The more than 10,000 people in the first echelon had no chance to rush under the city wall. The dense rain of arrows and the sky-filled stone bullets had already beaten them to pieces. They were facing the danger of annihilation. In this case, Han
Gang didn't dare to use force. Since the opponent had made preparations, the surprise attack was meaningless. Although Han Gang was angry and unwilling, he knew that if he insisted on going his own way, he would face greater casualties. He had to announce an immediate withdrawal of troops.
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A siege battle that was thought to be easy ended in a disastrous defeat for the Zhou army.
There were more than 7,000 casualties, more than half of whom were killed in battle. What is even more unacceptable is that the defenders had no casualties. The Zhou soldiers and horses could not even rush to the city wall to launch an siege, and Han Gang had already admitted this
The battle failed and Ming Jin withdrew his troops.
For Han Gang, this is really a waste of money, and it will become an indelible stain in his life. The opponent is the soldiers and horses of the Liao Kingdom who are considered to be insufficient in defending the city. The Liao people have always been...
Cavalry warfare is feared. In both siege and defense operations, the Zhou soldiers and horses are the best in the world. But today, the Zhou soldiers and horses who are best at siege are defeated by the Liao people who are least good at defending the city. And the war
Completely one-sided, this is simply a disaster and an unacceptable humiliation.
Fortunately, Han Gang did not lose his mind because of this. He quickly judged the situation and decided to stop the attack, and therefore did not suffer greater losses. In fact, there were far more soldiers and horses in Zhuozhou City than he imagined, and the defenders of the city
The preparations were also more adequate. Nearly 60,000 Liao army archers and 80 self-made small catapults by the Liao people defeated all the 80,000 siege troops and horses of the Zhou Dynasty who dared not understand the current situation.
Zhuozhou is the gateway to the Liao Kingdom. Once he had doubts about Zhou's troops, how could Yelu Zongyuan not take defensive measures? Yelu Zongyuan did not intend to fall out with Zhou at this moment. In fact, he did not want these troops to be sent at all.
Useful. But once it happens, these are the guarantees to ensure that Zhuozhou is not lost and the southern gate of Liao Kingdom is not opened. Obviously, Yelu Zongyuan is superior in strategy.
Han Gang's mistake was that he was overconfident and lacked in-depth analysis. With his ability, if he could calmly analyze the situation, he would definitely analyze the reason and naturally act more cautiously. Unfortunately, he
He failed to do this. He believed too much in his own judgment and was eager for success in the first battle, which led him to a tragic defeat. The tragic defeat in Zhuozhou seemed to be an ominous sign, which made the ambitious Zhou Dynasty attack the Liao Dynasty.
Added a layer of shadow.
Han Gang did not dare to make any more changes. He ordered his troops to retreat ten miles to camp. He went south overnight to join the approaching army. He knew that he had made a big mistake, which had extremely serious consequences. For now
The only solution is to plead guilty to Yang Jun in person and ask for leniency. Any delay may cause his head to move.
In Fengqi Town, eighty miles south of Zhuozhou, more than 200,000 Zhou Dynasty soldiers and horses were passing through the area like locusts. However, the arrival of Han Gang caused the soldiers and horses to temporarily stop and set up temporary camps.
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In front of Yang Jun's handsome tent, hundreds of generals gathered in the open space. Yang Jun stood in the middle of the open space with a pale face. In front of him was Han Gang, who was tied up and kneeling in front of Yang Jun with a mournful face. Not long ago, Han Gang had reported to him
Yang Jun was furious at the news that the siege had failed. He immediately issued an order to stop advancing and summoned all the troops to come here.
Yang Jun was both angry and sad about Han Gang's failure. Han Gang was his confidant. More than 20 years ago, Han Gang followed him to fight in Xixia, although at that time Han Gang was only a member of his own cavalry.
, but he fought bravely, bravely and strategically, and won his own respect. More than twenty years later, Han Gang rose step by step, from a small private soldier to the position of commander of the Ansu Army. This time Yang Jun
He even entrusted him with important tasks, hoping that if he could make meritorious deeds, he could place him in the Privy Council and further cultivate him. Who could have expected that at this juncture, he would suffer a huge defeat.
He led 300,000 elites into the Liao Dynasty to fight. His morale was high and his momentum was fierce. But his defeat ruined everything. Even Yang Jun understood from his narrative that the Liao people were suspicious and Han Gang took the initiative to attack.
There is a certain degree of rationality, but Han Gang is obviously too headstrong and reckless. He should report the matter immediately and let himself judge the situation. But he didn't. He was eager to make contributions but underestimated the enemy, which resulted in this humiliating incident.
Miserable failure.
In Yang Jun's view, this fiasco is more than just a fiasco. It will affect the morale of the entire army and make his previous move of asking the court to support him with all its strength become ridiculous. The whole Zhou Dynasty is waiting for the victory.
, Guo Xu also waited for the good news, but the good news did not come, and came first the news of a humiliating defeat. Moreover, what would the Jurchens think when they found out? It was really embarrassing that the Zhou soldiers and horses were so vulnerable.
"Listen, everyone, Han Gang is so stupid. He uses cavalry to attack the city. He is a fool. He has wasted my trust in him and failed to live up to his expectations. Even if the Liao people turn against me, they should report back to me.
Now that you have made a decision, how can you make your own decisions and attack aggressively? It will lead to a huge defeat? You have greatly damaged the morale of our army, so how can I, the commander, have the face to report to the emperor? In view of the extremely bad behavior of Han Gang, I, the commander, should use military law.
You must not be lenient in your actions. If someone comes, they will behead Han Gang in public as a warning to others." Yang Jun said loudly while blowing his beard.
Several guards rushed forward, grabbed the tied up Han Gang, and dragged him to a severed head with a log pile nearby.
Han Gang did not struggle, but said loudly with tears on his face: "I deserve to die for my humble position. I have failed Privy Yang and the cultivation of the emperor and the court. I have failed my dead brothers. I deserve to die. But I only ask for it."
Marshal Yang, please spare my life. I am willing to be an ordinary soldier, charge and kill the enemy, and wash away today's shame. I don't want to die under the sword of my own people."
Yang Jun shouted coldly: "How can military law be lenient? Why didn't you carefully evaluate the situation at that time? It's too late to say this now. Cut it off!"
Han Gang was speechless and just cursed the Liao people for being treacherous. The guards dragged him to the wooden stake and pressed his head on the wooden pillar. The swordsman stood behind him holding a big knife, preparing to execute him.
The generals knelt down one after another and begged Yang Jun for mercy. Although they were extremely angry after learning the news and were very annoyed with Han Gang's mindless behavior. However, Han Gang was Marshal Yang's favorite general and was usually very popular.
He was a famous general in the Zhou army. It would not be appropriate to kill him just like that.
"Marshal Yang, it is unknown who will be killed before the battle, so I ask Marshal to think twice. General Han made a big mistake, but the Liao people had hidden their intentions and regretted it for a long time. Moreover, although this battle was defeated, it made us understand the Liao people's intentions.
We know that they have been prepared for a long time, which will be of great value to our subsequent attack. We beg the Marshal to show mercy and spare General Han this time." Deputy Marshal Bai Qi raised his hand and shouted.
"Yes, spare Mr. Han's life. Mr. Han also wants to capture Zhuozhou and seize control of the ferry. It's because the Liao people have evil intentions and have ulterior motives. Mr. Han just fell into the trap. The marshal cannot act because of a moment of anger.
Kill Mr. Han. Besides, Mr. Han is right. It would be better to let Mr. Han and the Liao people fight to equalize the merits if you die here. It is indeed unlucky to kill a general in the army before the battle." The other generals also kowtowed and begged for mercy.
.
Yang Jun's face was full of anger, he glared at the kneeling generals in front of him and said sternly: "What are you doing? Are you rebelling? Military law is as good as a mountain, do you want me to violate the law?"
Bai Qi said in a deep voice: "Marshal, please calm down. Military laws cannot be violated. We are just thinking about the beginning of the war. Killing the vanguard general at this time will have a huge impact on morale. Although General Han has serious faults, he is not greedy and fearful.
Death is not due to cowardice and surrendering to the enemy. It is just falling into the trap of the Liao people. The Liao people have been prepared for a long time. This cannot be completely blamed on General Han's miscalculation. This is a calculated calculation without intention, which can only be regarded as a big mistake. Of course the marshal wanted to kill General Han.
It’s not unfair. I don’t want you to disrespect military law, but I hope to give General Han a chance to redeem himself. General Han has also made great contributions to our great Zhou Dynasty. Thinking of this, I can’t kill him.”
All the generals shouted: "Yes, you can't kill him."
Yang Jun stamped his feet and said: "You are making things difficult for me. Hey! Military law is as high as a mountain, how can you condone it? I can't completely ignore your opinions. Let's do this. Death penalty can be exempted, but living crime is difficult to forgive. From now on, I will be exempted from everything.
Military position, demoted to ordinary soldier. General Tian, I will enlist Han Gang as a pawn in your infantry army, and then capture it and let him lead the battle."
The generals were stunned and speechless. The marshal wiped out Han Gang's military position. This was probably more uncomfortable than killing him. But no matter what, it was better than being chopped off with a knife. All the generals actually knew that Han Gang was
The reason why Yang Jun's beloved generals all interceded on his behalf was not entirely because of how popular Han Gang was. In fact, they were following Yang Jun's wishes. But Yang Jun's move proved Yang Jun's attitude towards this battle.
He should be so angry when he loses. He really can't accept such a defeat. If everyone hadn't begged for mercy, he would really kill Han Gang on the spot.
Yang Jun walked up to Han Gang and said in a deep voice: "Han Gang, you have been following me for many years. I have great expectations for you, but this time you really let me down. This time I, Zhou and Liao people,
There is no room for mistakes in combat. You fought like this in the first battle. Do you think you should die?"
Han Gang burst into tears and said: "The last general deserves to die. The last general has failed to live up to the marshal's expectations."
Yang Jun sighed and said: "The generals beg for mercy, I will spare you from death. If you can bear the crime and make meritorious service, and survive this war with the Liao people, just like you did when you followed me as a cavalry soldier."
You have made countless contributions, so I will forget the blame and reinstate you to your post. Don't blame me for being harsh on you. You have become an ordinary soldier and charged forward. If you die, it is because you have no ability. Don't blame yourself.
Bad luck. Death in battle can be regarded as washing away the shame. If you can survive and still perform meritorious service, I should also reinstate you to your official position. This is your last chance."
Han Gang felt regretful and had already scolded himself countless times. He did not blame Yang Jun for being ruthless and failing in the first battle. Even if he was beheaded, it would not be unjust. Although such a punishment is no different from being beheaded now.
.There will inevitably be frequent wars from now on. As a vanguard soldier, there is a high probability that he will die on the battlefield if he cannot survive the end of the entire war. But at least he has a glimmer of hope and a chance to prove himself. Han
Gang could die, but he couldn't die burdened with incompetence and humiliation. Instead, he had to tell others that this failure was not due to incompetence but because of a trick.
"Thank you Marshal for making it possible. The criminal Han Gang will cherish this opportunity and never embarrass the Marshal again. From now on, Han Gang will start from scratch. One day, Han Gang will return to the Marshal again after all his hard work and serve the Marshal." Han Gang said solemnly.
said.
"Okay! Okay. The fact that you can say such things shows that you are still the bloody and fearless Han Gang before. I hope you can return to my sight again. I hope that I can entrust you with important tasks again."
I believe in you." Yang Jun reached out and patted
He put his hand on Han Gang's shoulder and personally untied the rope for him.
Han Gang knelt down and kowtowed, then stood up and took off his general armor, took off his saber, walked slowly to General Tian and saluted: "General Tian, new recruit Han Gang is reporting in. General, where should I join?"
General Tian sighed, summoned his soldiers and led Han Gang away.
When Han Gang left, Yang Jun suddenly began to untie his armor, ordered his soldiers to take off their armor, and lifted up their underwear to reveal the muscles of their upper bodies. The generals were looking at it with confusion, but they saw Yang Jun walking to the wooden stake and lying down.
From above, he said in a deep voice: "I cannot escape the blame for Han Gang's fault. I was planning to submit a petition to resign, but at this time of great responsibility, I cannot live up to the emperor's trust, so I cannot resign as marshal.
However, if you have done something wrong, you will have to bear it. I have brought thirty military sticks to me to correct military law and clarify right from wrong. Come and fight!"
The generals were so frightened that they hurriedly rushed forward. Some offered words of comfort, while others tried to pull Yang Jun up. Yang Jun shouted angrily: "Do you want me, Yang Jun, to become a sinner? Military discipline.
I don’t know why I should lead the army to fight. If it continues like this in the future, how can I compete with the Liao people? If anyone tries to persuade me again, I will go back to the capital to plead guilty."
The generals were stunned and didn't know what to do. Bai Qi was stunned for a moment and sighed: "That's all. Marshal is upright and upright, and he leads by example. The generals admire him greatly. But the war is about to begin. If Marshal Yang is damaged, he will not be able to act.
If it is inconvenient, it will also delay the command of the battle. Marshal, how about we beat the ten army sticks first, and send the remaining twenty sticks for now, and talk about it later? This is also for the sake of the overall situation, and it is not to ask the marshal to ignore military discipline."
All the generals said one after another: "Yes, thirty army sticks will damage the body. The whole army still relies on the marshal to make decisions. The marshal must not lose the big for the small."
Yang Jun thought for a while, nodded and said: "That's alright, let's give him a dozen army sticks first as a punishment. The rest will be stored for now, and I will receive this punishment after I kill the Liao people."
The generals were relieved. Bai Qi waved his hand, and two soldiers came forward with military sticks. Yang Jun said: "You must not be selfish, you must contribute."
Bai Qi also glared at the two execution soldiers and said: "Yes, you must do your best. If you dare to be selfish and fail to do your best, I will punish you severely."
How could the two soldiers not know what Bai Qi meant? Bai Qi was telling the truth and was winking at them at the moment. Even if Bai Qi didn't remind them, they would not really fight with all their strength, and they were not fools.
At that moment, the military stick was raised high and fell lightly. Although it made a crackling sound when it hit Yang Jun, Yang Jun was unscathed. Naturally, Yang Jun would not be serious. What he did was actually just for show, and he wanted to tell these generals.
We, starting from him, must strictly abide by the law. No one can be exempted from liability. If anything happens in the future, no one will be exempted.
…
Knowing that the plan was exposed, Yang Jun felt very regretful, but he was not too depressed. After all, it was only a matter of time before the Liao people launched such a large-scale military operation. What the emperor wanted was an ideal state, crossing the Sanggan River and approaching Xijin.
It would be best for the government to take action, but this would be treating the Liao people as deaf and blind. Yelu Zongyuan is naturally neither deaf nor blind, and he must be extremely concerned about every move of the Zhou soldiers and horses. It is not surprising at all to have suspicions. However,
Han Gang was too aggressive. He should have waited for the army to arrive. His idea of succeeding in a sneak attack was too simple, and he also made the mistake of underestimating his opponent's IQ.
Now that the plan has been exposed, Yang Jun is not worried about simply setting up a posture to attack. Over the years he has led the army in battles, he has rarely used conspiracy and tricks. When he and Li Xuanhao were fighting in the northwest, he learned that Li Xuanhao was gathering a rebellion.
When the tribe troops were attacked, Yang Jun not only did not follow the advice of the generals and counselors around him to seize the time to defeat them one by one, but instead waited until Li Xuanhao's main cavalry was assembled before sending his troops to attack them head-on. This is Yang Jun's style, he is not afraid
He likes to fight any opponent head-on and win. According to Yang Jun's logic, after front-line combat defeats the enemy's main force, that is the victory in controlling the situation. All other guerrilla operations, such as blocking and ambush, can win.
A small victory, but it cannot influence the overall situation. This is contrary to the combat concept that many people think of, but Yang Jun succeeded.
The same was true at this moment. Yang Jun quickly adjusted and formulated a combat strategy, which was to storm Zhuozhou, cross the Sanggan River, and then storm Xijin Mansion. It was not until this time that the initiative of the entire war came to Yang Jun and returned to
This is the step that Yang Jun is most familiar with and likes. However, Guo Xu's previous strategy was not actually liked by Yang Jun, it was just a last resort.
Of course, the defeat of Zhuozhou in the first battle still had to be explained to the imperial court. Yang Jun did not hide it. He confessed the defeat of Zhuozhou in the imperial edict and did not shy away from it. After saying some polite words about living up to the emperor's kindness, Yang Jun told
Guo Xu, this defeat is not justified. It is precisely because of this defeat that the Liao people have been prepared, which will be beneficial to the subsequent battles. He told Guo Xu that in a few days, he will send good news, please don't do it.
So worried.
Yang Jun's self-confidence not only comes from his rich combat experience for many years and his pride of never being defeated, but also from the troops and horses in his hands. In siege operations, no matter how many Liao people defend the city, it is still his own
Opponent? What I'm worried about is field battles, not city battles. The Zhuozhou garrison is said to have fifty or sixty thousand people. Even if it is doubled, so what?
Yang Jun issued an order for the infantry and siege equipment to speed up their march and must arrive outside Zhuozhou City in the afternoon tomorrow to launch the siege operation.
