The rosin torches were lit one after another, spreading out circles of fire and illuminating the sparse snow particles that swirled down.
Yang Qiye held the handle of the knife and looked at the silent generals on the inside of the gorge. Deep in his heart, he still felt that it was a bit crazy to attack the enemy camp on a snowy night.
Restricted by the means of command and communication, as well as by the individual qualities of military officers and soldiers, today's soldiers and horses pay attention to fighting in formations, and are most afraid of night battles.
Not to mention night battles, it is difficult to take care of the beginning and end of a marching team in the dark, and the slightest disturbance may cause them to collapse; noisy camping can easily lead to catastrophic consequences.
Now restricted by the canyon plank road on the west side of Tianmen Mountain, most of the generals rested directly on the ground with their backs against the cliffs after arriving, without even an open space for formation to start.
They now still need to wait for the forward troops outside the gorge to defeat the hundreds of enemy soldiers approaching Tianmen Mountain before they can pull more than 2,000 troops to the open area east of Tianmen Mountain in the dark for the final offensive assembly.
It is already an extremely difficult task for more than two thousand generals, including an equal number of war horses, to go out from the narrow gorge and assemble under the dark sky in the wind and snow. What's more important is that after this, so many people and horses
They still had to raise fire and march south for about ten miles before they could reach the Han army's camp in Yunzhou.
With so many people marching ten miles in a snowy night, when they arrive at the enemy camp, let alone maintaining a complete formation, the top-down command of the entire army may be completely scattered, and even the establishment of the capital team cannot guarantee command.
In an orderly manner, in the end it is likely that there will only be small groups of tens or dozens of people, each forming their own formation and fighting each other.
The key point is that they didn't carry any weapons, and they didn't even have a few ladders. How could it be easy for so many people to directly attach themselves to the wall and attack the enemy camp?
Such a combat arrangement, no matter how you look at it at any time, is crazy and desperate.
If you fail to form an effective breakthrough after arriving at the enemy camp, and your battalion organization is completely scattered, you will not be able to find your soldiers, and your soldiers will not be able to find your generals. If you suffer a counterattack from the enemy at this time, the consequences will be disastrous.
In Gong County, Yang Qiye also led his troops to harass the enemy troops on the northern slope of Songshan Mountain for more than a month. He was accustomed to the scale of small-group operations, but he had never launched a surprise attack on the enemy troops at night. It was exciting enough to think about it.
"...It's dark now at the top of Taiyuan City. There may be a shortage of fire starters in the city. The snow is gradually getting heavier. Everyone is worried that they can't figure out the direction, but there is no need to worry about this. As long as the forward troops are mobilized, they can fight to Yunzhou
When the Taiyuan garrison senses movement near the Han army's camp, they will inevitably light torches and bonfires. Not only will the outline of Taiyuan North City be outlined in the night sky, but they will also illuminate the targets for each attack."
At this time, Xu Huai summoned all the military generals above the capital general level to carry out the final mobilization for combat.
"Don't be afraid of chaos. You must understand that the enemy's small groups have a much lower combat capability than we do. If they dare to send troops out of camp on a snowy night, they will be even more chaotic than we are. The enemy does not dare to leave camp. As long as our grassroots troops
Officials understand the attack targets of each department, and we can reverse the temporary chaos in front of the enemy camp. We do not want to capture five or more enemy camps at the same time. As long as there is a breakthrough, all the troops will gather towards the breakthrough.
.What’s not to be confident about capturing an enemy camp before dawn? Another point is that when everyone returns to each unit, they must once again confirm that all soldiers have mastered the proficient passwords..."
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After the mobilization, Xu Huai, Wang Ju, Xu Wuqi and others braved the wind and snow to climb a stone cliff and looked at the enemy's temporary camp in the east of Tianmen Mountain.
The enemy camp was about six to seven hundred paces away from the barrier that Xu Xin'an had dismantled and piled up forty or fifty carts on the outside of the gorge. In addition to the inside of the enemy camp, dozens of bonfires were also lit between the temporary camp and the gorge to illuminate the night sky on the left and right.
Although nearly 500 enemy soldiers were approaching the northeast of Tianmen Mountain, they were not determined to enter through the narrow gorge regardless of casualties. They still wanted to drive the grain-stealing "rebels" back to the Luliang Mountains. At night, they also mainly guarded against the enemies inside the gorge.
The "rebels" who are robbing food will suddenly appear.
In addition to piles of bonfires, about one-third of the soldiers in the enemy camp were still standing outside and did not get into tents to escape the wind and snow to rest.
On the inside of the gorge, five hundred generals and soldiers had already lined up in formation.
In the dark night, the soldiers first burned and melted a large amount of rosin collected, and applied it to the large carriage frame that was dismantled and used as a roadblock.
After the preliminary preparations were completed, Xu Xin'an, who was commanding the vanguard soldiers and horses to fight in front of the gorge mouth, ordered the large carriages to be ignited together. Soon, at the gorge mouth in the north of Tianmen Mountain, it was like a fire dragon suddenly bursting out of the ground.
This scene also alarmed the enemy camp hundreds of steps away, and there was a sudden commotion. The enemy soldiers who were resting in the camp came out one after another, but they looked over here, at a loss, not knowing what was going on.
Wu Chichuan led a hundred cavalrymen and quickly filed out of the gap reserved by the fire dragon (roadblock). In less than half a cup of tea, they formed the most powerful front arrow array in front of the fire dragon; at this time, the horseback
The generals on board also took off the pieces of wood from their mounts' mouths, causing their horses to roar wildly.
The enemy soldiers woke up at this time. They were about to launch a charge. Moreover, the soldiers and horses inside the gorge were not a small group of "rebels" from the Luliang Mountains at all, but elite cavalry like an iron stream under the reflection of the fire dragon.
One hundred elite cavalry attacked the unprepared enemy camp, and Xu Huai was not worried about any accidents.
Wu Chichuan led his troops into the enemy camp. The combat mission was also to completely disrupt and defeat the enemy camp with one blow. Then Fan Zongqi and Wang Zhang each led a hundred cavalry to quickly expel the defeated troops from the outside of the gorge mouth, and finally
The fast speed makes room for the following troops to assemble out of the mouth of the gorge.
Next, Xu Xin'an will personally lead two hundred cavalry and some of the troops who can be gathered back after the first attack, and follow the defeated troops fleeing south to the northernmost Han army camp in Yunzhou to cover up the attack.
Li Chulin's department mainly guards the northern area of Taiyuan City. In addition to the front base position in front of the city, the second level is nine company battalions that surround Taiyuan City from the north.
The nine company camps are not very large, with hundreds to more than a thousand soldiers stationed there. The companies and camps are also connected by trenches and earthen walls, which not only ensures that the defenders in the city cannot break through the gaps between the companies and camps.
, and also ensure the safe transfer of men and horses between companies and camps.
The company camp can be regarded as the outer wall of Taiyuan City, but it is firmly in the hands of the enemy.
The outermost is the Yunzhou Han Army Camp, where Li Chulin's command tent is located. In addition to five to six thousand soldiers stationed there, there are also tens of thousands of hard laborers and prisoners of war.
It was very difficult to storm the northernmost Yunzhou Han Army Camp in a hurry, but the Yunzhou Han Army Camp was the largest, but it failed to completely block the mountain pass that was more than ten miles wide to the north of Taiyuan City.
The enemy did not expect that there would be soldiers and horses attacking from the north to assist the Taiyuan defenders to break out. With such a shortage of food, fodder and other materials, it was certainly impossible to waste manpower and material resources on the north side of the Han army camp in Yunzhou.
Build another defense.
No matter how cautious Li Chulin was, he could not guarantee that all the nine company guards on the south side of the Han army camp in Yunzhou would be able to keep their composure without making any mistakes.
To put it bluntly, the first step in setting up a firefight at night was to alert the enemy, that is, to make the cautious Li Chulin close the door of the Han army's camp in Yunzhou and not dare to send troops out of the camp to engage in a melee.
At this time, Xu Xin'an will lead the forward troops and horses directly around the south side of the Han army camp in Yunzhou, cutting off its communication with the company camp on the south side, so that the nine company camps and the Han army camp in Yunzhou will be separated on the snowy night.
It has become an isolated island of its own.
As long as they capture one of the nine company camps before dawn, they will open up contact with Taiyuan City, urgently transfer a batch of supplies to Taiyuan City, and hang the lives of 100,000 soldiers and civilians in Taiyuan...
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"You, since you have already gone to Bianliang, why are you coming back?"
The prefect Xu Weiqiang supported his weak body and climbed to the top of the dilapidated city. He saw Qian Zerui still standing in front of the crenellated wall and looking to the north. The north was dark except for scattered bonfires in the enemy camp.
The snow was not dense, and the snow particles were swept away by the strong wind and hit my face, but it hurt a little.
"It is impossible for reinforcements to come. The main force of the captive soldiers has gone south. Bianliang City is in danger. King Jing and Xu Huai have too much to take care of themselves. How can they take care of us? Since you are back, how can you die together with Taiyuan?
It’s our fate... Stop looking, sit down and take a break from the wind, and see what I bring to you!”
Xu Weixian sat down against the wall, took out a small piece of leather armor that had just been roasted and softened, and handed it to Qian Zerui. Seeing that he was still standing there, he asked, "You still don't give up? King Jing,
Xu Huaizhen is really determined to help Taiyuan, but why hasn't he sent anyone to the city to contact him yet? Although the enemy's blockade is tight, it's not like even a fly can't fly in, right?"
"In Puban, Xu Huai once said that the only chance he had when he led troops to help was to attack quickly and catch the enemy by surprise. He would not take the risk of leaking secrets and alerting the enemy, so he sent people to Taiyuan in advance to contact him.
... Wang Gaoxing and I were imprisoned in Lanzhou for Cao Shixiong. At that time, everyone felt that there was no hope. No one thought that Xu Huai would attack Lanzhou City alone!" Qian Zerui said.
"Xu Huai was in Shuozhou at that time, but now?" Xu Wei shook his head and smiled, "Old man, give up!"
"..." Qian Zerui sighed with a bitter smile and sat down against the wall.
After the main force of the Japanese soldiers went south, Qian Zerui would stand on the north city wall every night. But to be honest, it had been a month since the main force of the Japanese soldiers moved south, and the confidence he had built when he left Puban could not help but waver.
.
Come to think of it, the main force of the captive troops is moving south again, and everyone has too much to take care of themselves. Who can take care of Taiyuan, which is isolated in the north?
Of course, even if Xu Huai didn't come to help Taiyuan, he wouldn't have any resentment at all.
You can't expect people to risk their lives and come to save you one after another, right?
There are hundreds of millions of people in Vietnam, and Xu Huai cannot be expected to bear all the burdens alone.
"Master Fu, fire, fire! There's a fire over at Tianmen Pass!" The guard who was still standing in front of the crenel shouted at this time.
Qian Zerui struggled to stand up, his hands and feet were trembling at this moment, and he shouted in a trembling voice: "It's over there at Tianmen Pass, it's over at Tianmen Pass. With such a big fire, reinforcements must have arrived. Come quickly and find General Wen!"
"
Tianmen Pass is fourteen or five miles away from Taiyuan North City. There is light snow in the night sky now, and the dots of bonfires are completely invisible. However, the roadblocks erected at the entrance of the gorge are about a mile long by dismantling large carts and frame frames to illuminate the battlefield and the assembly.
The venue was mixed with a large amount of rosin and ignited together, like a fire dragon. Qian Zerui and the others could see clearly from the north wall...
