----------Dividing Line----------Zhang Huanzhi sighed in his heart. After all, these improvised troops were just untrained military households, facing such a powerful enemy for the first time.
, being able to stand on the city wall without running was already considered good. He made a prompt decision and immediately ordered: "Fire the arrow!" At the same time, he shot out an arrow, immediately knocking down a small boss in front of him.
As soon as the officers and soldiers listened to the order, they loosened their tight strings and shot sharp arrows at the rebels one after another. The sound of porcupine arrows being struck by the rebels was instantly heard, but most of them were shot in front of the rebels due to insufficient strength.
Zhang Huanzhi looked at the ground, thinking of the veterans lost during the day, and felt a pain in his heart. If he had not taken the initiative to defend the city from the beginning, with those veterans here, this rain of arrows could at least kill hundreds of volunteers.
Instead of just dozens of people like this
Seeing that the arrows of the officers were weak, the rebels immediately boosted their morale. They shouted and rushed towards the city gate. Arrows rained down from the top of the city. After the rebels entered fifty steps, their casualties immediately began to increase. However, this time
At that time, the rebels knew that they could only survive by rushing over, so they charged quickly without hesitation. The distance of fifty steps was actually very short in running. In just a few arrows, they had rushed to the bottom of the city. The entire Jiangyuan city wall was suddenly covered with densely packed walls.
ladder
The ladder is not just a long staircase as shown in many movies of later generations. In fact, it is a complex tool for climbing city walls. It is said that it was invented by Lu Ban, a craftsman in the Spring and Autumn Period. In fact, it existed as early as the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
At that time, it was named "Gouyuan". During the Spring and Autumn Period, Lu Ban improved it. During the Warring States Period, the ladder consisted of three parts: wheels, ladder body, and hook. The ladder body could be tilted up and down, and it could be lifted up and leaning against the city wall by manpower. There was a hook at the top of the ladder.
It is used to hook the edge of the city; there are wheels under the ladder body, which can be moved. The ladders of the Tang Dynasty have been greatly improved compared to the Warring States Period: the base frame of the ladder uses wood as a bed, with six wheels underneath, and the ladder body is fixed at a certain angle.
On the chassis, a movable "auxiliary ladder" is added to the main ladder, with a pair of windlass installed at the top. When climbing the city, the ladder can move freely up and down along the city wall, no longer needing to be carried on the shoulders.
Since the main ladder adopts a fixed device, the ladder erection procedure is simplified and the ladder erection time is shortened. When the army is attacking a city, it only needs to park the main ladder at the bottom of the city, and then set up the auxiliary ladder on the main ladder, so that it can "pillow the city"
"on", thereby reducing the danger and difficulty of erecting ladders in front of the enemy. In addition, because the ladders do not come into contact with the city edge too early before ascending the city, they can also avoid damage to the defenders. In the Wei Dynasty, the structure of the ladders was further improved.
The main ladder of the Great Wei Dynasty Cloud Ladder was also divided into two sections, and adopted a folding structure, connected by a rotating shaft in the middle. This shape is a bit like the folding fly bridge that was popular at that time. At the same time, the auxiliary ladder also appeared in various forms, making it easier to climb to the city.
The enemy's actions are easier and faster. In order to ensure the safety of the people pushing the ladder, the Dawei ladder learned from the improvement experience of the ladder in the late Tang Dynasty and designed the bottom of the ladder as a vehicle with shields on all sides.
When building a city wall, it can effectively resist damage from enemy arrows and stones.
However, for such large-scale equipment, the rebels only seized two semi-retired vehicles from Pengshan County. Naturally, they themselves could not build such complex large-scale siege equipment for the time being, so in addition to these two ladders, there were more
Flying ladders are simpler to use and make. Flying ladders have a simple structure and are light in weight. They are mostly made of wood and bamboo. The flying ladders used by the rebels are two to three feet long, with double wheels at the head end, making it easier for ants to climb the city. Of course, this kind of flying ladder is very useful for
The protection of the ladder builder is very fragile.
Zhang Huanzhi suffered a big loss during the day and almost lost his life. Now he is much more cautious. He is quite prepared for the rebel army's siege. Under his shouts, the defenders held spears and pointed at the climbers.
The soldiers who came up stabbed them randomly, and the hot oil poured down. The rebels who had just climbed up let out screams. More ladders were pushed down, and the rebels who climbed up were crushed under the ladders.
A living target for military shooters
The siege battle was extremely cruel from the beginning. The rebel archers were also trying their best to shoot arrows upwards, trying to suppress the defenders so that the officers and soldiers under the wall could move up smoothly. However, these rebels could not survive a few days or ten days ago.
These farmers and hawkers have only been exposed to bows and arrows for a few days. How can they form such a strong fighting force? The effect is naturally not good. However, more than half of the officers and soldiers on the city wall are composed of "amateurs". As a result, there are also some
There were casualties. Some of the guys who were shot by the rebels but were not fully dead, but unfortunately fell onto the city wall, let out shrill screams, which shocked the hearts of the recruits who defended the city. But they were so scared before the enemy even approached.
The new recruits became jealous after seeing the blood. In addition, behind them were the supervisory teams sent by Commander Zhang with shining steel knives in their hands. The only way to survive was to block the rebel army by moving forward. Although some people were injured because of the first time.
Some people vomited when they saw blood, but some people became vicious. When they saw the rebels sticking their heads out from the flying ladder, they chopped them off without saying a word.
The defenders in Jiangyuan County went from being panicked at the beginning to gradually calming down, making it increasingly difficult for the rebels to attack. After all, the defenders had the advantage of being in a commanding position, and there were only a limited number of rebels who could climb up the city wall. Often, one person could climb up.
Four or five defenders surrounded the city. The rebels who climbed up the tower were quickly hacked to death and thrown off the wall. They also hit the officers and soldiers who were climbing up. This severely damaged the morale of the rebels.
Huang Xiaobo was not very experienced in commanding. Seeing that it was already getting late and it was estimated that further attacks would have no effect, he ordered the Jin Jin call to retreat. When the rebels who were attacking heard the Jin Jin call, they were greatly relieved. Finally, they no longer had to risk their lives here. Suddenly, there was a flood of people.
After the officers and soldiers retreated, they sent a few more arrows. At this time, the officers and soldiers had experienced the fire of the battle, and the arrows they shot suddenly became much sharper. Taking advantage of the retreat of the rebels, they actually killed and wounded many people.
It was already the third day of the siege. Huang Xiaobo himself was an amateur in fighting, and his subordinates were all ordinary people who lived like him and had similar backgrounds. If they had to tell them a strategy, they would just listen to it from the storyteller.
There were a few things that came, and those "clever tricks" didn't seem to be suitable for use now. In the end, they simply didn't think about any strategies and just kept supervising the army to attack fiercely. The anti-justice army had a huge military advantage, and Jiang Yuan
As the defenders' supplies were consumed, their casualties gradually increased.
This is already the third day! Huang Xiaobo heard from people who had recently defected to Chengdu in the past two days that Chengdu Marshal's Mansion had sent reinforcements of a guard and was concentrating its forces to wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop. This reinforcement of a guard rushed to Jiangyuan
It would not last more than ten days at most. At this time, Jiangyuan County was still firmly in the hands of the army. Huang Xiaobo was extremely anxious, but there was still nothing he could do. Under the fierce attack in the past few days, the rebels had actually achieved victory.
Some achievements were made. They attacked the city several times and once guarded the city for more than an hour. However, they were finally driven back by the army.
Now the rebel army of about 50,000 has consumed 14,000 people. Although people coming from far and near have quickly replenished these losses, and with the intensification of attacks in the past few days, it is estimated that there will be no more officers and soldiers left in the city.
How many people there are, but the morale of the rebels has been almost exhausted. The attack in the morning was weak. If there is no way to break the deadlock, let alone ten days, I am afraid that they will not be able to capture it in another month.
However, Huang Xiaobo and his group can think of any clever ideas! In the area previously captured by the rebels, only about 3,000 people were left to guard the entire area. All available troops have been mobilized. If more troops are mobilized, what if?
Huang Xiaobo fell into deep distress. The leaders next to him knew that the leader was in a bad mood these days. Although Huang Xiaobo usually had a good temper,
Don't dare to get too close to him
But today, Uncle An, who was originally staying behind, came over mysteriously. He and Huang Xiaobo have been running the tea road together for more than ten years, so they are familiar with each other. Moreover, Huang Xiaobo's support was only possible because of his support.
, can be said to be a peerless veteran of the rebel army, so he didn’t show much courtesy. As soon as he arrived at the rebel camp, he walked over quickly and whispered a few words in Huang Xiaobo’s ear. When Huang Xiaobo heard Uncle An’s words, his face suddenly lit up with joy:
"Uncle An, you have figured it out and you won't be mistaken."
Uncle An said with certainty: "Is there ever a time when I, Old An, am not reliable when doing things? I can't be mistaken. Yesterday I sent people to contact the Qian family, but I'm not sure yet. They asked us to attack the city.
In order to protect the safety of their family's property in the future, I thought that breaking in now is the key. I didn't think too much, so I agreed first. It has been decided today, so I came to tell you. As for the Qian family's affairs...anyway
You are the leader. If you disagree and go back on your word, it’s just me who is to blame. What else can the Qian family say at that time?"
Huang Xiaobo laughed loudly and praised: "Uncle An came out to fight, one can defeat two! This is really a good job, so let's prepare immediately after dark. The attack tonight will definitely not fail!"
Uncle An nodded and suddenly asked: "In that case, should we stop attacking the city now and let the soldiers have a rest so that they can feel refreshed at night?"
Huang Xiaobo thought for a while, shook his head and said: "We can't stop the siege. Order all gates to step up the siege and not give the rebels a chance to breathe." He explained: "Uncle An, I think if we suddenly stop the siege, I'm afraid that
It will make the officers and soldiers guess that we have a way to break the city. If we add more defenses, our success will be defeated, but it is not good for Uncle An. We must not fail this time. Although every additional moment of attack, our army will gain more
A casualty, but such a sacrifice is worth it. In order to prevent the enemy from discovering our plan, we can only step up the siege and leave the enemy with no time to think. Otherwise, when the official reinforcements arrive in a few days, we will be in trouble.
"Big"
Chao Shili and his men have also been among the siege teams for the past three days. Huang Xiaobo has become anxious these days. All the leaders, big and small, have personally participated in the attack, even his brother-in-law Li Changshun is no exception. Although they are not
Will rush to the front, but sometimes it is a bit dangerous. Yesterday, a leader with 2,000 troops died. He was the largest officer killed by the rebels in this siege. If Chao Shili had not had soldiers around him
Even if you fight to protect him, you will probably be injured by a hail of arrows.
Although Chao Shili contributed ideas and made great achievements, because he did not join early enough and his qualifications were not high enough, there was not much room for him to intervene in this siege. Besides, in this kind of siege, there is no clever plan at every turn. The key is
It also depends on military strength, ordnance and fighting will. Chao Shili himself participated in the siege and discovered that in such a siege, if you don't advance, you will die faster.
Now Chao Shili no longer has the idea of conserving his strength and working hard without putting in any effort. If he doesn't put in any effort, the other party will not let him go. He cannot suppress the other party. The only thing that will greet him is death. When he sees a long arrow shooting at him,
Chao Shili blocked the long arrow with his sword, and then climbed up the flying ladder again. The soldiers behind him fired arrows upwards with all their strength, so that the officers and soldiers on the wall could not lift their heads.
Chao Shili had already reached the top of the wall, but before his head was exposed, countless stones flew down from the top. He was shocked and quickly turned over and hid behind the flying ladder. However, he only felt a pain in his hand, which had been hit by the stones.
, his hand could no longer hold the flying ladder, and he fell straight down. With a "bang", it hit the ground hard - no, it was several corpses. Although there were flesh cushions underneath, Chao Shili still fell.
His vision went dark, his whole body ached, and he could no longer get up. The soldiers were immediately in a panic. Several people picked up Chao Shili and ran back. He only heard a few screams. The soldiers behind him only looked at Chao Shili.
Shi Li could no longer avoid the falling stones and was beaten to death. Although Chao Shili was as stone-hearted, he had feelings for the soldiers around him. These people were all killed after the Chao family's accident.
He trained it with his own hands, and more than a dozen people died in this battle. Why didn't he feel distressed?
The soldiers supported Chao Shili and walked fifty steps away from the city, and slowly stopped. Due to the suppression of Chao Shili's soldiers' bows and arrows, there was no danger here. In the past few days, the archers from both sides had exchanged views with each other.
The shooting resulted in almost all casualties. Of the two hundred archers Chao Shili had organized earlier, only eighty or so were lying in the tent unable to move. Each of them had received at least three or four arrows, and the rest had fallen under the city walls.
They reluctantly selected a hundred people and transferred them to archers. Although their accuracy was even worse, fortunately the archers in the city had suffered almost all casualties. The two sides could still fight to the death, and sometimes there were even soldiers on the rebel side.
Advantage, it can be seen that the opponent's casualties are heavy
In the past two days, more than a hundred archers have repeatedly given the rebels a partial advantage. Chao Shili's men have boarded the city many times. The army's defense of the city wall against Chao Shili's attack has become increasingly tight. This time, they almost captured the city.
Chao Shili was also killed
The sky gradually darkened, and the long-anticipated sound of the ringing gold finally sounded. The rebels spread their legs and retreated. They had lived another day. I wonder if they would still be able to hear the sound of the ringing gold tomorrow. Many soldiers retreated to safety.
He sat down on the ground just a short distance away. If a group of people came out of the city at this time, I am afraid that the rebel army would soon turn into birds and beasts.
The cheers of the officers and soldiers came from the top of the city again, but they were also weak. God knows how crazy the rebel attack was. Many soldiers in the city were crazy and ready. When they saw the rebels retreating, they also sat down on the ground.
Never want to get up again
Chao Shili returned to the camp. The place where his left hand was hit by a stone was bloody and bloody. The fall made his whole body even more painful. Today, there were more than 2,780 casualties among his subordinates. Each of these soldiers
They were all elites he trained, but they were wasted in this small town in Jiangyuan County. It was a huge waste of his revenge, but he had no choice. The enemy was the Leng family, and the only way to get revenge was through the rebels.
, and if the rebel army suffered a huge defeat here, there would be no hope of revenge for the Chao family.
Just after the barefoot military doctor had simply treated the wound, the ordering soldier came over to deliver the order: "The chief has invited you."
Chao Shili didn't care about eating, so he followed the soldiers to Huang Xiaobo's tent. After waiting for a while, he found that all the leaders with more than a thousand troops were present. Everyone was whispering, not understanding that the big leader wanted everyone to do it tonight.
What's the matter with all this?
With the arrival of Huang Xiaobo, everyone immediately became silent and saluted Huang Xiaobo: "See the big leader."
Huang Xiaobo waved his hands with joy on his face, and smiled like a spring breeze: "Brothers, please excuse me. I'm calling you here today to prepare your troops. At midnight tonight, our army will take over Jiangyuan County."
As soon as everyone heard this, there was a buzzing sound, and there was a lot of discussion. Everyone whispered to each other, and one of the leaders stood up: "Let me tell the big leader, do you want to prepare for a night battle? If it is a night battle, our troops are exhausted today. I'm afraid it will be a night battle."
Incapable"
When everyone saw someone taking the lead, they all immediately joined in and said one after another: "The soldiers are tired and cannot fight at night."
Huang Xiaobo smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, everyone, I know the situation of the soldiers. We can enter the city without any effort tonight, and capture Jiangyuan without any effort at that time."
This time Huang Xiaobo's brother-in-law Li Changshun stood up and asked: "Brother-in-law, how can we enter the city effortlessly?"
Huang Xiaobo glared: "You will know how to enter the city by then. It needs to be kept secret for now. When you go back, you must prepare people and horses. The horses must be tied to their mouths to prevent them from neighing, and their hooves must be wrapped in cloth.
Prevent any sound from being made. If anyone fails to do so, it will be a serious matter... and they will be killed without mercy."
After all, Huang Xiaobo is the big leader. As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked and shouted in unison.
