The defeat in the Battle of Yaozhou had a greater impact on Kaibao's Northern Expedition than Emperor Liu and his ministers expected. It not only gave the Liaodong Army a breathing space and greatly reduced the pressure it was under, but also made
The invincible momentum that the big man had created before was broken.
On the Han army's side, the command system was adjusted and Gao Huaide went east to take over. It would take a certain amount of time to adjust. It would also take time to transport the lost troops and supplies to the eastern front, restore strength, and launch another attack, and it would take a long time.
At the same time, a single move can affect the whole body, which will put more pressure on Jinzhou, which has been unable to be conquered for a long time. It will also have a negative impact on the morale and morale of the entire Han Army on the East Route.
As one goes and the other goes, the morale of the Liao army will inevitably be improved and their confidence will increase. Although the Han army is powerful, it is not invincible. They have the support of Shangjing and the commander-in-chief of King Yelu. The will to resist will come later.
More determined.
For the Liao army, after the eastern front was temporarily free of worries, they also got a sufficient buffer period to reorganize their troops and horses, and captured a large amount of military supplies, which somewhat eased their pressure on military supplies.
Moreover, it can free up its hands and rest assured to support the western front. The Liao army took the initiative to attack this time, but it also took great risks. Yelu Xiezhen was also taking a gamble, but he just saw the opportunity and seized it.
When Yelu Xiezhen was planning a counterattack in Yaozhou, his support for Jinzhou naturally relaxed. Unlike the Han army, it was not that simple for the Liao army to take care of both sides. However, this time luck was on the side of the Liao army.
Bian, Yelv Xiezhen won the bet.
From late May to early June, the impact of the Battle of Yaozhou gradually subsided under the respective adjustments of the Han and Liao sides, and the war situation became stable again.
After a period of urgent preparations and arrangements, the imperial court continued to send more troops and supplies to the Liaodong Peninsula. During this period, more pressure shifted to the Jinzhou front line. In any case, the land and sea troops on the eastern front were restricted to the western front.
, although it has great autonomy, there are twists and turns on the Eastern Front, and it is difficult for the Western Front to remain completely calm.
Especially for Zhao Kuangyin, the actual commander-in-chief of the army, he had naturally heard about some of the disturbances in the court before. Even with Emperor Liu's protection, he always felt a little pressure. Now, this pressure has been amplified.
.
As the war has developed to this day, all the focus is finally on Jinzhou. The outcome of the Han and Liao attacks in Jinzhou will determine the direction of the entire war.
No matter how many unexpected surprises there were in the Western Regions and Mobei, no matter whether Liu Tinghan's army made any achievements, or no matter what setbacks it suffered in Yaozhou, it was not decisive.
Fortunately, when pressure from all aspects swept over him, and when the burden of victory or defeat of the entire Northern Expedition rested on his shoulders, Zhao Kuangyin did not panic. No matter how anxious he was mentally or how complicated his mood, he always remained calm on his face and behaved increasingly calmly.
Zhao Kuangyin also summarized the reasons for the defeat of Yaozhou. Firstly, he underestimated the Liao army. Secondly, the Han army advanced impetuously. Having learned from the past, how could Zhao Kuangyin do it again without being vigilant? After all, he has the appearance of wearing a crown.
Of course, Zhao Kuangyin, an outstanding person, can bear the weight that ordinary people cannot bear.
Throughout May, the main force of the Han army on the Western Front was not without gains. First of all, after the general Hou Yanguang's campaign, those Liao troops who were harassing the grain roads like flies were basically suppressed, especially Hou Yanguang's plot.
, through an ambush battle, the main force that harassed the Liao army was basically eliminated, and the smooth flow of the Liaoxi Corridor was once again guaranteed. Although there were remnants of soldiers who refused to give up, they were only a small force and could not play much role.
The attack on Jinzhou City became increasingly fierce. Under Zhao Kuangyin's coordination, wave after wave of attacks were launched on Jinzhou City. Even the main force of the Forbidden Army, the Long Qi Army, was sent to take charge of the attack for a period of time.
Even with the solidity of Jinzhou City, it was seriously damaged. Although the Han army suffered a lot of damage, the casualties of the defenders in the city were also very high. After a long period of fierce fighting, the strength of the defenders was greatly weakened, both in terms of military strength and material resources.
However, later on, the Han army gradually slowed down its offensive. First, it was due to the impact of the Battle of Yaozhou. Second, the soldiers were tired from long battles and the soldiers needed to make adjustments. Third, it was midsummer and the weather was getting hotter. In this case,
Yelu Xiezhen also sent 20,000 troops and a large amount of ordnance to Jinzhou to defend the city, but at a huge cost, Brother Yelu Xiu also needed to rest and recuperate.
However, behind the short rest, there was a stronger murderous intention, and the Han army was obviously preparing for a more violent attack. Jinzhou was attacked for two full months. From early summer to late summer, how was the city defense of Jinzhou, and what was the strength of the enemy and ourselves? Zhao Kuangyin
It is also an insight into the fire.
The fortified city was frustrated and could not be attacked for a long time. Although the situation seemed not so friendly to the Han army, under heavy pressure and when the situation remained stalemate, Zhao Kuangyin made up his mind to plan to break it.
On June 8, Prince Edward once again raised his account in the Chinese army and convened the middle and upper-level generals of the army. This meeting did not last too long, nor did he make too many summaries of the previous offensive and defensive gains and losses. Zhao Kuangyin directly ordered that no matter the casualties, he would go all out.
Attacking the city will never delay the war in Jinzhou beyond the summer.
So, starting from the 9th, after about half a month of silence, the Han army launched another attack on Jinzhou City, and it was more violent and more aggressive than before. Everyone from the commander to the commander silently made up his mind to fight against such a huge crowd.
In a situation of one will, no one dared to hold back, but those who were lazy and fearful of war would be dealt with according to military law. The military law of the Han Dynasty was always highly strict.
Although the defenders in the city received a batch of support from the rear, the pressure they endured did not change. On the contrary, it doubled. When the Han army rose up, the waves were endless.
It is naturally more difficult to resist an attack.
Of course, Zhao Kuangyin was not willing to blindly attack by force and rely on the sacrifice of soldiers. However, after testing the city defense several times, he had no other choice. Just like when he led the army to invade Shu, he faced the high mountains and dangerous fortresses.
Zhao Kuangyin played very flexibly.
However, the opponents we face now are different, and their responses are also different. When it is time to pay the price, there is nothing to be reluctant to do. As a veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time, how can he be so soft-hearted and frightened by some casualties. To use a simple sentence,
In other words, there is no way to fight without death.
In order to conquer Jinzhou, Zhao Kuangyin also racked his brains and tried his best. In addition to maintaining the Han army's consistent siege tactics, he also used strange tactics.
However, facing Jinzhou's terrain and city defenses, there were no conditions for a water attack. Kerosene and rockets caused a lot of damage to the Liao army, but they were not fatal.
Building a mountain of earth will also create difficulties for yourself when there is insufficient space, and Brother Yelvxiu does not just passively defend, and sometimes sends people to risk his life to fight out.
Using gunpowder to blow up the city wall has also been done. A large number of soldiers and civilians piled gunpowder barrels under the city despite the attacks on the city. However, Brother Yelvxiu sent dead soldiers to stop them, and even risked their lives to detonate them in advance. In short, the piles were not allowed to accumulate.
Plenty of opportunities.
As for the tunnel attack, it was very difficult to dig. There were continuous landslides, and even two of them were submerged due to a heavy rain. The city was also prepared for this. The Han army was digging outside the city, and the Liao army was digging inside the city. There was a situation of mutual communication.
They set off smoke and set fire again, smoking and burning many civilian workers who were working on the construction...
However, no matter how hard Brother Yelvxiu defended, there would always be omissions, and he encountered setbacks and obstacles at every turn. In the end, it became a cover-up, attracting the defensive attention of the defenders.
Among all the tunnels that were opened, there was one that was always cautious and carefully dug by the Han army to the southwest corner of Jinzhou City that had never been "taken care of". After that, with more careful actions, more than 200 barrels were piled under the city foundation.
gunpowder.
So, on the morning of June 12, when the Han and Liao armies were fighting above and below the city, fighting to the death, with a shocking explosion, the long-tested outer city of Jinzhou collapsed...