The sky was dark and terrifying, as if a blizzard was brewing.
At the top of Yingzhou City, the frontier officers and soldiers looked as cold and solemn as in the dusty sky. The war suddenly broke out. Who could not be nervous, worried, or afraid? Even if the enemy army failed to deceive the door and the sneak attack failed, they slowly retreated.
, and it cannot make everyone feel at ease.
Qin Huaidao remained silent until the enemy army completely disappeared from sight, turned around and left, and said to Xue Feng: "Xue Canjun, please help me resolve this matter as soon as possible, Xue Canjun."
"General, please don't worry, we have arranged for someone to keep an eye on you." Xue Feng said quickly.
After entering the Governor's Mansion, Qin Huaidao returned to the camp for a tour and came to the wing where he was temporarily staying. He signaled to Xue Feng to go and spread out the map to study. The Goguryeo general personally led the army to Yingzhou and also released his solicitation intention. It might be
If you really take a fancy to the soldiers and horses in Zhongyingzhou and Xue Wanshu, it may be a delaying tactic, so you must pay attention to it.
Attack at all costs?
Or besieged but not attacked?
There was too little information, and Qin Huaidao was unable to make a decision for a while. After some deductions, he found that whether it was a fierce attack or a siege, it could not be accomplished without an army of more than 50,000. Goguryeo did not have many soldiers and horses, so putting 50,000 in Yingzhou was a waste. No wonder he sent people to deceive the city.
After the failure, he tried to persuade him to surrender. This was because he wanted to win a quick victory.
If it were Yingzhou's avatar, not only would he not have to leave 50,000 troops behind, but he would also be able to gain Yingzhou's soldiers and horses for free. He would kill two birds with one stone and achieve his desired outcome. No wonder he would not hesitate to give a high position to a king with a different surname.
The more Goguryeo wanted a quick victory, the less willing it was to agree.
The more Goguryeo wanted to be surrounded by fewer troops, the more it had to drag over.
In war, the most fearful thing is not understanding the other side's intentions. After figuring out Goguryeo's strategic intentions, Qin Huaidao was determined. Various ideas came to his mind, and he wrote them down one by one for future reference.
"Uncle——" someone shouted outside.
"come in."
Luo Zhang opened the door and came in and said, "Let me ask, is there any fighting today?"
"I'm not sure. Regardless of whether I have it or not, let everyone hurry up and prepare for what I told them. Dried meat, winter clothes, and arrows are all indispensable." Qin Huaidao warned, looked at what he had written, put the paper close to his body, and raised his head.
Looking at Luo Zhang, he asked: "Luo Zhang, do you regret following me here?"
"I don't regret it. Although I don't care about fame and fortune, it's not bad to have it. It proves that the Luo family is not weak. This is an opportunity to prove it." Luo Zhang said solemnly.
"There will be an opportunity for you to clear the name of the Luo family. Eat more recently and don't fall behind in training."
"Remember uncle!"
"Go ahead and let everyone hurry up!"
After watching Luo Zhang leave, Qin Huaidao felt inexplicably complicated. The Luo family had lost its former glory since Luo Tong was dismissed. Luo Zhang needed a chance to make a name for himself. Li Junxian was dismissed. Why didn't Li Yi need a chance to clear his name?
, Li Derjian came over, Li Jing’s main purpose is probably to gain knowledge.
The only variable in the army was Fang Yiai. Fang Xuanling probably wanted to throw him over with a try attitude. Although Fang Yiai was very brave, he didn't understand military strategy and didn't need to prove anything. Fortunately, this guy was good.
War, it's not a big problem.
Generally speaking, the people around me are helpful.
But if the sacrifice is too great, An Guogong's Turkic army will be a variable.
It will not be easy to make the decision. No matter how big or small it is, you must think about it first and prepare for a rainy day. Qin Huaidao felt a little pain in his head and rubbed his temples to continue thinking.
…
Almost at the same time, another person also had a headache, the leader of the Xiwandan Tribe Alliance.
We had received news last night about the tribesmen who had fled back. The tribe had been detained. Everyone was filled with indignation and wished they could fight back immediately. If the leader had not had high prestige and suppressed him forcefully, we would have withdrawn our troops last night, but we must make a decision today, otherwise
The morale of the military is unstable.
"Your Majesty!" The middle-aged man who desperately escaped opened the door curtain and came in.
"Sit down and chat." The leader of the Xiwandan tribe greeted him, and after the other party sat down, he asked: "Are you sure that the people who attacked the tribe were Goguryeo people?"
"Your Majesty, it doesn't matter whether you are a Goguryeo or not." The visitor said slowly with a serious face: "Your Majesty, have you thought about a problem? The tribe still has our wives, children, parents, tens of thousands of people, if we don't withdraw our troops and go back
, without food, without tents, without warriors, how can they live?"
The words conveyed endless sadness.
In the ice and snow, with no food, no shelter, and no one to protect them, tens of thousands of people are just a big fat piece of meat. The wolves on the grassland will rush up and bite them. If they cannot survive, everyone will choose to leave and join other tribes, becoming
Slaves, or some tribesmen who knew about it might have come over and swallowed this piece of fat without anyone noticing.
It is not that the leader of the Xiwandan tribe did not expect it, but that he was unwilling to do so.
After pondering for a moment, the leader of the Xiwandan tribe was still unwilling to give in and said in a deep voice: "But if you miss this opportunity, do you know what it means?"
"I know, but if we lose our tribe, we will be rootless. What will happen if we win? Once the news spreads and we know that we have lost our tribe and become a lone wolf, if we are treated as cannon fodder,
Let us take the lead every time, will we fight when the time comes?"
With a rhetorical question, the leader of Xiwandan tribe hesitated.
If we fight, the losses will be huge. If we haven't replenished them, even if we succeed and retire in the future, where will we go? There will be no descendants, so what are we trying to do? The Xiwandan tribe will become extinct in a short time.
If we don't fight, then what are you doing here?
Xiwandanbu's face looked solemn, as if he had suddenly aged a lot.
The visitor continued: "King, the news has spread. The soldiers want to return. Even if the king wants to fight, they have no intention of fighting. They might take the opportunity to escape. Instead of doing this, it is better to go back directly and loot a few small tribes along the way.
It’s more important than saving the lives of the clan members. Only when we are alive can we have everything.”
"Leaving without permission is a capital offense!"
The visitor snorted disdainfully and persuaded: "King, there are many generals in the Tang Dynasty. You know this best. Do you really think this plan can succeed? Even if it succeeds, how many Khitan warriors will be left? Once Goguryeo takes advantage of the situation,
Who can stop us from sending troops to sneak attack on our rear area? Can the remaining Khitan warriors stop Goguryeo? I am afraid that we will lose territory by then. When the clan is exterminated, if we are defeated, Goguryeo will even sneak attack on our rear area and annex the eight Khitan tribes to restore their strength. No matter what
, all of which have no good results.”
"Impossible, don't forget that there is also the Taiyuan Wang family."
"Taiyuan Wang family?"
The visitor said disdainfully: "King, once the war starts, things will be exposed. If the king of the Tang Dynasty can tolerate it, I'm afraid they will be uprooted and lose their foundation. They have too much time to take care of themselves. If I guessed correctly, they may have already fought with Goguryeo."
Some kind of secret agreement has been reached. The Khitan is just a sword they use, and they throw it away after use. Even if they did not reach a secret agreement with Goguryeo, they still have close contact with the He Dahe tribe. Maybe they want to use the war to weaken our strength so that they can unify.
As a whole Khitan, where will we go then?"
After all the hard words, it was like a thunder explosion.
The leader of the Xiwandan Tribe turned gloomy and his eyes flashed with a fierce light.
After a while, the leader of the Xiwandan Tribe said: "You are indeed the wisest person in my Xiwandan Tribe. You have successfully persuaded me to tell you which tribe is best to attack."
"King Xie, naturally we will attack the small tribes that are closely related to the He Dahe tribe. We will fight all the way to expand our strength and force these tribes to withdraw. As long as the strength of the He Dahe tribe weakens, Goguryeo will be the first to devour them if they have the intention.
, when the time comes, we will follow suit, unify the Khitan, contact the Tang Dynasty to compete with Goguryeo, and the king will be the khan of the entire Khitan."
"Hahaha, wonderful, pass on this king's order to withdraw the troops secretly!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
…
Qin Huaidao's flapping wings of this butterfly became more and more powerful.
Without selling the magic sword, the feud with the Wang family would not have intensified. Without revenge and counterattack against the Wang family, the Wang family in Taiyuan would not have had any dissent, and there would have been no war. If Qin Huaidao had not attacked in the snow and plundered the Xiwandan tribe,
If you know that the leader of the Wantan Tribe will not withdraw his troops.
With this retreat, the chaos of the eight Khitan tribes began!
War, there are too many ifs!
For example, Goguryeo...
In the Goguryeo general's camp, the general was eating barbecue and warming himself over the fire while talking about the war with several generals. It was very comfortable.
A general said flatteringly: "General, after the equipment is built, General Mo will lead the first people to rush in and capture the camp to present to the general."
"While I'm here, when will it be your turn to take the lead?" someone said dissatisfied.
"Hahaha!" The general was in a good mood and said with satisfaction: "Don't worry, once the equipment is built, the main army will arrive. Then attack from three sides, no main attack, auxiliary attack, three sides will use force at the same time to drive them out
Go to the north gate and rush to the grassland to harm the uncivilized Khitan people."
"Hahaha, the general is wise!" Everyone flattered him.
A scout hurried in and said anxiously: "General, it's not good, Yingzhou is building a city."
"fortification?"
The general was startled, then laughed and said: "At this time of year, the frozen soil is like iron and cannot be dug. How can we build a city? It's a joke. You have to talk nonsense. Otherwise, you will confuse the public with your monstrous words. While I am in a good mood, get out of here!"
"No, General, they are really building the city. The city wall is already about ten feet high. They use water, yes, they splash it with water, and the water turns into ice, and the city wall is raised. Brothers, you can really see it." The scout became anxious.
, said quickly.
"What, turning water into ice to build a city? What kind of magic is this?" The general's expression changed, he rushed out of the tent, got on his horse, and charged forward.
Several generals also quickly followed on horseback.
Rushing all the way, everyone soon saw that Yingzhou was indeed different. It was a full foot taller. It was not that one place was taller, but all the city walls were raised ten feet taller. Many people were still pouring water on it. If
It's ten feet high and it's hard to climb up. How can we fight this battle?
Everyone looked at the general.
The general's face was as cold as the gray sky, and his incredible eyes were staring at the city wall, muttering to himself: "How can it be like this? How is it possible...how is it possible?"
"General, what should we do? How about the general rushes forward with his men and uses arrows to interfere?" someone shouted.
"The general is also willing to go!" Others asked for a fight.
The general acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He stared straight ahead, with a storm in his heart. As the leader of an army, he naturally knew a lot of inside stories that others didn't know. If Yingzhou could not be taken, a chain reaction would definitely occur. The general
I can't imagine how serious the consequences would be.
With the method of pouring water into ice to build a city, Yingzhou is impregnable, and the people inside are so popular that they will not surrender at all. If they want to win, they will have to sacrifice their lives at the cost of casualties.
But the arrow is on the string and must be fired!
Suddenly, the general was in a dilemma.
"General!" everyone shouted.
"Hurry, go back first!" The general was excited, suddenly woke up, and realized that he must report the loss as soon as possible. He pulled the horse's head and whipped the whip.
"drive!"
Everyone jumped on their horses to catch up.
Little did they know that on the wall of Yingzhou City, Xue Wanshu and Qin Huaidao were watching this scene with relish. After the general and others walked away, Xue Wanshu said excitedly: "General Qin suggested not to stop the enemy scouts from watching, and it turned out to be a good thing. The enemy was surrounded by the ice city."
Stay shaken, busy reporting, adjusting plans, there will be no attack for a while, and we will have more time to build the city, wonderful, wonderful."
"Captain, do you have any contact with Hepingzhou?" Qin Huaidao asked bluntly.
"Fei Ge has sent a warning message and informed us of the city building method. I believe Pingzhou is also building a city. As long as Pingzhou is not lost, I don't think how long they can be rampant? They only need to persist for two months, and the imperial army will definitely arrive." Xue Wanshu
I am in a good mood and all the gloom in my heart is gone.
Looking at the city wall getting higher and higher, Xue Wanshu said with a smile: "With this majestic city, unless Goguryeo fills it with 100,000 people, there is no way it can be taken. If the power of one city consumes 100,000 Goguryeo troops, I will die without regrets."
!”
"No, we can't get it without 200,000 yuan. We recruited all the carpenters to make repeating crossbows. We melted all the discarded knives in the army to make arrowheads. In addition, we collected human and animal excrement from all over the city, mixed it with arsenic, boiled it, and soaked the arrowheads. As long as they hit the target, even if they scratched
The wound, the wound must be infected, and death is certain." Qin Huaidao said coldly, in order to save Yingzhou, he would not bother with any underhanded tricks.
"Is this method... possible?" Xue Wanshu was surprised.
"It can be done!" Qin Huaidao looked determined.
"Okay, Ping'er, you are solely responsible for this matter, so hurry up."
"Follow the order!" A young general agreed and hurried away.
Xue Wanshu explained: "The second eldest child in the family is not good at practicing martial arts, but he likes reading, especially miscellaneous books. He is usually responsible for the army's baggage and makes General Qin laugh."
"The governor is joking, but I like to write miscellaneous books." Qin Huaidao said politely.
Seeing that Xue Wanshu didn't believe it, Luo Zhang added: "Captain, the repeating crossbows used by our army were designed by my uncle."
“Really?”
How many shots can I take?”
"Thirty consecutive shots." Luo Zhang said casually.
“Thirty consecutive shots?”
"I'm just afraid of the imperial court." Qin Huaidao said truthfully.
"This..." Xue Wanshu didn't dare to say anything more.
Repeating crossbows are no small matter. The imperial court must strictly keep them secret and cannot be spread outside. Qin Huaidao smiled and said: "The governor does not need to worry. I know a ten-shot crossbow and will pass it on to the governor, but only in Yingzhou. It is also not allowed to be spread to the outside world, otherwise the consequences will be great for the governor."
Know."
"Understood, I asked the blacksmith of the Dudu Mansion to make it. All the blacksmiths will be treated as domestic slaves and treated well to prevent leaks. I swear in the name of the ancestors of the Xue family that they will only be used in Yingzhou. If there are rumors, the Xue family will be exterminated." Xue Wanshu said solemnly.
, and fought hard to defend the city.
As for the blacksmith, once he masters the method of making repeating crossbows, he will naturally be treated well and become a family heritage.
The ancients valued promises, especially swearing by their ancestors, which is almost the highest oath.
Qin Huaidao wanted to make friends with Xue Wanshu. Each of the five sons of the Xue family had a prominent reputation and great influence in the army. He handed over the drawings he had prepared long ago and told him: "Keep it secret!"
"Understood, I will never reveal that it was General Qin who awarded it. However, once you have made a great contribution, you will not be able to ask for credit from the general." Xue Wanshu said apologetically.
"It doesn't matter, I don't care about this." Qin Huaidao said nonchalantly.
Xue Wanshu didn't know that Qin Huaidao really didn't care, so she secretly made up her mind to make good compensation in other ways to repay the favor of giving the crossbow. Suddenly she saw the sky full of snowflakes in front of her, and a huge army slowly approaching, covering the mountains and fields, and she heard in her heart -
The main enemy force has arrived.
"Captain, there are quite a few enemy troops." Qin Huaidao looked at this scene and said.
"I'm afraid there are 50,000 people with equipment. However, the ladder looks like it was built based on the Yingzhou city wall. Now that the city wall is higher, it is out of reach. I want to see how they fight." Xue Wanshu's confidence increased greatly.
Qin Huaidao observed for a moment and reminded worriedly: "Captain, you should prepare to fight. The enemy has come from afar. It is impossible not to fight. He also knows that it will be harder to fight as time goes by. The most likely way is to break through the city gate. Prepare more archers to guard it.
The city gate is the best."
"It makes sense." Xue Wanshu was not stupid, and immediately called someone to give him a few words of advice.
Soon, a large number of soldiers rushed up to the city wall with straws, threw the straws on the ground and stood on tiptoe, getting ready for battle. The border troops had been guarding the border all year round, and their combat literacy had not declined.
Qin Huaidao waved to Fang Yiai and Li Yixie, the guards behind him, and warned: "Go and guard the city gate. Once the city is breached, block it for me without any mistakes."
"Follow the order!" the two agreed and hurried down with the Yulin Guards.
Qin Huaidao was not at ease, so he suddenly came up with a plan and said to Xue Wanshu: "Captain, why don't you have people block the city gate with soil, and then pour water into the city gate hole, let the water freeze, and seal all the city gates. Anyway, you won't be able to go out in a short time.
.”
"What a great idea!" Xue Wanshu's eyes lit up and she quickly asked someone to explain something, and the other person hurried away.
The four gates were frozen and the city wall was heightened. Xue Wanshu no longer had any worries. She was determined and shouted with some expectation: "Soldiers, listen to my orders. Once the enemy gets close, shoot me hard."
"Follow the order!" Everyone accepted the order in a loud voice.
The city wall was heightened and strengthened, like a majestic pass, and everyone's confidence increased greatly.
Soon, the enemy camp's war drums roared, shaking all directions.
A group of infantrymen rushed up. The ones in front were holding swords and shields, roaring like hungry wolves seeing a lamb, followed by a group of auxiliary soldiers, who carried ladders and rushed forward.
The battle started without warning.
Qin Huaidao looked at the swarming Goguryeo troops, at least two thousand or more, standing still and proud, his eyes flashing with sharp light. It was his first time to participate in this kind of city defense battle at close range. It was a rare opportunity. Watch more and learn more.
Learn more, it may be useful in the future.
"Everyone listen to the command of this governor, get closer and fight!" Xue Wanshu's voice sounded, spreading around like thunder, calm, powerful, and reassuring.
"Come any closer and hold me still!"
"Fire the arrow!"
At the command, arrows came out like rain, shooting at the people who came up.
"ah--"
Screams rang out one after another, and countless Goguryeo soldiers fell.
Qin Huaidao looked at this scene, even though he had seen life and death, he couldn't bear it. Hundreds of people were wiped out in a hail of arrows, and they were all living lives. But he forced himself to adapt and accept that now it was a life-and-death national war. He couldn't
Any kindness, mercy and compassion.
"Peng——"
Countless bowstrings exploded, and another round of arrows roared away, knocking down more people.
After three rounds of arrow rain, the enemy troops rushed to the bottom of the city wall. A ladder was erected one after another, but the height was not high enough. Even if they climbed up, they could not enter the city. However, some people still held knives in their teeth and used their hands and feet to climb up quickly. They were quickly hit by arrows.
Shoot down, finally climb to the top, pick up the knife and slash violently, trying to see the ice away.
Qin Huaidao looked at this scene and was speechless. How reckless could he be to do such a thing?
When he saw countless people carrying the huge ramming wood, Qin Huaidao reacted suddenly and said: "Captain, the enemy's ladder attack on the city is fake, but it is real to attract everyone's firepower. This is to cover the huge ramming wood and open the city gate."
Commander Xue Wanshu understood everything clearly. Seeing that the enemy couldn't see through the ice at all, he no longer had any worries in his heart. He shouted excitedly: "Hahaha, aim at the car and kill me. Don't worry about the enemy on the ladder."
"Canopy!"
Countless arrows were shot at the person carrying the huge bumper. Some of them missed, and some were blocked by shields, but the remaining arrows hit the people. The person carrying the giant bumper fell down, and someone immediately took over.
More enemy soldiers came over with shields to protect the people. Another round of arrow rain came over, hitting the shields with a clanking sound and bouncing away. Only a small number of arrows were shot in through the gaps, but the effect was not great. The huge ones hit the wood.
We were about to approach the city gate, but the city gate hole was not frozen yet. Once it was knocked open, the consequences would be serious.
Xue Wanshu became anxious and shouted: "Aim at them and shoot them hard!"
"Peng! Peng!"
The arrows are like rain, extremely fierce.
But as more enemies come to cover with shields, the effect is not very obvious.
"These people must not be allowed near the city gate."
An idea flashed through his mind. Qin Huaidao thought crazily. He looked back and saw many people carrying water to pour into the city gate. He also looked at the huge wooden logs getting closer and closer. He suddenly thought of a plan and shouted: "Captain."
, quickly...let the water bearers come up and pour it down from above."
"What do you mean?" Xue Wanshu was confused for a moment.
"No time to explain, hurry up!"
Xue Wanshu thought that Qin Huaidao was very resourceful and there must be some deep meaning in doing this. It would not affect him anyway, so he immediately sent someone to pass on the order and continue to direct the battle.
Soon, loads of water were brought up.
Qin Huaidao picked up a bucket and saw that the giant tree had reached the door. He poured a bucket of cold water directly on it and immediately shouted: "Quick, fall down!"
Everyone didn't know why, but they poured the water down one after another.