Today is already the fourth day that the Tang army has been firing on all cylinders.
The fierce battle continued, and the Tang army set up dozens of new trebuchets at the head of the outer city, concentrating firepower on the southern section of the inner city.
As long as it can be blasted open a little and the army can rush in, Zheng Jun will never be able to defend it.
In mid-air, stone bullets rained down like thunder, striking the walls of the inner city from time to time, blowing away countless broken bricks and tiles.
Because they were afraid that the Tang army would take advantage of the situation and seize the city, the Zheng army did not dare to go down to the city at all.
From time to time, Zheng Jun was hit by stone bullets. Some suffered broken bones and tendons, some were seriously injured, and some were directly smashed into meat patties.
However, under Wang Tai's coercion, Zheng Jun could only endure huge casualties and languish at the top of the city.
However, everyone knows that the inner city will not last long.
After three days of fierce bombardment by the Tang Army's trebuchets, the southern section of the inner city has been cracked in many places, is on the verge of collapse, and may collapse at any time.
After all, Hanoi is not Chang'an. A giant city like Luoyang cannot withstand such a disaster.
In a cave where soldiers were hidden under the southern city, Wang Tai was sitting on a stone pier, looking a little dull.
He is Wang Shichong's nephew. He is young, handsome, and proficient in military strategy. He is the most outstanding leader among the younger generation of the Wang family.
Even the prince Wang Xuanying is far behind.
He used to be so high-spirited, dreaming of guiding the country on the battlefield, and while talking and laughing, his boats and oars disappeared into ashes.
Zhou Yu, the famous general from the Three Kingdoms period, was his most admired idol.
However, the reality was much crueler than he imagined.
Not to mention killing everyone, in the first battle of his life, he was beaten to a disgrace by Liu Dewei, and he cowered in the inner city and did not dare to go out.
He tried his best, but he could only keep the inner city intact and wait for reinforcements.
However, the plague-stricken Tang army acquired a new type of trebuchet, which had an extremely long range and was so powerful that it seemed that the inner city could no longer be defended.
As for reinforcements, don't even think about it.
He had been surrounded for a long time. Although the battle situation in Luoyang was not clear, he could guess that it was not optimistic. Otherwise, reinforcements would have arrived long ago.
Yesterday, the flames soaring from the Heyang Floating Bridge made him lose his last hope.
Now, even if there are reinforcements, it will be impossible to get through in a hurry.
"Your Highness, would you like to have something to eat?" A soldier brought a bowl of mutton noodle soup and handed it to Wang Tai.
"Take it away. I have no appetite." Wang Tai waved his hand.
The handsome young man who was once majestic and handsome has been tortured for more than a month and has become bone-shattering and unshaven.
In addition, the city was about to be destroyed and the future was hopeless, which made him even more depressed and confused.
The soldiers had no choice but to take Boto away.
At this moment, deputy general Zhao Lu arrived in a hurry.
This Zheng Jun warrior also had sunken eyes and a tired look on his face. He had barely dared to sleep a wink for the past three days and had been stationed on the city.
"Your Highness." Zhao Lu bowed his hands respectfully. He still admired this young King of Song.
"Sit down. What's wrong?" Wang Tai pointed to the empty stone pier beside him.
Zhao Lu sat down, looking a little hesitant and hesitant to speak.
Wang Tai, a smart man, had some guesses in his mind and sighed: "General Zhao, if you have something to say, just say it. I don't blame you."
"promise."
Zhao Lu had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Your Highness, the soldiers feel that they can't hold on any longer. They want to ask the general if they can -"
"Do they want to surrender?" Wang Tai interrupted.
"Yes." Zhao Lu was a little scared.
Wang Tai knew that this was the case. If the war had reached this level, if he were not Wang Shichong's nephew, he would also consider surrendering.
After all, who would want to die if he could live?
He was silent for a moment.
If only a few Zheng troops wavered, he could forcefully suppress them, but if all three armies were like this, he would have no way to save his life.
If he dared to kill people indiscriminately, Zheng Junbao would immediately mutiny.
After a long while, Wang Taicai said slowly: "I am your Majesty's nephew and cannot surrender!"
"However, if you don't force yourself, the brothers have really tried their best. If the city wall is broken, everyone will surrender."
"Gu, Gu don't blame everyone."
Zhao Lu breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Wang Tai did not allow the surrender now, he at least gave everyone a way out and did not force the whole army to fight in the streets or break through the encirclement.
"Then go and tell the soldiers, general."
"Boom!"
As soon as Zhao Lu finished speaking, there was a loud sound next to his ears, as if the sky was falling apart and the ground beneath his feet was undulating like waves.
Wang Tai and Zhao Lu were stunned for a moment, then they quickly rushed out of the Tibetan Soldier Cave and looked towards the direction where the sound came from.
I saw that a section of the city wall that was three to forty meters high could no longer withstand the repeated ravages of the Tang army's stone bullets, and finally collapsed.
For a time, mountains of rubble and rotten bricks piled up, and smoke and dust rose into the sky.
Many Zheng soldiers were buried in rubble, or were injured, and howled horribly.
Wang Tai looked desperate. He had just agreed that Zheng's army could surrender behind the city wall. Unexpectedly, the city wall collapsed immediately. Is this his fate?
"kill!"
Seeing that the inner city was finally destroyed, a large number of Tang troops who had been waiting for a long time cheered like a tsunami and swarmed towards the gap.
They would never give Zheng Jun the chance and time to seal the gap.
Hanoi, it’s over! Wang Tai’s mind went blank.
"Your Highness," the captain of the soldiers on the side rushed up and grabbed Wang Tai anxiously: "Hanoi can't be defended anymore, I will cover your breakout."
"Go? Where to go?" Wang Tai looked confused. The Heyang Floating Bridge was broken and they could not return to Luoyang.
"Your Highness, go to Zhizhou! That is Dou Jiande's territory, less than a hundred miles away. Let's go ask King Xia for help and then fight back."
Wang Tai cheered up. Yes, Zheng Guo still had reinforcements, and he couldn't give up.
"General Zhao," Wang Tai turned around and said, "Gu is about to break out. What about you, are you going with Gu?"
Zhao Lu is an excellent general. Wang Tai admires him very much and wants to take him with him. After all, three armies are easy to obtain, but one general is hard to find.
Zhao Lu fell silent, looking a little embarrassed.
Wang Tai understood and sighed with some disappointment: "I understand. Everyone has their own ambitions. I don't blame you, so let's say goodbye."
"kill!"
Just when the Tang army entered the gap, Wang Tai, under the protection of 500 cavalry guards, opened the north gate of the inner city and broke out towards Zhizhou.
During the previous attack and defense, the north gate of the outer city was broken, but it was never repaired because the war was still going on.
Now, there is exactly the gap for Wang Tai to break through.
Afternoon.
After a bloody battle, Wang Tai finally broke through the siege, but only about 200 of the 500-strong cavalry were left, and all of them were injured.
Because he was afraid of being pursued by the Tang army, Wang Tai did not dare to stop and ran all the way.
It wasn't until the horse under his seat was panting and foaming at the mouth that Wang Tai ordered the horse to walk slowly and let the horse rest for a while.
Otherwise, if we keep running, the horses may be exhausted.
"Your Highness, there is a river ahead." Suddenly, the captain of the soldiers raised his hand and pointed, and a not-so-wide river came into view.
"Let's go, let the war horses drink some water and add some horse food." Wang Tai was happy in his heart. Seeing that there was no Tang army chasing behind him, he thought about taking a good rest.
However, as soon as he approached the river, Wang Tai's eyes swept across a forest, and his face immediately became ugly and frightened, as if he had seen a ghost.
In the woods, a group of hundreds of heavily armored cavalry slowly walked out, in strict formation, as silent as a mountain.
In front of the formation, there is a majestic young general with silver armor and a white horse. The flag behind him reads: Prince of Huaiyang County of the Tang Dynasty, Li!
Wang Tai's pupils shrank sharply. Of course he had heard of Li Daoxuan's reputation as the most powerful general in the world.
With this person blocking the road, he may be in trouble today!
"Haha!" Li Daoxuan smiled and pointed at Wang Tai: "The person who comes is the fake king Wang Tai? He has been waiting here for a long time."
"Those who know the truth should dismount themselves and be bound. Otherwise, swords and guns will have no eyesight, and they will die in vain."
"Your Highness, we cannot surrender! The general will protect you and rush over." The captain of the personal soldiers was a die-hard loyalist of Wang Shichong, with a ferocious and determined look on his face.
Wang Tai's expression changed slightly. He was a young man after all, he was arrogant and could not help but surrender and beg for his life.
He gritted his teeth, raised his long spear, and looked behind him: "Let's go, rush over."
Those who can serve as personal guards are naturally relatively loyal people. Although they are drumming in their hearts, more than 200 Zheng troops still accept the order solemnly.
At that moment, Wang Tai was in the lead, and more than 200 cavalry launched a desperate attack on the Tang army.
Li Daoxuan sneered, reined in his horse and retreated to the formation. Immediately, the winged cavalry started, and two rows of heavy cavalry came forward like two giant walls.
In a head-on confrontation, the winged cavalry is not even afraid of the black armored soldiers, let alone other people?
So, after a round of powerful crossbows and a round of violent Taishan pressure, more than 200 Zheng troops who were already exhausted were crushed to pieces.
After a round of charge by the winged cavalry, not a single Zheng soldier survived on horseback.
The land was littered with dead bodies.
Li Dao
Suddenly, among the pile of dead bodies, a general in golden armor staggered and stood up covered in blood.
It was Wang Tai who was shot twice and covered in blood!
Li Dao
However, at least I took a trip and used my hands and feet.
As soon as he spurred his horse, a bolt of lightning passed over Wang Tai's side. He turned around and gave the opponent a hard blow on the back. Wang Tai grunted, blood spurted out, and he fell to the ground, unable to struggle anymore.
Li Dao
"promise."
Several soldiers agreed with a smile, stepped forward and tied up the ashen-looking Wang Tai.