The sound of horse hooves is so intensive and rapid.
Zhu Hang, Zhu Zhi, Lu Wenhu and others all looked in the direction of Shengde Gate in astonishment, only to see that the night sky to the southwest of Shengde Gate also brightened significantly, as if covered with a layer of red. These were clearly thousands of torches. Let’s light it up together and illuminate the night sky!
The city was plundered all night, and the defenders at the head of the city would not sleep peacefully. The brave ones sneaked out, while the timid ones lay on the crenellations, watching with relish how their colleagues tormented those fat and strong women. They, the soldiers and horses on duty at Shengde Gate, soon discovered the enemy's situation.
The horn was blown loudly, and the alarm bell on the top of the city gate tower rang continuously.
At this moment, hundreds of people looked up from the plump Orchid; hundreds of people carried heavy burdens with spears and were on their way back to the camp; some were about to kill those who resisted with a single blow. The barbarian hacked him to death, but he was stunned for a moment. The barbarian took away his knife and stabbed him to death. More generals had already gone wild and returned to the camp to sleep contentedly. At this time, they all woke up with a start, wondering what had happened. .
From Shengde Gate to the northwest corner tower, it is exactly 1,200 steps, and there are eight horse-faced war tents.
Logically speaking, there should be a team of soldiers on duty in these war tents, but at this time the enemy troops attacked, and seeing the lack of people at the top of the city, it was obvious that Ge Huaicong not only did not think of setting up the barracks outside the city, but also guarding the top of the city. The arrangements for manpower and horses are extremely limited.
After hearing the warning, more people, under the urging of the general, rushed up to the city from the climbing road inside Shengde Gate to defend the city, armed with swords, bows, shields and spears.
Xu Huai and others took out the rope hook, threw it up to the top of the city and hooked it on the crenel. He quickly climbed up the tower and looked over from the crenellation of the outer city. He saw thousands of cavalry holding torches high like a torrent, rushing toward Shengde Gate with murderous intent.
The enemy troops were less than 200 steps away from the Shengde Gate in the west city.
"So many torches!" Tang Pan climbed up to the top of the city and exclaimed when he saw this scene.
Although they had expected this moment, they were even more shocked when they saw this scene with their own eyes.
Others stood at the top of the city and watched thousands of enemy cavalry attack. They even felt that they had 40,000 soldiers and horses in Datong City, so the enemy's attack was just like hitting a stone with an egg.
They were thinking that as long as they guarded the Shengde Gate and prevented the attacking enemies from taking advantage of the chaos to attack them, their 40,000 soldiers and horses were even more numerous and powerful. At that time, a casual counterattack could wipe out these thousands of attacking enemies. .
Tang Pan and the others would not think so.
Everything verified Xu Huai's prediction.
This further consolidated Xu Huai's unquestionable status in their minds, but at the same time they knew very well how bad Xu Huai's prediction of the final outcome of this battle was, including his fear of the Chihu people in the future.
Tang Pan, Xu Xin'an and others used to learn from Wang Zhen and Lu Xiong how to lead and manage the army, and they were tempered almost like a reborn person during the Tongbai Mountain Bandit Rebellion, but the scale of the Tongbai Mountain Bandit Rebellion was limited after all.
The battle at Huangqiaozhai was the most intense, with both sides investing a total of 4,000 troops.
At this time, in Datong City, the total number of Jinxiang Army plus Shuozhou surrendered vassal army was 40,000. The main force of the East Route Army assembled in southern Yingzhou and Yanmen was as high as 100,000. It is difficult to witness such a large scale. The war was extremely important for the growth and broadening of horizons of Tang Pan, Xu Xinan and others.
In particular, Ge Huaicong and others violated almost all the tactical principles that could be violated, which is simply a living negative textbook.
The deeper Tang Pan and the others' understanding of military warfare, the more they naturally agreed with Xu Huai's prediction, and they no longer trusted blindly.
How could this not surprise them?
The preparations they made could not guarantee that they would be able to escape completely.
"Are they going to burn the tower?"
When Xu Wuqi learned that Zhu Hang had come out of the camp, he rushed over to see Zhu Hang's reaction. Unexpectedly, the enemy attack happened at this time. He climbed up to the top of the city and saw that almost every enemy rider held a torch high and walked directly from Shengde Gate.
The one here rushed over and judged with a frown.
Obviously, before launching the attack, the enemy had no delusions that all the Seungdeok Gate would be opened late at night, allowing them to rush in directly.
In fact, even if the other three city gates fell, many soldiers had to escape into the West City through the opened Shengde Gate. The gate opening of Shengde Gate was only more than two feet wide, and the space for the enemy's cavalry to charge in a short period of time was extremely small.
narrow.
At this time, even blocking a few horses to block the passage can slow down the enemy cavalry's charge into battle.
When Cao Shili, Ge Yu and others raided Datong before, they first sent more than a hundred elites in disguise to blend into the crowd of refugees and enter the city. They first controlled the city gates and then welcomed the forward soldiers and horses to rush into the city.
The enemy cavalry did not expect a surprise attack to seize the gate. Each cavalry approached and threw torches directly towards the city. Thousands of torches would pile up like a mountain.
Shengde Gate is four feet high, and its main body is still constructed of rammed earth. Only the gate opening and arches are made of bricks and stones.
In front of the city gate, a four-story brick and wood structure tower was built.
The walls of the city tower are made of bricks and stones, but the beams, columns and purlins inside are all made of wood. Once it is burned down by the fire, the four-story tower collapses. Even if the city gate is not directly collapsed, Shengde can be destroyed in a short time.
The door is blocked.
Xu Huai looked at the other three city gates. The north gate tower was still burning, but the fire at the east gate and south gate had been put out.
The situation at this time is that Tianxiong's 40,000 forbidden troops are trapped in the narrow West City, but Xiao Linshi can lead his elite troops into the other three cities to support operations.
Zhu Hang asked someone to tie a rope around his waist and hang him up on the top of the city. When he looked out, he happened to see the enemy cavalry throwing torches towards the city tower.
The garrison in front of the city tower was very limited, and they hurriedly raised their bows and crossbows to shoot arrows. The sparse rain of arrows could not deter the enemy cavalry from approaching.
After the enemy cavalry threw the torches, they did not all rush away from a distance. There were still many cavalry who were skilled in archery stationed in front of the city gate, taking their bows and shooting towards the battlements.
Seeing the defenders being hit by arrows, falling backwards, or falling from the top of the stack, Zhu Hang broke out in cold sweat from his nose.
A large number of people have such superb archery skills. They are definitely the few elite warriors left by the Khitan in Xijing Road.
"Although this enemy cavalry came suddenly, their number is limited after all!" Zhu Zhi and Lu Wenhu then climbed up to the top of the city and saw the scene outside the city. They were frightened and said calmly.
Xu Huai glanced at Zhu Zhi and swallowed the word "idiot" in front of Zhu Hang.
After the enemy cavalry threw the torches, except for the elite archers who stopped their horses and stationed their fire in front of the city gate tower to restrict the Tianxiong army to extinguish the enemy, most of them quickly distanced themselves from the city wall and assembled in front of the woods to the west.
There were also a small number of enemy cavalry who drove their horses close to the base of the city wall, drawing their bows and shooting the defenders who emerged from the crenellations.
Xu Huai took the moon-piercing bow from Niu Er and shot several people in succession before he told the hundreds of enemies who had come here to ride away, not daring to attack the city at will.
In addition to torches, the enemy riders also threw flammable objects soaked in grease at the tower. The fire quickly engulfed the bottom floor of the tower.
The outside of the tower is made of bricks and stones, but the fire engulfed the tower. The beams, columns and wooden purlins in the tower will soon be engulfed by the fire. If the fire cannot be extinguished in time, once the tower loses sufficient support, it will collapse.
Sooner or later.
Seeing this scene, the veins in Zhu Hang's hand holding onto the wall were exposed.
"Mr. Zhu Hang, do you still think that this is not a trap set by the enemy?" Xu Huai stared at Zhu Hang's eyes and asked.
Even if Xu Huai did not anticipate this moment before the enemy attack, Zhu Hang could no longer regard the enemy attack at this time as an isolated incident and think that it had no connection with the mob's raid on the other three city gates two hours ago.
Sometimes the most unbearable thing for young and arrogant people is not the insults, but the naked contempt and contempt from head to toe - Xu Huai glanced at him just now, and he looked like he was asking for self-humiliation if he said a word to him.
It looked like Zhu Zhi was really panicking.
He shouted unwillingly: "Even if you are wrong, the enemy cavalry outside the city came from the direction of Yingzhou, but after all there are only three or four thousand people. They can enter the city through the other three gates to reinforce the besieged people."
The remaining enemies in the inner city are only seven or eight thousand people - who are you trying to scare with your alarmist talk?"
"Shut up!" Zhu Hang glared at his eldest son Zhu Zhi and told him to shut up.
Although Zhu Hang had limited contact with Xu Huai, before leaving, Wang Zhen came to him specifically to tell him to discuss everything with Xu Huai. He did not take it seriously. It was only at this moment that he suddenly understood Wang Zhen's good intentions.
Zhu Hang frowned and asked, "Do you think 40,000 soldiers and horses are not enough to fight against the mob in this city?"
"Mr. Zhu Kang, see for yourself what a mess the 40,000 soldiers and horses of the Tianxiong Army have become!"
Xu Huai walked to the crenellations of the inner city and asked Zhu Hang to look at the generals of the Tianxiong Army under the city wall.
Many people were emerging from houses with their trousers lifted, and even seventeen or eight people emerged from one room. Some people emerged from the house, not forgetting to hold the captive Hu Ji in their arms, for fear of the next moment.
She was snatched away by her colleagues. There was only one household of captives in the Xicheng area, and there were even fewer young women. The beautiful ones were in short supply. In order to snatch Orchid, colleagues fought among themselves, and many incidents occurred today.
After hearing the warning, most of the soldiers rushed to the garrison one after another, not forgetting to take the looted property and carry the chickens and sheep in their arms.
And those generals who had snatched a round and returned to the garrison to rest, after hearing the warning, just came out of their houses and stared blankly at the blazing fire at Shengde Gate.
Seeing Zhu Hang's frown and silence, Xu Huai asked again: "Mr. Zhu Hang, perhaps you think that Ge Huaicong, Ge Huai, Zhu Guangwu and other generals can really be entrusted with important tasks?"
"Is the Eastern Route Army coming for reinforcements?" Zhu Hang asked.
"First, Liu Shizhong and Cai Yuanyou may not be able to clearly realize that the 40,000 troops of the Western Route Army cannot capture Datong City at this time, and they may delay sending troops to reinforce; second, delay for a day or two, and call Liu Shizhong and Cai Yuanyou
You realized that the tens of thousands of strong mobs in the city were not helpless, and even became more courageous as they fought. It is more likely that they would not dare to send troops for reinforcements-" Xu Huai said, "Of course, I don't know Liu Shizhong or Cai Yuan.
You, Zhu Kang, do you think they will send troops around Yingzhou City in time to come for reinforcements?"
"No matter what, we must give it a try!" Zhu Hang gritted his teeth and said, "I will also urge Ge Huaicong to immediately reorganize his troops and attack the inner city!"
"Forty thousand men and horses are trapped in the city. Of course, we need to try. And when I capture the soldiers of Tongbai Mountain tonight, I also realize that the situation is really urgent. I don't have soldiers and horses in my hands, so I can't help you," Xu Huai said, "Although I have captured three to five hundred soldiers now.
The Tongbai Mountain soldiers were imprisoned, but there was no order from Lang Jun. I was not only afraid that Ge Huaicong would come to ask for them, but I was also afraid that these people would not obey my orders!"
Zhu Hang pondered for a while, then gritted his teeth and took out a silver command arrow from his arms and said: "This is Wang Fanlangjun's military and horse supervision order. You can take it for easy use! I'm going to see Ge Huaicong!"
"Father, you actually believe this fool!" Zhu Zhi shouted dissatisfied when he saw that Zhu Hang actually handed over the order to Xu Huai and was able to act openly and in the name of the Supervisory Army Envoy.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Wang, shouldn't have misjudged the person. Shut up!" Zhu Hang was not sure about Xu Huai, but realized that the situation was more critical than imagined. He immediately grabbed Zhu Zhi and climbed down the city wall to find Ge Huaicong.
I think whether it is sending people to Yingzhou to invite reinforcements, or urging General Ge Huai to organize his troops and capture the inner city, as long as one of these two things can be done, the overall situation can still be saved...
