As Zhang Hu's military order came, the left commander Guo Xianfu, who was dormant in the night, stood up. With an order, he led 25,000 warriors to gallop through the dark night, heading straight for the place where the fire lit up the sky.
The lurking distance is far away, and you don't dare to get close. It's too dangerous to get close, and you can't avoid being discovered.
Along the way, someone tripped and fell, got up and continued running.
If you encounter a small group of harassers on the way, kill them directly.
Jiang An was fighting and fighting, and Xu Laiping almost broke out in a cold sweat when news came that people and horses suddenly appeared in the rear. Fortunately, he was somewhat mentally prepared in advance, and he quickly dispatched 50,000 horses to intercept them, stamping his feet and yelling, "blame that"
Why haven't the 100,000 withdrawn reinforcements arrived yet?
He did not know at this time that his retreating reinforcements were being brutally blocked.
Guo Xianfu is worthy of being Zhang Hu's capable general, and he is indeed a veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time. He is not weak in adapting to battles. When he saw the enemy being alerted on the way, he immediately ordered 5,000 troops to continue the attack, attracting the enemy's attention and intercepting them.
The main force himself led 20,000 people to make a detour.
Soon, the 5,000 raiding troops collided with the 50,000 intercepting Song troops, and another bloody battle ensued.
Later, when Xu Laiping discovered that another enemy force was attacking from another direction, it was already too late, and it was difficult to mobilize a large number of troops to intercept them.
"Kill!" Guo Xianfu roared as he rushed to the shore defense area, brandishing his sword, and led 20,000 troops into the enemy army like a sharp blade.
Don't get entangled with the enemy and rush forward with all your strength. The monks take the lead and open the way.
A large number of monks from the Song Army fought with the monks from the Kingdom of Yan on the river, but were held back by the monks from the Kingdom of Yan. Even if they learned in time that the rear was being attacked, they could not retreat. Once they retreated, the shore defense would be breached by the monks from the Kingdom of Yan. The result was
the same.
Without the obstruction of a large number of monks, the men and horses led by Guo Xianfu were like tigers entering a herd of sheep. After entering the front line, they immediately destroyed the archers and long-range shooting facilities on the shore. The river bank suddenly became a mess, and there was a chaotic fight.
Without the threat of sharp weapons to prevent the approaching force of the force crossing the river, the Yan army on the river immediately rushed forward with all their strength. A large number of wooden rafts blocking the shore were like pontoons, and the soldiers jumped on the river surface on the wooden rafts and rushed forward.
The monks kept knocking over the wooden rafts in an attempt to stop them, but they were of no avail and could not stop the dense crowd rushing like ants. In addition, there were monks from the Yan Kingdom who blocked it.
From time to time, someone would tip over onto the raft and fall into the water, or someone would step on the wrong foot and fall into the water. Then they would climb onto the raft wet and continue rushing forward.
After learning of the battle, Zhang Hu bared his teeth, brandished his sword and roared: "All-out attack!"
The wooden platoons upstream were immediately released in full force, and his Changzhou troops launched a full-scale offensive. Those attacking in front were all imperial troops, who were used to kill the enemy and consume them.
This arrangement can also be said to be his selfishness. No one wants to see his brother die first.
In addition, this is what Meng Shanming meant. Meng Shanming naturally knew which strengths should be retained. After breaking through the Jiang defense, the next war would need to be supported by capable troops. He would know which side was more suitable for the battle, the imperial troops or the princes.
Which side to keep is not because Zhang Hu is his old subordinate.
Seeing the enemy troops swarming ashore like a tide, and learning that the enemy troops previously intercepted from the rear were only a few thousand men, Xu Laiping roared wildly and hurriedly recruited the 50,000 men to come back and plug the loopholes in the river defense.
However, the situation was over and he was unable to save the situation. The river defense was no longer defensible. Enemy troops landed in large numbers and it became a melee. The enemy troops were still landing in a steady stream.
With the arrival of Zhang Hu's main force, the situation became even more one-sided.
"Master Xu, we can't hold on anymore, leave quickly!" Several monks dragged the struggling Xu Laiping up the steps at the back, trying to take him away.
With the sound of killing in the sky, looking at the battlefield with flames in front of him, looking at the battlefield where the situation was one-sided, Xu Laiping struggled and screamed: "Let me go! I won't leave, I won't leave, the Hukou Defense Line is here, I am, the Hukou Defense Line
If you lose it, I will die, I must stay here!"
"Master Xu, don't talk nonsense. You can leave the green hills without worrying about having firewood. Order a retreat quickly. If it's too late, it will be too late." A monk urged.
Xu Laiping shed tears and shook his head, "Oh my god, I, Xu Laiping, am the eternal sinner of the Song Dynasty. I, Xu Laiping, will become the eternal sinner of the Song Dynasty. The governor trusted me in every possible way and ordered me to sit here, but I lost the defense line of Hukou. I
How else can you go to see the Governor!" As he spoke, he swung the sword in his hand and cut off his own neck cleanly.
Luo Zhao went deep into Yan to attack, so the rear defense line naturally had to be handed over to capable and reliable people. The defense line layout was very careful. The guards along the line were all capable generals selected by Luo Zhao personally, and Xu Laiping was one of them. Therefore, he had a heavy responsibility.
words.
However, he attempted to commit suicide, and a monk on the side grabbed his wrist, took off the sword in his hand, and was scolded, "It is not a man's fault to die once. Now we must clean up the mess and try to make amends to truly live up to the trust of the Grand Governor.
How can you die for freedom?"
After being persuaded to change his mind, Xu Laiping immediately ordered a retreat, intending to retain as much strength as he could.
Before leaving, he issued an order, "Send an order to the granary guard to immediately set fire to the grain. Not a single grain is allowed to be left to the Yan thieves!"
Just because of his order, enough war food for two million men and horses for a month was reduced to ashes.
The Yan army who came ashore pursued and killed them for a long distance, but were finally stopped by Zhang Hu's order. Now was not the time to hunt down deserters.
When the Yan army took full control of the Hukou defense line, several men in ragged clothes arrived supporting a man in a state of embarrassment.
It was Sun Gaotian who led more than 4,000 troops to block the enemy's 100,000-strong army. His bun was chopped off for unknown reasons, his hair was disheveled, and his hair was long or short. His body was the color of a mixture of mud and blood, and his face was a mixture of colors.
Just like a cat with a painted face, it is no longer human.
Someone cut him in the abdomen and he was covering it with one hand.
Seeing Zhang Hu standing next to the fire, Sun Gaotian pushed away the helpers on the left and right, staggered to Zhang Hu, knelt down, and cried on the spot, "The general is incompetent, all his brothers were wiped out, and he couldn't stop him."
Enemy reinforcements! The general deserves death, please die quickly!" Tears were streaming down his face.
The left commander Guo Xianfu, who was covered in blood at the side, also shed tears on his clothes. Many generals beside him were wiping away tears or weeping silently.
Zhang Hu's cheeks were tense, his fingers clenched the hilt of the sword at his waist, his eyes were red, and he was too excited to speak.
Several monks who were also not human-like came forward. Everyone was injured. One of them choked in pain: "General, I don't blame General Sun. I really don't blame General Sun. Four thousand men faced the enemy's 100,000 men."
We stormed and intercepted for nearly half an hour. The fighting was so miserable! We tried our best, General Sun tried his best, we really tried our best! No one escaped, almost all of them died in the battle. General Sun refused to live in vain, otherwise we would fight to the death.
Pull General Sun out, General Sun is dead!"
Not only those thousands of people, but also the large number of monks accompanying them were almost all killed in the battle.
"Hey..." Zhang Huyangtian opened his mouth, slowly exhaled, controlled his emotions, stepped forward, and helped Sun Gaotian up with both hands, "It's not your fault, very good, you did a good job, brothers all did the same.
Very good, you have lived up to the great trust of Commander Meng, the Hukou defense line has been successfully captured, you have done nothing wrong, you have made a great contribution!"
This is not a lie. If those 100,000 troops had arrived half an hour earlier, no one could tell whether the battle situation would have changed.
He was afraid of this change. He was afraid that when Guo Xianfu led the ambush troops to attack from the rear, the 100,000 reinforcements would rush in and attack the defenders from the front and back. If the ambush troops failed to disrupt the Jiang defense troops in time, the consequences would be disastrous.
The key is that he cannot order Guo Xianfu's men and horses to attack when the war begins. He must wait until a large number of enemy monks are lured out before ordering the attack. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the men and horses led by Guo Xianfu to be effective in the face of the blocking of a large number of monks. Therefore, he has been waiting until then.
Letting Guo Xianfu lie dormant was also to paralyze the enemy.
The test of waiting time is how long Sun Gaotian can hold off 100,000 reinforcements.
From the moment he gave this order to Sun Gaotian, he knew what kind of tragic situation Sun Gaotian would face. Thousands of people faced an enemy force of 100,000. The consequences were not difficult to imagine.
When he gave this order, he couldn't bear it, but he couldn't help it. It was related to the outcome of the entire battle. If he lost, without saying anything to Dayan, so many brothers would have died in vain.
Sun Gaotian, who was helped up, shook his head in tears, "I don't ask for merit, but for revenge. If the general can trust me and give me another man, I will wipe out all those reinforcements and avenge the dead brothers!"
Zhang Hu refused, "Just recuperate, someone will naturally take care of the revenge." He turned around and said coldly to the monks beside him: "Masters, Commander Sun will leave it to you. If anything happens to his injury, don't worry."
I blame you for turning against me!"
At this time, not a single monk was annoyed by his words. One of them nodded and said: "Don't worry, General. We will do our best to treat General Sun. There will be no mistakes." He waved his hand to signal to the people below to help Sun Gaotian away for treatment.
"Guo Xianfu!" Zhang Hu turned around and shouted again.
"Here!" Guo Xianfu, covered in blood, came out and handed over his hands.
Zhang Hu gritted his teeth and said: "If you gather a hundred thousand troops and go out, if you encounter those reinforcements, kill them for me. They will not accept surrender and leave no one alive! By the way, take the granary for me!"
"Yes!" Guo Xianfu accepted the order and left on the spot.
However, the attack was in vain. The reinforcements were originally coming this way. Knowing that the situation was irreversible, Xu Laiping notified the reinforcements to evacuate at short notice.
In fact, the 100,000 reinforcements also suffered heavy casualties, and nearly 30,000 horses were lost during the storming before they were able to break through.
Sun Gaotian himself did not know how many enemies he had killed. They only used the obstacles they set up to block them and managed to kill nearly 30,000 enemy troops with 4,000 troops. They did not know until afterward when the battlefield was counted.
The granary also failed to be captured successfully. When Guo Xianfu arrived with his troops, the granary defenders also evacuated, leaving the Yan army with ashes in the drizzle.
Xu Laiping felt bad for burning this batch of grain, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't run away with so much grain. Once the enemy caught up with him, not only the grain might fall into the enemy's hands, but even the soldiers escorting the grain would not be able to escape...