As the morning sun rose, the horns sounded in the northwest army camp in the west of Bianliang City, and a large number of soldiers and horses were nervously assembled.
As a troop stationed for a long time on the Xixia grassland where chaos and resistance never ceased, the Northwest Army should have experienced the most battles among the troops of the Zhou Dynasty. Although the troops in the northeastern border town were different from those of the Liao people,
After years of friction, its combat scale and intensity are far from comparable to that of the Northwest Army. Moreover, the Northwest Army should have the most unique combat method among the armies of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Because the purpose of the Northwest Army stationed in the Xixia grassland is to maintain the security of what has been called the Xixia Road and suppress the resistance of the local tribes. To fight on the grassland desert of Xixia, what is needed is a powerful army mainly composed of cavalry.
, instead of being like other soldiers and horses of the Zhou Dynasty who are good at defending cities and attacking fortresses, but have not made much achievements in cavalry combat. Of the 250,000 troops in the northwest, nearly 200,000 of them are cavalry. This should be
The most powerful cavalry force in the Zhou army. This is their uniqueness.
Of course, there are gains and losses. The main army is cavalry suitable for attacking and fighting on the grasslands and deserts. Therefore, compared with the traditional Zhou soldiers and horses, they are lacking in siege combat capabilities. This is why they
The reason why Taiyuan could not be conquered in more than a month after being blocked by more than 100,000 Liao army defenders under the city of Taiyuan was because it was not a good idea to attack the city with cavalry. The northwest army did not do much training and fighting in siege. There was nothing on the northwest grassland.
They needed to attack the fortified city. So in the end, they relied on collecting a bunch of siege equipment from the surrounding state capitals to complete the capture of Taiyuan Prefecture.
But the flaws are not concealed. The current scene of an army with 150,000 cavalry gathered outside the West City still gives people an overwhelming and frightening sense of oppression. 150,000 cavalry stretched for more than ten miles outside the West City, and people screamed.
The scene of the trumpet blowing shocked the world.
Yuan Zhengqian was wearing black mail and a bright silver-winged helmet sitting on a tall black horse. The red tassel on the helmet was burning like a red flame in the morning sun, and the blue cloak behind him was hunting in the cold wind.
Like a streak of blue smoke. Yuan Zhengqian, in his prime, stood on the high platform of the central camp, with a chilling temperament. The cheekbones on his angular face were raised, and a scar on the side of his nose did not ruin his temperament.
It further increased his bravery.
Originally, according to the plan, the northwest army was going to enter the capital today, but at this moment, the army was not gathering to enter the city.
Last night in Lu Zhongtian's study, Lu Zhongtian and Yuan Zhengqian had a heart-to-heart talk and expressed that they would give up the post of Privy Envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty to Yuan Zhenqian. But in order for Yuan Zhengqian to better perform his duties and to better let the unruly generals of the Imperial Army
Being convinced allowed Yuan Zhengqian to win a higher reputation in a short time. Lu Zhongtian made a suggestion to Yuan Zhengqian.
Lu Zhongtian told Yuan Zhengqian that once the northwest army arrived, the total number of Zhou soldiers and horses now exceeded 350,000. After the failure of the siege yesterday, the Jurchens' 300,000 troops still had at most 2,340,000 soldiers and horses. Our own side
The troop strength has greatly exceeded the number of Jurchen soldiers and horses, and their morale and equipment have been completely crushed. In this situation, the Jurchens should be attacked with a sharp knife to cut through the mess.
Lu Zhongtian told Yuan Zhenqian that his plan was that tomorrow Yuan Zhenqian would lead the 150,000 cavalry of the Northwest Army to attack the Jurchen army from the west, and he would order his general to lead 150,000 forbidden troops out of the city to attack from the east. The two armies were at an angle. Forcibly smashing the Jurchen army into pieces. In this battle, our own side has the overall advantage, there is no suspense about victory, and the Jurchens will inevitably collapse. In this way, Yuan Zhenqian's Northwest Army, as the main force of the cavalry, will definitely make great contributions, and Yuan Zhenqian will also become famous for this battle. Yuanyang, impressed the imperial army and the people of the imperial capital. After that, he struck while the iron was hot and handed over the post of privy envoy to Yuan Zhengqian, and there was no objection from the superiors and superiors. Because this solved the siege of Bianliang and defeated the powerful Jurchen enemy. His achievements will silence all doubters.
After hearing such a plan, Yuan Zhenqian was actually a little confused at first, feeling that things were not that simple. But what Lu Zhongtian said before made him a little confused, and Lu Zhongtian's sincere words made him doubt Guo Xu's words. So he was a little hesitant. But the reason that finally prompted him to agree to this suggestion was that he believed that now that Guo Xu and Lu Zhongtian had agreed to serve as Privy Councilors, this was a sure-profit deal. And he had already attacked the Jurchens. He thought that the Jurchens were demoralized after yesterday's defeat in the siege of the city. His 150,000 cavalry should be able to sweep through the enemy camp with a thunderous sweep. He did not want to give this great credit to others. Once the troops entered the city, his cavalry would run away. To defend the city is to change the initiative into passivity. Even if the defense is successful, it will not be due to oneself. So to a certain extent, Lu Zhongtian is right in what he said. He wants to defeat the Jurchen soldiers and horses and use this power to conquer the sky. Take the credit for your achievements. At that time, no one can question the position of Privy Councilor.
In this battle, Yuan Zhengqian believed that the winning rate was as high as 90%. With the Forbidden Army attacking from the other side, there was no possibility of losing. Even without the help of the Forbidden Army, Yuan Zhengqian was full of confidence. The Jurchens' armor was tattered and their stature was short, like a group of monkeys wearing shabby clothes. He wears the same clothes as when he is sitting on a war horse, and looks impersonal. Can such a soldier and horse be able to withstand a single blow?
The horns were blowing, the war drums were beating, and the air was filled with a solemn atmosphere. The generals rode up and reported under the high platform, and the voices kept rising and falling.
"Report to Mr. Yuan, the forward left camp has completed its reorganization and is waiting for orders."
"Report to Mr. Yuan, the forward camp has been reorganized and is waiting for orders."
"Report to Mr. Yuan, the forward spear cavalry battalion is ready..."
"...The cavalry and archery battalion is ready..."
"...The preparations for the Long Knife Camp are complete..."
Yuan Zhenqian nodded coldly, frowned and looked in the direction of Bianliang City, and asked in a deep voice: "Is there any news about the Forbidden Army in the city? How are their preparations over there?"
one
The general said loudly: "There is no news about the Forbidden Army yet, but the scouts have come to report, and the Jurchen army camp seems to be aware of it, and has already begun to dispatch troops and generals."
Yuan Zhenqian frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said sternly: "We can't wait for the imperial army. We can't delay the fight. If we wait any longer, the day lily will be cold. Pass my military order, the whole army will attack, maintain the formation, and rush straight to the Jurchen camp. .Tonight, I’m going to use Wanyan Agu’s big head as a drinking bowl to drink from.”
All the generals raised their hands and shouted: "Yes!"
War drums shook the sky and horns sounded. Under the rising sun, 150,000 northwest cavalry began to move into the snowy fields of Beicheng. The large open wilderness snowfields northwest of Bianliang City provided a battlefield for the cavalry to gallop across. The Northwest Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Jurchen camp Originally they were only ten miles apart, but within a quarter of an hour, the cavalry of the Northwestern Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty arrived several miles away from the Jurchen camp. The former cavalry could already see the Jurchen cavalry running in the Jurchen camp from a distance. figure.
"Kill!" Yuan Zhengqian raised the long sword in his hand and let out a loud roar. For a moment, the cry of killing shook the sky. Tens of thousands of cavalry from the Northwest Forward Battalion raised their long swords and roared in unison. The long swords were like a forest, shining in the sun. It shines with a dazzling halo, and is like the sparkling light of waves shining in the sun, turbulent and brilliant.
The Jurchen army had obviously detected the movements of the Northwestern Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty not long ago, and they were obviously well prepared. In the camp, tens of thousands of Jurchen cavalry rushed out of the camp and charged head-on without fear. The two sides began to It was like two raging torrents that collided fiercely in less than a cup of tea. When the soldiers and horses of both sides collided, it seemed that time had frozen at that moment.
The blood mist was fluffy, stumps and broken arms flew down, and human heads sprayed with blood flew up into the air and spun around. There was a sound of weapons clashing like fried beans, a sharp friction sound of sharp blades piercing armor, and a mace hitting a helmet. The sounds of people, the neighing of horses, the horrified screams before death, the curses of the murderers, and the lamentations of the murdered. All the sounds were intertwined at this moment. Not only the two sides that could be seen. The scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere, and all these sounds entered the ears at the same time, forming a chilling sound wave that filled the ears.
At that moment, everything became frozen. But the next moment, heads fell to the ground, blood was stained on the snow, and horses and knights fell to the ground one after another. In just the moment when the two sides collided, hundreds of lives were taken away in an instant. Go away, thousands of people were injured.
…
Guo Xu slept soundly last night. Defeating the Jurchen siege was the first reassuring thing. But more importantly, he successfully persuaded Yuan Zhenqian to be loyal to him last night, which would change the pattern of the entire imperial court. Subversion. With Yuan Zhenqian's help, he will no longer be alone. With 200,000 northwest troops as his backing, Lu Zhongtian will never dare to act rashly. Therefore, Guo Xu slept so peacefully last night that he even felt that he had slept the best in his life. The most solid night ever.
However, when he opened his eyes, he received news that shocked him. Someone reported that Lord Yuan was leading the Northwest Army and was fighting a decisive battle with the Jurchens outside the North City. This made Guo Xu stunned. It was agreed that today would be the day. Why did the army that entered the city suddenly start a decisive battle with the Jurchens? Although the Jurchens failed to attack the city, their main force was still there. Can they guarantee victory in a decisive battle at this time? Why did Yuan Zhengan need to take this risk?
Guo Xu got up in a hurry, put on his armor and jersey and rode towards the North City. On the wall of the North City, Lu Zhongtian and a group of the main generals of the Forbidden Army were already watching the battle. Lu Zhongtian even ordered someone to bring in the desk and the imperial chair, while drinking tea. Watch the battle.
"What's going on? Why did Yuan Zhenqian fight with the Jurchens? Who gave the order?" Guo Xu asked Lu Zhongtian without even having time to watch the battlefield outside the city where he was shouting to kill Zhentian.
Lu Zhongtian smiled lightly and said: "Who gave the order? Wasn't it the order given by you, the emperor?"
Guo Xu said angrily: "How could it be me? I didn't give such an order."
Lu Zhongtian sneered and said: "The emperor wanted to appoint him as the privy envoy last night, and Yuan Zhengqian certainly wanted to show off. So today in order to prove his ability, he led his northwest army to attack the Jurchens. He wanted to make a great contribution and let The fact that we all admire him so much proves that he is the best candidate for Privy Council. Although the emperor did not give an order, isn't it an indirect order?"
Guo Xu was stunned and speechless, frowning and looking at the battlefield. The battle between the two sides' ant-like troops and horses was going on below the city. Both sides' follow-up troops were preparing at the rear. More troops were about to enter the battlefield, and the fierce battle between the two sides would become even more fierce. At this moment, it seemed It seemed to be a balanced trend, but Guo Xu remembered something, and suddenly the hair on his body stood up.
"Since the war has already begun, why doesn't Prime Minister Lu send the Forbidden Army to participate in the battle? At this moment, the Forbidden Army cavalry is sent to outflank from the east side, forming a two-sided attack. Isn't it possible to defeat the Jurchen soldiers and horses?" Guo Xu said loudly.
"To put it lightly, fighting in a war is not just a game. The battlefield is ever-changing. Who can guarantee victory?" Lu Zhongtian said coldly.
"But, you just watch the Northwest Army fight against the Jurchens alone? Don't you know that the Jurchens have iron pagoda heavy cavalry? Shouldn't they help immediately? Yuan Zhengqian may not be able to resist it." Guo Xu stamped his feet and shouted. road.
Lu Zhongtian took a sip of tea and said calmly: "Your Majesty, that is his own choice. The imperial army in the capital only has less than 160,000 combatable soldiers and less than 60,000 cavalry. How to support it? It is stupid to fight the Jurchens head-on. , Yuan Zhenqian has already committed a big taboo by sending troops to fight with him privately. He is stupid. Are we going to make the same mistake? Once the Forbidden Army loses and suffers huge losses, how can Bianliang be protected? It is impossible to send troops, we can only wait and see. Change."
Guo Xu's heart was cold. He pointed at Lu Zhongtian with a sneer and said: "I understand, you are just ignoring death. Do you hope that Yuan Zhenqian will be defeated? You must have given the order to attack. Lu Zhongtian, what are you thinking about?" I've seen through it, it must be you, I'm sure
It's you. You just want to prevent Yuan Zhengqian's troops from entering the city. Are you afraid that you won't be able to control the situation after he enters the city? Hahaha, Prime Minister Lu, my good grandfather, my great Zhou Dynasty is going to perish. You are an old thief. You...you are so cruel."
Lu Zhongtian's face was furious, but Guo Xu was still smart. He guessed the truth of the matter at once, which was really rare. But even so, so what? He no longer cared whether he knew the truth or not, he had already made a decision. When last night , when the lurking chamberlain in the Chongzheng Palace told Lu Zhongtian the overheard conversation between the emperor and Yuan Zhengqian, Lu Zhongtian made a decision. The layer of hypocrisy between him and Guo Xu was about to be torn off, and there was no longer any cover-up. It's necessary. Guo Xu wants Yuan Zhenqian's troops to enter the city. How is that possible? After Yuan Zhengqian's army enters the city, he no longer has the ability to control Guo Xu. If he really wants to fight, the good situation he managed with great difficulty will be completely destroyed. , so he must make the final decision.
He actually wanted to kill Yuan Zhengqian directly last night. But the Northwest Army was completely beyond his control, and the generals and generals of the Northwest Army were not his own. In order to win over Yuan Zhengqian, he deliberately did not carry out a purge operation against the Northwest Army, so Killing Yuan Zhenqian would not work. Instead, it would anger the 200,000 soldiers of the Northwest Army, leaving him with huge hidden dangers. So the way he came up with was to trick Yuan Zhengqian into fighting with the Jurchens. He knew how powerful the Jurchens were, and he knew how powerful the Jurchens were. The heavy cavalry of the Pagoda is invincible. Yuan Zhengqian did not know that the Jurchens had the iron cavalry of the Pagoda, and of course he would not tell him this. Just let him die. If he wins, most of the Northwest Army will be lost. He is unable to compete with himself. It would be better if he loses, because he will die in the hands of the Jurchens. And he only needs to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers and enjoy the show.
"Your Majesty, you have started talking nonsense, do you know? I have the heart to serve the country, how can you insult me and misunderstand me? No matter how bad I am, I am still your grandfather. The emperor really doesn't care about the ethics of Gang Chang. No wonder the emperor even connected his father and brother.
The Queen Mother dares to kill me, does the Emperor want to kill me today?" Lu Zhongtian said coldly.
Guo Xu's face turned pale. Even if Lu Zhongtian said such words, he had completely broken up with him. The usurpation of the throne that the court and himself had tried to deny came out of his mouth, and that was to tell everyone about the matter.
The matter has been settled. Lu Zhongtian pushed himself out. He renounced the relationship and was unwilling to be the keeper of the secret. He completely abandoned himself.
"Who is willing to lead the army out of the city with me to kill the enemy? After defeating the enemy, he will be our great hero of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I will use him as a senior official and treat him with respect like a father and brother. Who is willing to serve the country at this time?" Guo Xu
asked loudly.
No one in the group of people standing beside Lu Zhongtian answered, they all looked at him with contempt, indifference and ridicule.
"Eh hee hee... It's not a good thing to be treated as a father and brother by the emperor. Who dares to be the emperor's father and brother? Then he will die inexplicably and you don't know how." Lu Tianci said with a playful smile, and everyone immediately laughed.
Got up.
Guo Xu's face turned red and he gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, if you don't agree, I will go by myself. Even if I risk my life, I will go and help Yuan Zhengqian repel the enemy."
Guo Xu turned around and left. Lu Zhongtian's faint voice came from behind: "Your Majesty, you can't go anywhere. Come, take the Emperor back to the palace. Without my order, the Emperor can't go anywhere."
Guo Xu turned around in shock. He saw Lu Zhongtian's cold eyes, and his heart felt cold.
…
The battle outside the city has entered a fever pitch, and most of the first echelon troops on both sides have been killed or injured. At present, it seems that the situation is evenly matched, and the Northwest Army seems to have a slight upper hand. This is a great thing.
Being able to stabilize one's position or even gain the upper hand in a head-on battle with the northern cavalry is something that rarely happens. This is due to the Northwest Army's years of experience fighting on the Xixia grasslands.
The fierceness of the Jurchens lies in their close combat skills and superb riding skills. They truly achieve the unity of man and horse and can perform various tricks on horseback. The advantage of the northwest cavalry lies in their discipline and coordination. They interact with each other.
Coordinating a collective charge, on the surface it looks like a dozen or so cavalrymen are surrounded and attacked by the Jurchens, but in fact that is exactly their tactic. In fact, the Jurchens have not encountered this since they invaded the Great Zhou Dynasty.
A truly powerful enemy, the Northwest Army they encountered at this moment was the first powerful opponent they encountered in a head-on battle, so the battle between the two sides was even more fierce and evenly matched.
After the failure of the siege yesterday, Wanyan Agu was very angry. Faced with the sudden appearance of the northwest army, Wanyan Agu ordered the siege to be stopped with great reluctance. But with Wanyan Agu's character, he was unwilling to do so.
I gave up, but many generals under my command suggested withdrawing their troops immediately, because the opponent's number of troops was much higher than our own, and Bianliang could not be captured.
Wanyan Agu discussed with everyone for a long time, and finally adopted Li Guochou's suggestion and prepared to lead his army eastward to capture a large area of Jingdong, especially Yingtian Mansion. This will have the basis for establishing a foothold here. If the opponent sends troops to stop it,
, that is what Wanyan Agu wants. Wanyan Agu understands that fighting in the field is the only way for him to win. Once he fights head-on, Wanyan Agu has full confidence. If the opponent cannot retreat, then he will stand firm and sweep away Jingdong.
We can even march to the Jianghuai area. In that case, it is actually a long-term plan. Although Wanyan Aguda does not want to do this, it can only be done like this.
However, the news that arrived in the early morning made Wanyan Agu very excited. There were actually signs of Zhou's northwest army launching an attack. This was great news. What he was most afraid of was that they would shrink into the city and not be able to do so.
Thinking that the other party actually wanted to take the initiative to attack, wouldn't it be exactly what they wanted. Therefore, when the Northwest Army launched an attack, the Jurchen army was already ready to fight.
