Fan Yu, the transfer envoy of Qinfeng Road, and Sun Lu, the Lian visiting envoy, who are called "Sun Qingtian" and "Fan Qingtian" by the people of Qinfeng Road, are standing on the top of a hill not far from Jingyuguan.
The waves of the Yellow River in the distance are rolling, and the raging waves are lapping at Jinchengguan, which is built along the river. Hundreds of grain ships departing from Taoshui and other Lanzhou wharves are fighting to cross. The grain ships with extremely deep drafts unload grain when they arrive at Jingyuguan wharf, and then Change to a small boat to carry food and go upstream along the Zhuanglang River.
In the nearby river valley, countless civilians pushed and dragged eight-niu crossbows and artillery carts, trudging along the road with difficulty.
Climbing high and looking into the distance, both civilians and ships are as small as ants, but thousands of them gather together, as if they are surging like strong pulsating blood.
Using heaven and earth as a chessboard and living creatures as chess pieces is the wish of emperors, generals and ministers.
But looking at this scene, Fan Yu, who was standing on the top of the mountain and watching from a distance, looked anxious.
As a transport envoy, it was his duty to transport ordnance and military supplies to the front line in Liangzhou.
"I didn't expect that the transportation of this batch of eight-oxen crossbows, artillery carts and thunder cannons made by the Ordnance Supervisor would be so laborious. Did these craftsmen expect this in advance? How much of my people will be mobilized for this cart?" Fan Yu said. dissatisfied.
Sun Lu said: "Originally, the civilian service deployed this time is enough, but it seems that we need to deploy another 50,000 civilian service."
Fan Yu was so anxious that bubbles appeared on his mouth and said: "Where can I find so many civil servants? The available civil servants on Xihe Road and Qinfeng Road are all here. If we go further, the common people will cause trouble."
"This time, in order to transport grain to Shaanxi, the price of rice in Sichuan increased. The Chengdu scholars collectively appealed to the government not to overthrow the state and harm the people's livelihood. They asked the court to take care of the people."
"Is the country important? How important is the people? It is not only difficult for us in Qin Feng Road to be an official, but it is difficult for everyone in the world to be an official."
Sun Lu said: "The imperial court has given so much money, food and subsidies, but the people are still dissatisfied. I think we just can't be too kind to the people, so it is easy to become lazy and shy."
"In the Han Dynasty, a common person had to serve the court for three months a year and had to bring his own dry food. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had 30 million Dingkou before he conquered the Xiongnu, and then 15 million, which did not harm the majesty of his achievements. Magnificent.”
Fan Yu caressed his beard and said: "It's different now. Prime Minister Zhang has repeatedly issued orders that those who want to be officials should be 'people-oriented'."
Sun Lu smiled and said: "Commander Cao, although the Prime Minister said this, there are few officials in the world who really take the people at heart."
"Being an official has always been difficult for a good official, but easy for a bad official."
"If you say something unpleasant, the common people...the common people are nothing!"
Fan Yu said angrily: "What's the difference between this and a man with a lot of money?"
Sun Lu laughed and said: "The Commander-in-Chief of Cao is not Gao Gao Cao, and I am not Liu Gui, so how can I say anything like a rich man? It's just that you and I were recommended by Zhang Gong to serve as officials."
"Only by capturing Liangzhou can we repay Duke Zhang's kindness. A woman's kindness cannot accomplish great things."
"It is business to stabilize Zhang Gong's position and help him achieve great achievements. Otherwise, even if you and I think about the people, where will we cry? The only solution now is to recruit more people. Fan Gong also saw it, Liang Liang In the state battle, only 20% to 30% of winning in head-to-head battles is a matter for you and me behind the scenes."
Fan Yudao: "This is true, but the court and the people are not a one-time deal. Benefiting the people and the country is the long-term way. Governing the world with benevolence, righteousness and morality is the way to long-term peace and stability."
While the two were talking, one person reported: "Qi Cao Commander, Lian Envoy, Ji Sang was captured yesterday!"
Sun Lu and Fan Yu were both overjoyed when they heard this.
Sun Lu said: "Unexpectedly, with such a devastating attack, Jisang has conquered the enemy, and the eastern gate of Liangzhou has been opened, and there is no danger to defend it anymore."
Fan Yu laughed and said: "Yes, an important place like Jisang has been destroyed. Mr. Jinglue is really good at using troops."
"Come here, give this person five ounces of money plus a meal and a meal."
The other party said: "Thank you very much, Commander Cao. Mr. Manager also ordered me to go to Commander Cao to urge for food!"
Hearing this, Fan Yu frowned, and Sun Lu said at this time: "Commander Cao, Ji Sang is going deep into the party's living world, and needs to transport more grain, grass and weapons."
"Don't forget that two years ago, at the foot of Lingzhou City, our army had no siege equipment and could not attack Lingzhou City for twenty days. It ran out of food and retreated."
"Don't make the same mistake again. The imperial court has prepared so much money and food for today."
…
Jisang is Cangsong County in the Han Dynasty and Changsong County (now Gulang County) in the Tang Dynasty. As for Jisang, it is just the transliteration of Cangsong in Dangxiang dialect.
When Wang Hou led the main force of the Song army to arrive here, he, You Shixiong, Zhang Sai, Bao Shun, Bao Yue, Zhao Sizhong, Blind Wu Chi, Yao Lin and other hundreds of Song army generals looked at the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and behind them in the distance was Yuanyuan
An army of 150,000 troops kept coming.
As well as more than 300,000 civilians who were requisitioned.
Wang Hou said to the generals: "Everyone, the place in front of us is Liangzhou."
"Since the Han Dynasty when the Liangzhou Governor's Department was established, this place has been called Wuwei County. It has been occupied for three hundred years."
Liangzhou's terrain is surrounded by the vast Tengger Desert to the north and east, and the towering Qilian Mountains to the south and west, with only the Hexi Corridor running through it.
Its heartland can be called a fertile oasis. Tang general Guo Yuanzhen stationed in Liangzhou for five years, and a few years of good harvests could support the army for decades.
What's more important is that this is a pasture area. As the folk proverb goes, "Liangzhou's big horses run wild all over the world." The Tang Dynasty raised 300,000 official horses here. Of course, the most important thing is to open up the Hexi Corridor to gain endless benefits from trade.
Cai Bian remembered that these words were spoken to him by Zhang Yue when he was in the shogunate.
Since Zhang Yue stationed himself at Xihe Road, he has been working hard to conquer Liangzhou one day.
If Liangzhou can be captured, Zhang Yue's prime minister can be regarded as the most far-reaching prime minister in the Song Dynasty, and he will be more powerful than his father-in-law Wang Anshi who captured the seven military states of Xihe when he was in power.
Now the situation of the Song army is very good. Wang Fan and Wen Xixin have left Tong'an City and fought several battles with Renduoyading at the foot of Liangzhou City, breaking the opponent's illusion that you can come in any way and I will only go all the way. The veteran general Miao Shuo has captured
Luopengling, cut off Dangxiang's reinforcements from the direction of Xingling.
Right now, it just depends on whether they can capture Liangzhou City before reinforcements from the direction of Dangxiang Guasha and Xingling arrive.
After Wang Hou finished speaking, he pointed in the direction of Liangzhou and said: "Everyone, whether the Song Dynasty will be revived or not will be determined here!"
In the rolling yellow sand, the generals and the three armies raised their swords towards Liangzhou City and roared in unison.
In July of the fourth year of Yuanfeng, the main force of the Song Army's middle route and the west route army met at the foot of Liangzhou City.
Ren Duoyading was forced to hold on to the city.
More than 200,000 Song troops besieged Liangzhou City!
…
At this moment, Ren Duoyading was standing on the pagoda of Dayun Temple in the northeast of Liangzhou, looking at the Song army outside the city.
This Dayun Temple was built by Zhang Tianxi of the Qianliang Kingdom. It was originally a palace and was later converted into a temple.
Buddhism is prosperous in Liangzhou, and there are many legends about the pagoda of Dayun Temple. It is said that every time the pagoda tilts, the sound of hammering, axe, and chiseling will be heard that night, and the pagoda will be righted the next day.
At this moment, all the generals were frightened when they saw the huge size of the Song army. One general said: "The Song people didn't have so many soldiers and horses under Lingzhou City back then!"
Renduoyading defended Lingzhou City, and at that time he defeated the 100,000 Song army on Xihe Road and Jingyuan Road where famous generals gathered under the city.
He knew that the generals would be calm and said: "The more soldiers there are, the more chaotic they will be. There is nothing to be afraid of."
"But the commander-in-chief, I think the Song army under the city is very organized!"
Renduoyading was speechless after hearing this and said: "I will lead one of the five leaders in the city, and the rest will guard each gate. The Song army in the north of the city is weaker, but don't underestimate the enemy."
"If we support for a few days, reinforcements from Shazhou and Guazhou will arrive."
"I also sent a letter to Ali Gu, asking him not to intercept it. He agreed."
All the generals nodded.
Ren Duoyading looked at the confused expressions of the generals and knew what they were thinking in their hearts.
While he was talking, he suddenly heard a loud noise from the south of the city, and the soldiers above and below the city let out a chorus of shouts.
Renduoyading immediately got off the tower, mounted his horse and galloped away in the city.
After he arrived at the south of the city, he faced the guard and asked, "What's the matter?"
The guard general said with some panic: "The Song army is testing artillery."
"Nonsense!" Ren Duoyading whipped the opponent, "The Song army just arrived at the city yesterday, how could they set up the cannons so quickly!"
The guard said: "It's a gun carriage!"
Renduoyading changed his color and immediately rode up the road and climbed the city wall.
Renduoyading dismounted and took a look, only to see that a hole had been smashed into the battlements.
He looked at the Song army under the city. What exactly made this masterpiece?
It turned out to be a cannon stone mounted on a cart.
In fact, Dangxiang also has the Poxi Army's Cyclone Cannon, which is a mobile cannon-rock machine mounted on a camel. It fires stone projectiles about the size of a fist.
Now the Song army actually came up with the idea of using vehicles to fire cannon stones instead of camels.
The guard on the side said: "It's still a double-shooting cannon! The Song people don't know how to make it, but it can be mounted on such a large vehicle."
The cannon stones of the Song Dynasty were divided into single-shoot, double-shoot, five-shoot and seven-shoot cannons from light to heavy.
For example, the heaviest seven-shooter cannon requires 250 people to operate and fires 90 kilograms of stone bullets.
As for the smallest single-shooter cannon, it takes forty people to operate it and fire five kilograms of stone bullets. The cannon stones that the Song army just hit on the city's head weighed more than twenty kilograms.
Renduoyading didn't know that the Song Dynasty had artillery carriages very early, but they had never been actually used on the battlefield against Dangxiang.
Because this artillery car requires too much manpower and material resources, and is very inconvenient to transport, as for general city defense battles, fixed artillery is used, and this line of artillery car is not used.
But this time, the Song army brought up artillery carts from the rear and launched them into the siege of Liangzhou City.
It was transported from Lanzhou to the city of Liangzhou after five hundred miles. Such abundant logistical power was something the Song Army had never had in the past.
In addition to the artillery cart, Renduoyading also saw the Song army in the distance unloading a huge crossbow bed from the oxcart. This crossbow bed was very familiar to Renduoyading. It was the Eight Ox Crossbow, the Song army's weapon for defending the city.
No matter how powerful the Dangxiang warrior is, he will turn pale with fright when he hears the click of the trigger of the Eight Ox Crossbow.
The iron spear fired from this eight-oxen crossbow can shoot a heavily armed Buba into pieces of meat.
This scene was often seen in previous attacks on the Song Army's cities. Fortunately, the Eight Ox Crossbow was too bulky and the Song Army had never seen it used in siege battles.
But now such a sharp weapon appears under Liangzhou City. This is simply giving people no way to survive.
In order to conquer the city of Liangzhou, the Song army almost moved out all their family property!
Ren Duoyading thought so, and when he came back to his senses, he looked to the left and right, but saw the generals and soldiers on the left and right staring at the Eight Oxen Crossbows and artillery carriages of the Song Army, and their faces were all pale.
