Under the city wall, the wails became louder and louder. The generals and soldiers behind closed doors gritted their teeth and watched as more than a hundred men and women were forced to climb up the steep slope unarmed. When their movements were slightly slower, the Turks behind them shot out at will.
With long arrows, people were shot down from time to time, or even nailed to the ground.
Although the climate has become slightly warmer, the inside and outside of Yanmen Pass are still covered with white snow. At dusk, the setting sun is like blood, mixed with the blood spattered on the white snow, which is shocking.
Looking at the dark Turkic cavalry, Li Shan, whose face was ashen, almost gritted his teeth. Although he couldn't see clearly, he knew that it must be Yu Gushe's handiwork.
"This is the third wave." Xue Zhong took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it over, "There are more than a hundred people in each wave..."
Li Shan did not accept the letter, but stared at the city wall. More than a hundred men and women were forced to climb up the steep slope, and were forced to lift the ladder from the ground and place it tremblingly on the city wall.
The soldiers on the top of the city all turned their heads to look, but Xue Zhong was hesitant. In the previous two waves, the soldiers easily pushed away the ladders and even threw rolling oil and rocks, but then...
Before more than a hundred men and women could climb up, the Turkic cavalry not far away suddenly accelerated and rained out a shower of arrows... The scene under the city wall was miserable, and blood flowed like a river.
Li Shan suddenly took the letter and glanced at it. After a while of silence, he handed it to Su Dingfang. His eyes fell on a young man under the city wall who luckily missed the arrow. He huddled behind the two corpses, shaking non-stop.
The two Turkic cavalry seemed to have noticed it, and they galloped left and right on the slope with their bows and arrows in hand.
"Su Dingfang!"
Before he finished speaking, two shadows streaked through the sky one after another, accurately shooting into the chests of the two Turkic cavalry.
There was a loud noise on the city wall, and the soldiers cheered. Xue Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. From a high position, projectiles have an advantage, but such a sharp shot is actually more difficult than on the ground. In the previous two times, the Turkic cavalry who were proficient in equestrian skills were wanton.
Going back and forth, the soldiers on the city wall fired arrows, but there was almost no gain.
Some soldiers took the initiative to use ropes to hammer down the bodies, collect the corpses, and hang the few survivors to the top of the city.
The sky gradually darkened, and the Turkic cavalry in the distance slowly retreated. Li Shan scolded in a low voice with a gloomy face: "You are a cowardless rat!"
In such a season, leading the cavalry to attack such a dangerous pass is something that no one with a little brain can do... Yu Gushe is not that stupid, he does not expect to break Yanmen Pass, all he wants is Li Shan.
To be precise, what Yu Gushe wants is to defeat Li Shan, and even cut off Li Shan's head, not only to avenge his hatred, but also to regain his prestige.
There is no contradiction between the two. Yu Gushe immediately asked someone to shoot the letter on top of the city, asking Li Shan to lead his troops out of the fortress and decide the outcome in an upright manner.
As long as he can defeat Li Shan, Yu Gushe can wash away the shame on his body, get rid of the situation of being laughed at by his tribe, and even play a positive role in the internal fight between his father and Tuli Khan... He was captured because of his mistake the year before.
, Tuli Khan’s mockery of Yu Gushe left Jieli Khan speechless.
How can we rush out of the fortress if we are guarding it?
Such a request was naturally rejected by Xue Zhong. He did not even send a letter to Li Shan who had gone to Dai County. But then, Yu Gushe drove the civilians to attack the city... It was more of a massacre than an siege.
Xue Zhong quickly found out the truth from the survivors. These civilians were driven from Yunzhou by the Turks.
Li Shan once considered whether Yu Gushe would come to attack Yanmen Pass. In any case, it was impossible to fall. Maybe the opponent would hit his head and bleed at the pass... But what he didn't expect was that the opponent would actually do something like this.
Such a tragic thing.
Yugushe is not stupid. Yanmen Pass is almost rising from the ground and is too difficult to conquer. In the past few months, many people in Yunzhou have moved their entire families to Daizhou. Yugushe simply sent troops to plunder, plunder the people's food and grass, and drive them away.
The people of Yunzhou came with the army.
Using this to force Li Shan to fight... Yu Gushe didn't know if it would work, but at least it was a way, and it was a way that made Li Shan uncomfortable, and it was also a way to prove himself.
Li Shan stood on the city wall for a long time, refusing to leave until the bright moon hung in the sky.
"Huairen..." Xue Zhong sighed: "There are about five thousand cavalry. Now there are three thousand garrison troops at Yanmen Pass and only five hundred cavalry. We cannot rush to send troops."
Xue Zhong was familiar with Li Shan as early as the Shandong War. He knew the young man's temperament very well. He seemed ruthless but was actually affectionate. He was afraid that he would not be provoked and send troops rashly.
"You cannot raise an army in anger." Li Shan's face was gloomy, "But the people of Yunzhou were robbed because of someone... This revenge must be avenged!"
Xue Zhong was speechless. He knew that Li Shan's statement was absolutely correct.
Yugushe invaded at this time, naturally because of Li Shan, who drove the Han people to attack the city and even killed them wantonly. It was also because Li Shan had previously divided the ears of the Turkic envoys between Hu and Han.
Even Yu Gushe mentioned this in his letter. Since there are differences between Hu and Han, if you cut off both ears, then don't blame me for going on a killing spree... That's probably what he meant.
Guo Pu, who came with him this time, thought about it and said, "Li Langjun's bodyguards, plus Dingfang and Sanlang's bodyguards, are about six hundred. Plus the Yanmen Pass defenders, we can make up more than a thousand cavalry."
Xue Zhong glanced at Li Shan's indifferent expression and whispered: "Perhaps King Rencheng can send cavalry to help."
Li Shan's face was stern. He lowered his head and looked at the cold moonlight shining on the bodies under the city wall. He patted the city head gently and whispered: "No hurry, no rush."
Su Dingfang beside him remained silent from beginning to end. He seemed to be used to this scene. Li Shan made suggestions and led the troops into battle.
But Sun Erlang, the leader of Su Dingfang's bodyguard, was dissatisfied and muttered, "Hide inside the pass and wait for the barbarians to retreat?"
Su Dingfang glanced sideways, and Sun Erlang immediately closed his mouth, but his expression was still angry.
"Arrogant and powerful general." Li Shan commented and ignored it. He only thought about it in his mind. Yugu She should know that he was unlikely to leave the country. What did he want to do?
Driving people to attack cities is common in history, but the most obvious effect was the Mongolian cavalry that traveled across Europe and Asia in later generations. However, Mongolia drove people to attack cities not for killing, but more for siege.
On the one hand, it is to fill the trenches, and on the other hand, it is to damage the morale of the defenders. However, this move seems to have a higher element of venting anger?
Li Shan habitually analyzed it like this. He was a little confused about what Yu Gu planned to do, and he couldn't figure out whether there was any inside story. How could he dare to attack rashly before he understood it?
But one thing is for sure, Li Shan is very sure that there will be changes in Mayi... Otherwise, Yugushe will have his head wet, and he will not ignore Mayi in the rear and go straight to attack Yanmen Pass.
Therefore, the breakthrough may not be in Mayi, but if you want to fully understand the war situation, you must get in touch with Mayi.
Li Shan thought for a while with a gloomy face, then whispered, "He Lou Xingshu should still be in Dai County, summon him immediately."