuyuan City long ago.

After rebuilding Wuyuan County, the Han Dynasty built large-scale Great Walls and fortresses outside the border fortresses near the Xiongnu.

In addition to the county seat, Wuyuan County also has several barriers such as Shimenzhan, Guanglu City, Zhijiu, Touman, Huhe, and Sulu.

Because the Qiang people's rebellion started too suddenly.

Zhao Chongguo had just assumed his new post, and after the fall of Wuyuan, all these barriers, except the Shimen Barrier, fell into the hands of the Qiang people.

However, this also dispersed the rebel forces.

The army in Zhao Chongguo's hands has not conducted siege operations for a long time.

In order to reduce unnecessary losses, after waiting for the trebuchet sent from Chang'an, Zhao Chongguo first launched an attack on the barriers surrounding Wuyuan City.

His first choice was Guanglu City in the north of Wuyuan City.

This fortress was built between two mountains. The city wall was three feet high, and it was equipped with moats, watchtowers, arrow towers, beacons, and all kinds of defensive equipment.

There are even several small counterweight trebuchets in the city.

In order to cope with the invasion of the Huns, when it was built, this fortress was built as a barrier for the Han Dynasty on the northern border.

After King Zuo Guli invaded Wuyuan, he also regarded this city as his retreat.

In order to defend his retreat, King Zuogu Li deployed 2,000 Huns here and more than 4,000 Qiang rebels.

After occupying Guanglu City, the enemy dug several trenches outside the moat to prevent the Han army's siege weapons from approaching.

Zhao Chongguo ordered his soldiers to launch several tentative attacks first.

After the Xiongnu and Qiang people in the city repelled the tentative attack of the Han army, their morale during the siege not only did not decrease, but also increased. Under the leadership of various leaders, they vowed to fight the Han army to the death.

After a night's rest and a morning meal on the second day, under the command of Zhao Chongguo, the Han army launched an attack on Guanglu City.

The first to attack were the Han army's sword and shield soldiers and crossbowmen.

Under the protection of the sword and shield soldiers, the Han army's crossbowmen approached fifty steps below the city and suppressed the defenders at the top of the city with bows and arrows.

Then a large number of Qiang volunteers carried sandbags on their backs and prepared to fill in the trenches outside the city.

Zhao Chongguo originally thought that the enemy troops in the city would go out to fight, but he did not expect that they would just watch the Qiang Yi Cong fill up the trench.

After the trenches outside the city were filled in, the siege vehicles covered with cowhide were pushed hard by the soldiers and slowly headed towards Guanglu City.

At the same time, the four siege towers also bypassed the obstacles placed by the enemy in front of the city wall, crossed the trench filled with sand, and approached two hundred steps below the city.

These siege weapons will launch an attack on Guanglu City after the moat is filled.

In order to reduce casualties when filling the moat, Zhao Chongguo invested half of the trebuchets at once.

A total of twenty of the latest counterweight catapults had been set up at a distance of one hundred and fifty to two hundred steps from the city wall.

This distance was enough for the Han army's catapults to cover the entire city wall and the area behind it.

But it was just within the shooting range of the small trebuchets equipped in the city.

Behind these siege engines are groups of infantry wearing armor and holding shields.

The Han swords they held tightly in their hands, only a small number of them were equipped with the Huanshou sword produced in the Western Regions.

These soldiers numbered as many as 5,000, and they were Yi Cong soldiers recruited from the Qiang people who had not rebelled.

It's not that Zhao Chongguo can't send more soldiers, but the geographical environment limits only allow so many soldiers to form a formation.

No matter how many soldiers are sent, there are only so many soldiers who can attack head-on. Instead, they are more likely to be attacked by the enemy on the wall, causing unnecessary losses.

"attack!"

Zhao Chongguo finally issued the order to attack.

Following his order, twenty trebuchets launched the attack first.

Stone bullets weighing hundreds of kilograms roared towards the city.

"Boom boom boom!"

The loud rumbling sound made the defenders in the city feel frightened.

The defenders had no idea that the Han army would use such terrifying weapons.

The stone bullets made a deadly scream and smashed the parapet on the city into pieces. The flying rubble brought despair and death to the nearby defenders.

The defenders who encountered the trebuchet attack for the first time were at a loss and were dodging the stone bullets in all directions.
Chapter completed!