To the west, the Xia army showed weakness, but suddenly assembled a heavy force to attack and defeat the Song army, and took advantage of the situation to attack and break Xiaoguan. News soon spread to the company camp where Zhong Shidao was located, and Xiaoguan was located in Hetao.
The western part of the region (now southeast of Guyuan, Ningxia), guarded the passage from the Jinghe River into Guanzhong, and was also an important place in the northwest of Guanzhong. In the Song Dynasty, it was called Yanyan, Huanqing, the throat of the Central Plains, and it was also a must for the Xia Kingdom.
At that time, Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and other famous officials of the Song Dynasty made suggestions and sent troops to consolidate the Song Dynasty's sphere of influence and then rebuild Xiaoguan. Fuyan, Huanqing and even Guanzhong would face the Xia army's invasion and fierce attack, and then the harm would spread to the Song Dynasty.
hinterland.
It seems that the commander-in-chief of the Xia army had planned a strategy from the beginning of the war. Taking advantage of the three-way Song army to advance towards the border of Hengshan and Hehuang, he suddenly gathered troops from the rear and stabbed the Song border in the side.
This disrupted the strategic deployment of various Song armies.
However, this also gave Xiao Tang another reason to lead his army westward.
The war was urgent, and Xiao Tang, who originally wanted to spend more time with Zhong Shidao, learned that Xiao Pass had been captured by the enemy. Zhong Shidao immediately entrusted Xiao Tang to lead his army to take Xiao Pass first and then enter Hehuang, and at the same time mobilized his own command.
The troops controlled the Hengshan front on the east road and were in a stalemate with the soldiers and horses of Xia Guoshi, Xia, You and other military prefecture soldiers and guards.
In addition to the Hedong Jingnan Army, several battalions of the Jingyuan Army under the command of Wu Jie, and the Honshu Forbidden Army under the command of Guan Sheng and Hu Yanzhuo, the troops accompanying Xiao Tang to the Western Front were planned to be deployed among the Zhongshi Road and Zhongshi.
When some Western troops cooperated with Xiao Tang, Yao Pingzhong immediately stepped forward and volunteered, willing to march westward with Xiao Tang. Previously, Yao Pingzhong had obeyed orders in front of Xiao Tang's tent for a period of time to suppress the banditry in the east of the river.
Since there was a tacit understanding, Zhongshi Dao agreed.
The military situation was urgent. The Jingnan Army and other troops gathered in the north of Yanyan Road. After rapid reorganization, Xiao Tang ordered the troops to set off immediately, crossing the Yanqing River and Baima River, passing through Huanqing Road, Qingyang Mansion, and Huanzhou for more than 20 days.
Afterwards, we arrived near Tongxia Village, not far from the ancient Xiao Pass, under the rule of the Zhenrong Army.
The shadows of the dense forest below a hill were swaying. In addition to the rustling of the branches in the breeze, the snoring of the war horses and the whistles of the soldiers were also becoming clearer. Xiao Tang's troops were at the forefront of the army.
The Qingqi scouts were on alert everywhere. They were getting closer and closer to the boundary of Xiaoguan. They would probably encounter the Xia soldiers and horses coming from Xiaoguan into the Song Dynasty soon. The Qingqi soldiers under the Jingnan Army must also be vigilant at all times to avoid being counterattacked.
The enemy troops broke through the trail first.
In addition to Niu Gao, the commander of the Jingnan Army's cavalry army who personally led the scouts at the outposts, Yao Pingzhong also led his Western Army officers and soldiers to scout outposts at the front line. After all, most of the Western Army's sons under his command were with the Xia Army.
The veterans of the Qing and Tang Dynasty Qiang's many attacks had experienced countless battles, whether it was outpost battles or mountain battles. Although Niu Gao commanded the army and health under his command very hard, the Jingnan Army and Ma Army he commanded
The soldiers, at least for now, are still far behind the Western Army veterans who have been tempered by wars under Yao Pingzhong.
When they conquered Tianhu in Hedong and annihilated all the Dangxiang tribes, they both obeyed orders under Xiao Tang's tent. There was some friendship between Niu Gao and Yao Pingzhong, but now they looked solemn and concentrated, and neither of them had the intention to talk or talk about old times.
Because as they traveled along the way, most of the villages and towns they passed were deserted, with ruins and corpses on pillows. Many of the houses and residences were burned to the ground, and the rubble fields were strewn with the corpses of the people who had been killed.
Niu Gao was so angry all the way that he watched, and kept saying "thief" and "prisoner" in his mouth.
When the front Qingqiu had gone several hundred steps further, Yao Pingzhong's ears suddenly twitched. He immediately raised his hands and shouted in a low voice: "Silence!"
The Western Army soldiers behind him immediately tightened their reins and dismounted. Niu Gao also immediately made a gesture and ordered his Qingqi scouts to watch the horses and not make any noise.
Yao Pingzhong gestured behind him again and ordered Qingqi to lead the horses forward quietly. When the soldiers and horses quietly walked forward forty or fifty steps, they could already hear shouts of death and mourning on the other side of the hill.
The cry came faintly. Yao Zhongping looked solemn, and said in his heart: It seems that the Xia army is still raging here, there is Zhuangzi near Zhemo that has not been broken, and there are still officers, soldiers, horses or militia groups in the surrounding areas.
Is Xiang Yong fighting with the Xia thieves?
Yao Pingzhong's face was ashen, and Niu Gao also said nothing. When they quietly led their troops around the hill, they could see a dock wall not far away in the west with flames rising into the sky. They were surrounded by Xia army soldiers and horses on all sides, and on the dock wall
There are also a large number of Song soldiers and soldiers who are fighting desperately to resist the Xia soldiers and horses who are constantly attacking the wall. And behind the Xia army, there are many captured Song people. Those ordinary people, regardless of men, women and children, are in
At this time, they were threatened and threatened by the soldiers of the Xia Kingdom with their weapons, and they were pushed to the front of the formation crying and shouting. There was only silence in the wall of the dock for a moment, and then they shot out a rain of arrows all over the sky, covering their heads and faces with arrows.
To the common people who were used as human shields in front of the formation, and to the Xia army infantry who were intimidating and intimidating behind those common people.
Whether they were Xia soldiers attacking the city or innocent Song people, they fell one by one under the wall of the dock. Their dead bodies almost filled the ditch. There were also many seriously injured people rolling around in the pile of corpses, making hysterical howls.
, some people struggled to turn around and fled. Even if they were chopped down and chopped down by the soldiers from behind wielding swords, axes, spears and spears, the earth-shattering cries had already overwhelmed the Xia soldiers and Song Jun Xiangyong.
The cry of killing.
Xiaoguan was broken by the Xia army, and a large number of Song people under the rule of Zhenrong Prefecture were plundered by the Xia army. At this time, they became human shields for the Xia army to attack the nearby Wubizhuang town. Niu Gao vaguely saw this tragic scene in the distance
, his eyes were already splitting from the sight, and his palms as big as cattail leaf palms were clenched tightly, making a crackling sound. Yao Pingzhong was visually measuring the number of enemy soldiers and horses in front. He and Niu Gao led the front of the Qingqi
There are only one battalion of horse troops each from the Jingnan Army and the Western Army, with more than 600 cavalry, and the Xia Army attacking the front barrier has at least more than 5,000 people. Although they have the upper hand now, a sudden surprise attack on the Xia Army's rear formation can also kill them.
The opponent was caught off guard, but the gap in strength was too great, and it was very likely that our own troops would be eaten by the enemy.
And behind Niu Gao and Yao Pingzhong, an envoy from Ma Jun suddenly said: "Yao Dujian, Commander Niu, we must go back quickly to report to Commander Xiao Jie!"
Before Yao Pingzhong could say anything, Niu Gao glared and shouted in a low voice: "Zhi Niang thief! My brother is still a mile or two away with his army. He has missed the time by going back and forth. I am afraid that the wall of the dock here has been destroyed by Xia.
The army has been broken! Although we are now sentinels watching the enemy's advance and retreat, we cannot let these summer dogs run rampant here and do evil. I don't care, let's kill him first!"
After Niu Gao said that, he immediately looked at Yao Pingzhong and said: "Little Lieutenant, please let me take the credit for this achievement! Please go back and tell my brother that you have seen him enter Xiaoguan."
Xia army soldiers and horses."
Yao Pingzhong snorted coldly when he heard this. Originally, he was hesitant about whether he should lead his inferior Qingqi to raid the enemy's rear formation. However, he was highly praised by the heroes of Guanzhong and taught the Western Army's son-in-law to be praised as a little prince.
, I thought in my heart that although Niu Gao like you is indeed somewhat capable, you have only been in the army for so long, and now you want to show off your power in front of me?
"If I want to go back and report to Xiao Jieshuai, a few people and horses will be enough."
Yao Pingzhong whispered, then looked at Niu Gao again, and said: "Although the Xia dogs are in large numbers, the rear formation of the surprise attack disrupted the enemy's deployment and allowed Pao Ze in the dock wall over there to breathe, delaying some time to wait.
Marshal Xiao Jie led his troops to come to the rescue quickly, so this is feasible... You are fighting with your life at all costs, and you think that we, the young men of the Western Army who are used to fighting with summer dogs, are afraid of death?"