Chapter Four: Choices (Part 1) Although the two of them ridiculed Li Mi's character and ability in words, they did not dare to take it lightly when using troops. Although the rebels had not experienced any serious training, the level of training in the Xiongwu Camp was not as good as that of the other party.
It's much better. I just experienced a bloody battle in Liaodong and I have a little more courage. It's okay to use such well-trained soldiers to bully and bully civil servants like Yuan Wuben who know nothing about marching and fighting. If you bring more than 4,000 brothers
Going out of the city to fight against a 70,000-strong army commanded by the descendants of generals like Han Shihe and Li Mi was indeed a life that was impatient.
Therefore, Yu Wenshiji and Li Xu put an end to the generals' nonsense and ordered Zhao Ziming to get millet and calculate the plan. In front of everyone, they deduced the offensive and defensive plans of Liyang City one by one. The long history Zhao Ziming was also a scheming person.
Since the army entered the city, they have been studying the mountains and terrain near Liyang. Under his guidance, the staff were busy, and in a short time they piled up the rough outline of Liyang City with rice. Zhao Ziming wiped it on the outside of the city wall with his fingers.
A small ditch is used as the Yongji Canal, and a square shape is used to make the mountains and rivers. Although the entire map is a little rough, it looks clear at a glance.
Liyang City is sandwiched between the Yellow River and Yongji Canal. The surrounding terrain is very gentle. There is a large mountain three miles west of the city. It can be regarded as an important place, but it is too far away from the city. At this time, the fighting strength of the soldiers is really weak, so Li Yang City
Xu and Yu Wenshiji did not dare to separate their troops and fight against each other. The safest way at the moment is to close the four gates tightly and not be able to retreat. Liyang City is an important place for food storage. In order to prevent thieves, the city walls are quite tall. If you insist on defending, as long as you don't
If there was a big mistake in command, Li Mi and Han Shihe would not be able to enter the city in ten days and a half. In addition, if the enemy risked his life to attack, the rolling logs and stones placed on the city wall would also come in handy. The only regret is that in the city tower
Those bed crossbows made during the Kaihuang period are too old and can no longer be used. Otherwise, if Li Mi and others are not prepared, they will hit him a few times, and everyone will be able to perform a miraculous feat.
The soldiers discussed and slowly finalized the details of defending the city. Since the city was square, the soldiers and horses of the Xiongwu Camp were also divided into four parts. Zhao Ziming, Li Mengchang, Li Anyuan and Cui Qian each led 5,000 soldiers and horses to take charge of one side.
On the city wall, the remaining more than a thousand "veterans" from the original Xiongwu camp who were not dispersed to serve as officials among the soldiers were left to Li Xu and Yu Wenshiji, who were responsible for providing support to all parties at any time.
There are also some old and weak remnants who are not really suitable for the battlefield, and they are left to Mingfa to join the army.
Rebellious Duties
Another day later, Han Shihe led his troops to kill more than 70,000 people, which was considered the main force of the rebels. The weapons and armor looked much stronger than those under Yuan Wuben's command at that time, but the weapons in the hands of ordinary soldiers were still made of wooden sticks and kitchen knives.
Seeing that the enemy army was unwilling to leave the city to fight in the field, Li Mi and Han Shihe were not in a hurry to attack the city. They led the troops to show off their power outside the city gate, and then set up camp on Dado Mountain in the west of Liyang City.
"This group of rebels is so strange. We have taken away the granary, but they refuse to take it back!" Standing on the tower, Zhang Xiu pointed at the flag in the distance.
"The more anxious they are to take back Liyang, the more they want to appear calm in front of us. This will make those who don't know what is going on think that they are full of confidence. They lost three points in momentum before fighting! If you don't believe me, just wait and see. By this evening at the latest,
The rebels will definitely attack in a big way!" Yu Wenshiji smiled and explained that he was born in a general, and he has seen more of the world and heard of more battles than others, so some judgments about the enemy's situation can be enlightened.
Sure enough, it was only after midnight in the afternoon, and the rebels were already eager to kill from the big mountain again. This time, in addition to kitchen knives and wooden clubs, the soldiers had more than a dozen battering rams made of big trees, and
Dozens of newly built ladders were carried by soldiers in the front row, looking menacing.
"Master Li just couldn't calm down. He didn't even peel off the bark of the tree, so he had the nerve to use it as a ladder!" Master Yu Wenji glanced down at the city and commented lightly.
After hearing this, the generals looked into the distance, and sure enough, they saw a faint green thing on the edge of the ladder. They pointed at it immediately and spread the new discovery. The prisoners who were forcibly recruited into the army were originally frightened to death, but when they saw the generals talking and laughing freely, they were brave.
I got a little stronger. When the enemy approached, I could see clearly the bark on the ladder and the battering ram, and I felt that the opponent's appearance was funny. Unknowingly, my nervous mood relaxed a lot.
The rebels' siege skills were mediocre. As soon as they got close to the city wall, they fired several rounds of upward shots. When they realized that their brothers' archery skills really had no effect on killing the enemy, the Chinese army's flag changed, and immediately there were dead soldiers carrying battering rams and ladders.
The shooting skills of the defenders who rushed towards the city gates and walls were about the same as those of the siegeers. They intercepted their arrows several times but failed to stop them. They watched helplessly as the siege equipment came into contact with the city walls.
"Throw the log!" Li Anyuan jumped up and shouted loudly
The soldiers guarding the city put down their bows, lifted the rolling wood from behind the battlements, and smashed it down the ladder. A wailing sound was heard from the bottom of the city. The rebels who tried to climb the city and hold the ladder were knocked down one after another, and the offensive was stalled for several seconds.
A veteran of the Xiongwu Camp who had participated in the Liaodong battle took the opportunity to pick up a scratching hook, hooked the end of the ladder, and pulled hard along the direction of the city wall. The ladder with bark on the surface could not hold the city wall, and slipped along the direction of the hook, killing the rebels below the city wall.
The army smashed up a large area again
"Release the nails!" Li Anyuan succeeded with one blow and continued to show off his power. The soldiers guarding the city gate released the iron hooks. Three of them were more than five feet long and two feet wide. They were thick wooden boards covered with iron nails and accompanied by iron chains.
The enemy soldiers who were hugging the giant tree and the city gate and shouting were caught off guard. A dozen of the surviving people were knocked down by the hammer. Due to lack of strength, the entire battering ram fell from their hands and fell to the ground with a thunderbolt, knocking down the door-breakers.
After being suppressed, everyone fell on their backs
The morale of the rebels was not high to begin with. After receiving a head-on blow, they immediately retreated like a tide. "Don't waste the wood, release the arrows, release the arrows, aim and shoot!" Li An saw that the enemy's momentum was slightly depressed, and immediately changed his strategy in Xiongwu.
Under the leadership of the veterans of the battalion, the newly recruited soldiers picked up their bows from the top of the city, leaned out half of their bodies, aimed at the hastily retreating enemy troops, and fired another hail of arrows.
The effect of the shooting this time was much better than before. The hurriedly fleeing enemy troops had neither archers nor shields to cover them, and suffered heavy casualties. "Keep shooting, keep shooting!" Li Anyuan shouted, urging his brothers to set up their arrows.
, shot another 50 to 60 unlucky people to death from behind on the way back.
"Stop shooting, stop shooting!" Li Anyuan ran back and forth at the top of the city, his voice changing with excitement. When he was attacking Liyang, he was unable to do so because he led his troops to feint in the direction of Jixian County.
He had done meritorious service, so today he deliberately grabbed the west gate, which was most vulnerable to enemy attacks, to defend it. Sure enough, the rebels focused all their attention on the west gate. At the end of the first round, less than twenty of his brothers were lost, and those under the city wall
The total number of dead and injured was more than three hundred. If he looked like this a few more times, there would be dozens of heads recorded on his head. Even if he could no longer be promoted, the third rank of Cexun would be guaranteed.
Got it
The enemy troops who had retreated in a hurry were gathered together. In front of both the enemy and ourselves, the rebel general who had just led the team was executed according to military law. After a simple threat and mobilization, the rebels, led by a new captain, once again attacked the city wall.
When they got closer, they first fired suppressive arrows, then charged quickly, raised the ladder on top of the corpse of their companions, raised the battering ram, and tried to create a miracle at the cost of their lives.
Li Anyuan decided not to give the enemy a chance to create miracles. He held a shield in one hand and a knife in the other, running back and forth on the city wall, constantly adjusting his tactics according to the actual situation, such as rolling logs, pounding stones, nail bats, and scratching hooks. The head of Liyang City was equipped with many years of defense.
The equipment finally came in handy. The rebels approached in waves, and were smashed to death in waves. The corpses soon piled up into a hill under the city wall. However, the rebels stepped on the corpses of their companions and climbed toward the top of the city like ants.
At the beginning of the battle, the movements of the defenders were still a bit unfamiliar. Gradually, they gained experience in killing people. Under the leadership of the "veterans", the new soldiers smashed down the enemies on the ladders with rolling logs again and again.
Once he turned over the ladder hook with a scratching hook, he put down the nail pat again and again, stirred the windlass again, and pulled up the nail pat with blood and minced meat.
The soldiers on both sides soon began to become numb. The Sui soldiers defending the city saw their companions rolling and struggling beside them after being hit by arrows. They were no longer afraid and did not care to save others. The rebels attacking the city watched helplessly as the rolling logs rolled around them.
The row of robes in front became disabled, but they turned a blind eye. With kitchen knives in their mouths, they continued to work hard towards the city head along the ladder.
Finally, someone climbed up to the top of the city and occupied a piece of ground with a kitchen knife. Before he could cheer, more than a dozen spears stabbed him at the same time, lifting him up like a skewer. Then, the body that was still alive was swung out by the defenders.
, flying in mid-air, struggling, and then falling desperately into dust.
A new row of feathered arrows shot up the city wall, injuring four or five spearmen who stood too close to the battlements. The injured people watched in disbelief as their blood spurted out along the arrow shafts. They put down their spears and used
He tried to cover the wound with his hands, but could not cover the wound. He stumbled and ran a few steps on the top of the city. Suddenly, he tripped over the corpse at his feet and fell down the top of the city screaming.
More than a dozen rebel soldiers climbed up. The newly recruited Xiongwu camp soldiers were a little panicked. They stopped throwing logs under the city wall and rushed towards the nearest attacker with their swords. This common-sense mistake led to more
Many enemies swarmed up to the top of the city. On the top of the city wall, the enemy and we began to fight in small groups. Every foothold as big as a palm was stained with blood.
"Don't panic, keep throwing stones, keep throwing stones!" Li Anyuan's eyes were red with anger, and he loudly ordered his old brothers to restrain the soldiers to prevent more rebels from climbing up the city. He himself led his own soldiers towards the nearest
A group of enemies rushed
A kitchen knife and the hand holding the knife were thrown away by Li Anyuan. Without hesitation, he kicked the rebels who were holding their broken arms and screaming down the city wall. A sharpened wooden stick stretched out from the side. Li Anyuan used the back of the knife to smash the wooden stick.
Separate the stick, then cut off the neck of the owner of the stick with another knife
There was an endless stream of enemies, and it seemed that they could not be killed no matter how hard they tried. Just when Li Anyuan felt that his side was about to collapse, the last group of enemy soldiers who suddenly rushed to the top of the city were forced into a dead corner by Yu Wenshi and his personal guards.
The second round of the attack lasted only a quarter of an hour, but the generals on both sides felt as if a day had passed. Finally, the rebels participating in the attack lost their courage and retreated into the distance in panic. Li Anyuan reached out and wiped the sweat from his face.
, but I feel that my hair is sticky, and I don’t know when it has been splashed with blood.
The enemy troops under the city began to change their formations again, with flags surging repeatedly and the sound of golden drums continuing. When all the noise gradually became quieter, more than two hundred strong men in neat armors used giant shields to protect a golden-armored general.
Liyang City
"General Li, General Li!" the rebels shouted loudly, cheering for their general. With the cheers, the strong men used giant shields to build a wooden wall one hundred and fifty steps away from the city wall.
Then he leaned out half of his body, waved his hands first to lower the cheers around him, then clasped his fists and shouted towards the city, "Which of the heroes guarding the city, can you come out and see me!"
"Hero who defends the city, my general invites you to meet him," the strong men shouted arrogantly, as if they already had a chance to win.
"Show your head if you can, don't be a coward!" Countless rebels shouted loudly, shaking the sky.
"Li Mi, you bastard, if my bed crossbow can still be used, I will just wear you and let him fuck you!" Yuwen Shiji cursed angrily. He was the best in the Xiongwu camp, so he had to leave from the crenel.
He exposed his body at all times, clasped his fists and returned a half-salute. At the moment when the noise around him dropped again, he shouted: "Brother Dharma master, you are well. We haven't seen you for many years, and you look more and more suave! Even if Pan An is reborn again."
, Song Yu will be reincarnated, and I’m afraid his appearance will be inferior to that of his brother!”
The golden-armored general at the foot of the city was Li Mi. Hearing Yu Wenshi's words about adding a spear and a stick, he was not annoyed and pushed aside the shield blocking his front. He rode a few steps forward and sincerely advised: "We haven't seen you for many years."
, I didn’t expect that the benevolent and worthy brother Yu Feng was still so sharp. Wei Wensheng was defeated and executed, and the Eastern Capital was about to fall. Why would the benevolent and worthy brother be trapped in Liyang and buried with that faint king? "
His voice was broad and resonant, and even though he was more than a hundred steps away, everyone on the top of the city could still hear clearly. Some of the soldiers who had just joined the Xiongwu camp did not understand the situation on the battlefield, so they were confused by his words and raised their heads to look at Yuwen.
Shiji, eagerly waiting for his response
The rebels below the city consciously stopped shouting and stared at Yuwen Shiji, waiting to see how he would answer.
"If Brother Dharma Master can capture Luoyang, it won't be too late to tell me! If you feel that there is no hope of attacking the city, and your food and grass are at the bottom, why not surrender to me now? The two of us brothers will lead the troops to destroy Yang Xuangan, and I will be promoted to a noble rank.
, you can also wait for the crime and meritorious service. Otherwise, I am afraid that within three days, hundreds of thousands of my Eastern Expedition troops will gather here. By then, if Brother Dharma Master wants to surrender, I am afraid there will be no chance!" Yuwenshi lied and deceived in the mist of Yunshan.
How had he ever found out that his opponent had responded with half truth and half lies? Instead, the soldiers around Li Mi showed a bit of panic on their faces.
"What a benevolent person says!" Li Mi saw that he could not compare with Yu Wenshi in comparing the situation between ourselves and the enemy. He immediately turned around to seize the moral commanding heights, "As Pu Shanggong, my family has accumulated tens of thousands of gold. As for wealth, I have nothing to ask for."
Today, I don’t care about destroying my family, but I only want to relieve the world’s urgent needs and save Li Yuan. If I can eradicate the foolish king and save the people from the fire, even if I am shattered into pieces, what can I complain about!”
"Who is the foolish king you are talking about? I don't know, but I do know that Goguryeo is an outsider. At the critical moment when we were fighting against foreign enemies, someone rebelled in their nest and made the thousands of miles of fertile wilderness on both sides of the Yellow River barren." Yuwen Shiji pointed with his finger
Pointing to the scorched land outside Liyang City, he shouted loudly: "Brother Dharma Master, don't you know who burned these crops? May I ask Dharma Master, is this to relieve the people's suffering, or is it to seek wealth and murder?"
!”
The Xiongwu Camp had just arrived at Liyang. Of course, the burning of crops outside the city had nothing to do with them. Since ancient times, military discipline has rarely been incorruptible in armies that have rushed into action. Li Mi couldn't defend himself even if he wanted to. He pointed at the city wall. He just thought
He said that this was just a temporary policy, and that the Duke of Chu and himself would definitely compensate the victims in the future. Yu Wenshiji took advantage of his loss of words and added, "By the way, Brother Dharma Master naturally doesn't care what I heard in Liaodong.
, Brother Fa Zhu and Duke Chu have already ceded thousands of miles of fertile fields north of the Yellow River to the Goguryeo people. Now burning the crops in the fields is tantamount to burning the Goguryeo people. How can Brother Fa Zhu be distressed!"
Liyang County is on the bank of the Yellow River. At this moment, the soldiers inside and outside the city are mainly common people near the river. After hearing what Yu Wenshiji said, which was true and false, everyone immediately became angry. In an instant, there was a commotion above and below the city.
Li Mi was so angry that his face turned black. He pointed at the city wall and cursed Yu Wenshiji for lying and deceiving. However, Yu Wenshiji, who was shameless, spoke loudly and asked in turn: "I lied? Who is lying? Do you dare to say that?"
When Yang Xuangan started the uprising, he never contacted the Goguryeo people. Do you dare to say that Luoyang City has been captured by you and the defenders in the city have lost their fighting spirit? Do you dare to say that you still have food in your army, enough to feed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses for several months?
?You dare to say that you can take down Li Yang easily? I don’t