If there are more than 10,000 people, there will be no boundaries.
It was a very spectacular thing to see tens of thousands of people coming to attack from a distance from a high platform, but Zhang Xing didn't look at it. He was no longer the ignorant person he was back then.
But this didn’t stop many people from being stunned.
In comparison, although the number of troops divided into camps was greater than that of the troops, they seemed less spectacular due to the lack of dynamics and the protection of the camps.
In fact, Zhang Xing likes to fight stupid battles with strong strongholds, and is happy to fight stupid battles with strong strongholds. This is certainly limited by his path dependence and level. It is regarded as an "advanced" tactic in his perception, but this does not cover up another fact.
——That is, the twenty-five battalions that were just reorganized a year ago have not actually been reorganized.
This army looks very good, but what is so good about it?
The level of organization displayed by their marching and encampment was quite good. They knew how to integrate into a large force that looked somewhat impressive when marching, knew how to effectively protect craftsmen and logistics supplies, and knew how to march rationally in armor to save energy and balance the marching force;
When setting up camp, you know how to quickly arrange trenches, antlers, and build fences. You know how to arrange the camp and what the orientation and distance between them should be.
They still have some combat experience, 30 to 40% of them participated in the decisive battle in Lishan that was like wrestling and rolling on mud, and more than 50% of them have experience fighting with more than 10,000 people, plus 10 to 20%
The troops experienced the ups and downs of the rebel army in Hebei in the two years before that, and survived the raids by the government troops.
They also have a good will to fight. Some people still believe Zhang Xingping's empty words. At least the idea that Wei Dao has harmed everyone is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. They are also quite able to endure hardships. Many people actually follow the army.
There is a blood feud.
The logistics are actually very good, and you can show this off wherever you put it.
Thanks to Zhang Xing's extreme emphasis on such matters and the rich products and developed commerce of the Eastern Territory, as well as the complete retention of most of the Eastern Territory's tax system, the army established many logistics bases in the Eastern Territory from the beginning.
Jiyin has a large-scale quilt factory, Dongjun has a leather base, Jibei has a pottery base, Qijun has an ironware base, Lujun has excellent carpentry, and Dengzhou has an armory and some scattered horse farms.
What's even more frightening is that they can really dispatch civilians and quickly transport supplies to specific front lines - they have a complete supply system in the east.
Anyone who sees this will drool, and Xue Changxiong opposite is also afraid of this.
In addition, the army has much stronger discipline than the surrounding rebel armies, and is even more disciplined than the official army. Needless to say.
They also have some good officers, young, experienced, strong, smart, etc. Regardless of whether people drive the general trend or the general trend promotes people, from the perspective of the number of alchemy masters who join the army is obviously higher than the average.
Look, this can be verified.
But they still have two huge problems.
First of all, before crossing the river, the army still had a main force and an auxiliary force. The troops of the two leaders and the three initial leaders, plus the Pu Tai Army, were considered the main force in the army. But after crossing the river, because of
Zhang Xing wanted to take control of all the troops and forcibly dispersed them to start over again, causing some outstanding troops to lose their advantage.
There may be some units that will stand out after reorganizing the army, but they also need experience and the test of war.
In this case, the only troops Zhang Xing has that are trustworthy in terms of combat effectiveness are actually the few troops directly under him, which may not be able to withstand the test. They are the personal guards currently controlled by Wang Xiongdan and the gathered practitioners.
When in the Zhenqi Army Formation, you can take the initiative to strike.
Secondly, a large number of soldiers from the Eastern Border received material rewards from Wubao and some of them were given annual leave. However, on the whole, they still felt homesick and war-weary, and even a small number of them did not return home overdue.
In this case, Zhang Xing himself may not have realized that it was an inevitable and helpless choice to build a stronghold and fight a stupid war.
Xue Changxiong is very experienced in combat, and his troops are not new soldiers. They naturally know how to fight against the so-called hard stronghold.
These troops are well organized. The first wave of attackers are mostly pikemen and shield soldiers, followed by crossbowmen. This is the most effective protection and killing unit for dealing with fences and trenches.
However, there is a saying that even so, the army that takes advantage of the camp and waits for work will definitely have the upper hand.
It is also a steel crossbow shooting. There are simple observation towers, arrow towers, high ground in the camp, and a large number of protective fortifications. Naturally, you can shoot calmly from a high position. If you stab each other with spears, those standing inside are higher than the officers and soldiers in the trenches outside.
Advantages. Not to mention that the officers and soldiers need to move the antlers first, rush to the front, and get into the range of the target before they can counterattack.
In fact, the first wave of battle formations was very bloody and cruel for the officers and soldiers. The shouts of killing quickly weakened, while the wails appeared almost instantly. Deaths and injuries stained the newly frozen Hebei land.
Black and red.
On the general stage, cheers began to appear, and the excitement quickly swept across the entire general stage.
"If the officers and soldiers are so incompetent, we can defend it for a year!" The leader Zhai Qian, who was wearing a white short cloak, was overjoyed and even stood up on the spot.
"It's not that simple." Just when others were about to agree, Shan Tonghai, who was dressed similarly, said with narrowed eyes.
"How do you say that?" Zhai Qian was surprised for a moment.
Shan Tonghai glanced at Zhai Qian and shook his head: "If Leader Zhai has reached the realm of condensing pills, he will know what is going on..."
Zhai Qian was stunned for a moment, and then his face turned red from holding back.
However, Xiong Bonan was kind enough and turned around to explain: "The position in front of the army formation is too far away. If it is not above the Ningdan level, I am afraid that my eyesight cannot reach it... Livestock and sections are gathering over there."
"Livestock...are you going to use livestock to drag fences and antlers?" Zhai Qian suddenly realized. "The section...is the section used to build a house?"
"Yes, it is also a section for building fences." Zhang Xing said from the side. "Just like when we set up camp, we used ropes to tie the rafts into shape in advance, put them on the car, and transported them to the place for easy camping... However, this
This gadget is most suitable for use right now. It can be used to pave trenches, serve as a simple bridge, lean on the fence of a military camp, serve as a short ladder, or even serve as a large shield during an assault. It can also be used as a mobile shield for crossbowmen.
…It’s more useful than anything else.”
Zhai Qian and the other generals were suddenly stunned.
At this point, Zhang Xinghua stopped talking and continued to sit there, no longer in a daze, but quietly watching the battle with the other leaders.
Sure enough, the battle situation quickly changed. Although the initial stage of the battle was quite bloody and the victory was clear, as the government and army's subsequent targeted ordnance and equipment were transported to the front line, the casualties of the government and army were greatly reduced, and the army became more strenuous.
After getting up, the battle situation quickly evolved into some kind of wrestling on the front line.
It is indeed a wrestling match.
Zhang Xing occasionally glanced over and saw a battle line from a distance. Two groups of soldiers, the official army and the rebel army, were separated by a fence, holding up their shields and exerting force on each other... One side tried to push away the fence, and the other tried to stop it.
And on the side of this "tug-of-war" match, with the crossbows missing and flying, a group of officers and soldiers suddenly climbed onto the fence leaning on the board, and then condescendingly poked at them with their spears, almost affecting the outcome of the wrestling match. Shockingly,
The leader Shang Huaien, who had to command from a high platform, shouted repeatedly and concentrated his bows and crossbows to fire randomly.
The group of officers and soldiers were shot over and fled in confusion, taking with them the officers and soldiers who were "wrestling" outside. However, the soldiers in the fence were caught off guard. For a moment, they were unable to stop their efforts and instead pushed the fence of their own camp away.
A big opening.
The officers and soldiers were overjoyed. As they turned back, the two sides immediately began to fight hand-to-hand, and the battle became chaotic.
After Zhang Dalongtou observed for a while, he suddenly spoke and pointed forward: "Who is the general of the army facing Shang Huaien?"
"It's hard to say... the flag is 'King', but there are a lot of people named Wang in the Hejian camp, and there are two of them in front of me." Jia Yue, who has always been cold-faced, squinted his eyes and shook his head in response. "The battle ahead is so tight.
, and no one had time to ask for feedback.”
"Should I go to the front and have a look?" The hot-faced young Jia Jiarunshi immediately stood up to ask for advice. "There are always wounded soldiers and prisoners."
Zhang Xing nodded.
Xiong Bonan even reminded: "Ask them all."
Xiao Jia nodded again and hurried down.
About half an hour later, I just returned. At this time, the battle was already intense, and there was a clear gap in the progress of the five battalions on the front line.
"How do you say that?" Zhang Xing asked seriously.
"Chief Shang Huai'en is Wang Fubei in person." Jia Runshi answered from the general platform.
"Why does it sound familiar?" Zhang Xing was surprised for a moment.
"That day during the battle in Leling, the man in the rear who escaped was this person." Jia Runshi immediately added.
Zhang Xing was stunned and pointed again: "Who is Cheng Mingqi facing?"
"It is Xue Wanbi, the fourth son of Xue Changxiong."
Zhang Xing was thoughtful, nodded, and said no more. Although the rest of the people could not guess what Zhang Dalongtou was thinking, they also knew the reason for this question, because it was obvious that the war situation was anxious... Although the military commander could still hold the defense line
, but it is obvious that the most strenuous one is Shang Huaien's department, followed by Cheng Mingqi's department.
Regardless of the level of the generals, after reorganizing the army, there is actually not much difference in the overall combat effectiveness of each battalion, especially in this situation where they are fighting a tough battle.
So it can only be said that there are two troops on the opposite side that stand out.
In this way, the battle continued, and at noon, not to mention Zhang Xing and several sharp-eyed Ningdan leaders, almost everyone on the stage could notice that the battle situation was developing, because Shang Huai'en's troops were increasingly showing their defeat.
Several fences were lost, two high platforms were also lost, and there were faint signs of retreat.
This is okay, because the army has already made a plan to deal with such things, which is nothing more than sending fresh troops to replace them and sending auxiliary logistics troops to repair... The design of the camp itself is for convenience.
"Let..." Zhang Xing thought for a moment and was about to give the order, but suddenly turned back. "How about drawing lots?"
Everyone was surprised, but no one objected, because this was indeed fair.
It was not easy to make bamboo sticks at the moment, so Jia Runshi quickly found a piece of paper and wrote the names of several leaders preparing for the rescue. He folded it, put it in a clay pot, and placed it at Zhang Xing's feet.
Zhang Dalongtou did not hesitate, and he grabbed it casually. It was the word "Fan", and when he grabbed it again, it was the word "Zhuge". He immediately ordered: "Leader Fan Wang will send troops to replace Shang Huai'en, and the auxiliary troops will assemble."
, prepare to transfer plate materials and repair fortifications, prepare to assemble with leader Zhuge Dewei, meet the defeated troops, and escort the auxiliary troops forward."
The order was quickly carried out.
The battle situation at the front was reversed almost immediately. This kind of hand-to-hand combat accompanied by fortifications, shields, and armored stomachs was the most exhausting of physical strength. The appearance of fresh troops and reinforcements was naturally decisive.
They had already moved to Xue Zishuai's banner on a higher artificial mound. Xue Changxiong looked at this scene indifferently. The people around him held their breath and did not dare to speak. However, as Wang Fubei's troops could not stop fleeing,
After leaving the army camp, the Hebei marching commander waved his hand and issued the military order.
The next moment, the gong representing the withdrawal suddenly sounded, and five green flags were waved together. Among the five armies in front, Wang Fubei was naturally relieved, as if listening to the sound of heaven, but the other generals had mixed reactions.
Returning to the commander's flag, Xue Wanbi was the first to be confused: "Commander Father, I have shaken the enemy camp. After a while, I will definitely win."
“I know.”
"I am ashamed of myself for not being able to withstand the counterattack." Wang Fubei prostrated himself on the ground, feeling relieved but not proud.
"I saw it." Xue Changxiong came to see Xue Wanbi again. "Fourth, did you see it?"
"Father, the enemy he faces may not be the same as me. Besides, if he can't withstand it, his son may not be able to withstand it." Xue Wanbi was still a little dissatisfied with the retreat. "He is someone who usually just wants to run away if he can't fight a tough battle."
Wang Fubei, who was originally relaxed, turned his head angrily to look, but unexpectedly, Xue Wanbi just stared back coldly, showing no fear at all.
However, Xue Changxiong, who was reining in his horse and standing on top, was too lazy to coddle his son and only changed his expression. When Xue Laosi saw this, he immediately lowered his head solemnly and did not dare to say a word, let alone look weird.
Xue Changxiong returned to the topic at this time: "I know, you must want to ask, why did I not send reinforcements to keep up with our army when it was clear that we had the upper hand, but instead paid for the retreat? The reason is very simple. I have said before that the enemy
The battalions are tightly distributed, and subsequent thieves can move in to support at any time and surround them from left to right. There are five camps in a row. Only by capturing three can it be truly possible to stand firm and destroy the entire defense line in one fell swoop. Otherwise, it will be barely possible to occupy it during the day.
, it is impossible for us to leave our troops surrounded by the enemy at night, and we will still lose them when the time comes. But now there is a question, why are the five armies and the five Zhonglang generals all with 3,000 soldiers, but only Wang Fu
Bei and Xue Wanbi can rush in, but the other three can't win? General Wang Yu, General Feng Duan, General Murong, why do you three just fight for the first two fences repeatedly? What do you have to say?"
Only then did everyone realize what was going on, but they all started to tremble in fear, because Xue Changxiong clearly wanted to raise an army to investigate. And there is no need to say more about the drama of these three people. They were simply conserving their strength and not wanting their troops to be wasted.
Therefore, after the war entered the wrestling stage, he immediately started fishing and was unwilling to be ruthless.
Moreover, among the three, Murong Zhengyan was the most senior and his family was the most well-known. Hearing this, he reluctantly handed over his hand and said: "General manager, perhaps as the four generals said, the thieves' different battalions have different combat strengths."
"You want to say that the three of you have encountered a tough opponent, while General Wang Fubei and Xue Wanbi have encountered a weak opponent?" Xue Changxiong sneered.
The three of them were nervous and wanted to explain again.
Xue Changxiong nodded, but actually did not get angry. He just continued to ask: "Okay, how many casualties will you reduce this time?"
"Three to four hundred people?" The troops had already withdrawn and were behind them. Murong Zhengyan and other generals naturally did not dare to lie.
"Is the fighting strength still there?" General Xue just kept asking.
"Yes, I'm just too tired." Wang Yu, another lieutenant general, answered awkwardly.
"It doesn't matter. We are all tired. Let's take a rest and drink some water. Then the five of you will go back together. This time I will dispatch reinforcements in time to ensure a proper advance... However, you have to disrupt the order. Wang Fubei attacks the last
For the battalion on the left that did not have a broken fence, Xue Wanbi went to attack the middle one. Wang Fubei's battalion received fresh reinforcements before Xue Wanbi went to attack. For the other three, you choose your own targets to attack." Xue Changxiong's expression remained unchanged. "Let's see what happens.
What's going on, maybe it's true that the combat strength of each battalion of the bandit army is different?"
The expressions of the three of them changed greatly, and they looked at each other without saying anything. They could only agree bravely, and turned around to reorganize the attack with Wang Fubei and Xue Laosi.
When he was about to set off, he saw Xue Wanbi leaving first. Feng Duan was speechless. He just complained to Wang Fubei beside him: "Why are you working so hard? Is such a war just a day or two? If you spend so much, it will be the end." We won, but our troops and horses are all gone, so what’s the use?”
After saying that, he beat the horse with hatred and went ahead.
Wang Fubei just felt angry. He was afraid of Zhang Shiyu and couldn't help fighting hard. However, Xue Changxiong used him as a raft, Xue Wanbi was still arrogant, and the other colleagues still complained, which was simply ridiculous.
But it's ridiculous. If I dare not use my strength at this time, how can I, a small local tycoon from Hebei, compare with the children of other people who have a clear background? I'm afraid I will also suffer.
The war soon broke out again. At this time, although the government troops withdrew for a while to rest and then came back again, the military departments did not have time to repair the camps properly, but they entered a fierce situation in an instant.
In the afternoon, about two or three quarters of an hour after the battle situation returned to a tense state, Zhang Xing, who was watching from a distance, couldn't help but close his eyes for a moment, and then turned around and sighed: "Everyone, I was lucky enough to think that Wang Fubei and Xue Wanbi were more powerful, so It is possible to break through. Looking at it now, it is just that the other three families were unwilling to use force in order to preserve their strength. Our troops after reorganization are actually not as good as those of the Hejian camp, especially since these peripheral camps have not been established for a few days. Firm...Xue Changxiong found the crux of the problem."
"Then we...?" Xiao Zhou couldn't help but asked anxiously. "What should we do?"
"It doesn't matter, so what if he takes over this line of defense today?" Zhang Xing was just a little emotional, but he didn't panic at all. He even stretched his hand directly into the clay pot. "The soldiers came to cover up the water and the earth. He has Bai Di's plan. I There is the Black Emperor Sword."
As he said this, he actually stopped drawing lots and instead gave direct instructions: "Let Leader Xiahou and Leader Xu get ready, and Leader Fan will also go..."
Fan Bao, who honestly did not participate in any discussion and was just sitting there waiting for military orders, immediately stood up and was surprised: "Leader, I am from the third platoon and the third camp. Do you want me to abandon my base and come forward to support and replace him?"
"No, I want you to prepare for a flanking attack." Zhang Xing answered seriously, but then looked at Jia Runshi. "Go and send an order to Leader Fan Wang, asking him to fake defeat immediately, abandon the camp, and take advantage of the officers and soldiers in the rear. Before the reinforcements have set off, let's see if we can lure Xue Wanbi into the open space behind the three battalions led by the three leaders Xiahou, Xu, and Fan, and conduct a pincer attack from three sides, trying to kill and injure them."
Everyone was stunned.
To build a stronghold and fight a stupid war, we also need to adapt to the situation.
"These three generals were actually conserving their strength before..." Almost at the same moment, in the official army formation, dozens of steps behind Xue Zishuai's flag, Pingyuantong guarded Qiantang side, and Qinghetong guarded Cao Shancheng. As the battle situation at the front gradually took over, instead of being overjoyed, they were dumbfounded. Then they couldn't help complaining in a low voice. "What are they thinking about this kind of battle? It was a waste of a morning. If the rebel army had provided proper support, it might have been a whole day today." wasted."
This statement immediately attracted the attention of many other generals. Qian Tang didn't know for a moment whether he should understand those three generals or the county guard beside him.
At this moment, Xue Changxiong, who was watching the battle from a distance under the Xue banner above, suddenly gave an order: "Call the whole army, after returning to the camp today, regardless of the regular soldiers and auxiliary soldiers of each battalion, each person must pack a bag of fifty kilograms.
The soil! The quartermaster will go back now and search as many bags, poles, and baskets as possible. If anyone has a container but does not put it in the soil, he will inspect it tomorrow morning and kill him without mercy!"
The generals roared.
Cao Shancheng was slightly startled and couldn't help but cheer up. Qian Tang even narrowed his eyes.
Obviously, General Xue's military qualities are shown here, he is by no means a rigid person, and he can win this battle.