After the Xianbei Bald Tribe retreated, the Wei army once again made frequent movements.
In order to rush to repair the plank road in the Qinling Mountains, the garrison in Guanzhong has been having constant friction with Zhao Yun's tribe. Chencang Road in Wudu dispersed the pass, and reinforcements came from Guanlong Road and Guanlong Road, watching eagerly and taking advantage of the opportunity to invade the territory.
Wei Yan and Wu Banbu in Hanyang County did not dare to slack off for a moment.
Xia Houru, the Protector of Wei Zheng Shu, led 2,000 cavalry, and Jincheng Prefect Guo Huai led 1,000 cavalry. They relied on their mobility to take turns wandering around the north of Xiaoguan Road and the Changlishui River Valley. [Note 1]
They neither marched in nor clashed with the Han army.
Just like the hunting wolves, they are always looking for the opportunity to kill with one strike.
It made the Han army feel like they were having trouble.
When the infantry came to the camp in formation, the Wei army turned around and rushed to the other side, always looking at the dust and sighing. But if the cavalry came to drive them away, the Wei army retreated slowly, with a vague intention of inviting a fight, so Zhao Guang did not dare to go deep.
.
After all, without any infantry to support him, he chased alone and was very likely to be ambushed.
In desperation, we had to patrol day and night and guard passively.
When many military intelligences came to Ji County, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang smiled gurglingly and said softly to Guan Xing beside him, "After this spring, my great Han Longyou will have peace for a year or two! Zijin's plans and plans can be said to be complete.
, Anguo should be encouraged."
After saying this, the advance guard sent the general's message to Didao, Longxi, and then went out to inspect the Li Shu who had been resettled by the government due to the heavy snowfall at the end of the year.
Guan Xing was a little confused when he heard this.
The prime minister, who planned things carefully, did not disclose the matter to him in advance.
Longxi, Daxia County.
There was no sunshine at all, and it caressed the white snow, making this frozen land indifferent and peaceful. Occasionally, a gust of wind roared past, teasing the condensed rime to jump and fall all over the ground.
The Wei army, always in black armor, was trudging hard in the cold wind.
"Plop~~chi!"
The snort of a war horse broke the silence of the procession.
At the northern foot of the Taizi Mountains that extends from the head of the river to Shangmen Gorge, there is a thick layer of snow on the valley floor, making it difficult for the horses to walk, just like the mood of Wei General Wang Shuang. Holding the horse, he reached out to gently comfort him
He stood up on his mount and looked back at his subordinates who had spread out for two or three miles.
At the beginning of the month, he was ordered by General Cao Zhen to be the commander of the attack on Didao in Longxi.
When he received the order, his heart was full of enthusiasm, and his body was filled with the heroic feeling of making great achievements.
After leading his troops to Jincheng County, crossing the dangerous Siwang Gorge, seeing the long valley of Taoshui River, and learning the detailed battle plan, his enthusiasm turned into anger with the cold wind.
He felt that there were many undesirable features in this raid.
Because the general is too cautious!
To be precise, it was the words of Duke Gungun in the Luoyang Dynasty that were not familiar with military matters, and the harshness of the unfavorable war last year that restricted the general's free will.
When he learned about the surprise attack on Didao, he thought that he could suddenly march out with more than ten thousand cavalry and seize the city when the Han army was caught off guard! Then he took advantage of this time lag to build defenses, replenish ordnance and store supplies.
Grain and fodder were prepared for the Han army stationed in Longyou to counterattack.
But when he transferred from Jincheng County to Daxia County, the battle plan informed by Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou, was completely different!
There were more than 10,000 soldiers and horses attacking this time.
The vanguard of the army was composed of seven thousand soldiers and horses led by him.
In order to avoid the reconnaissance of the Han army's cavalry downstream of the Taoshui River, they took another tributary of the river, the Daxia River, and entered the place at the head of the river.
After entering Daxia County, he sent more than a thousand troops to guard the retreat. He led the remaining 6,000 soldiers and horses around the Taizi Mountains to attack Didao. Xu Miao, on the other hand, led 4,000 soldiers and horses to respond at Siwang Gorge, waiting for news.
If his attack on Didao failed, Xu Miao would come to help him return.
If Didao fell after the battle, Xu Miao would bring food and other supplies, so that he could repair the fortifications and garrison them to prevent the Han army from counterattacking.
When the troops were marching out, Xu Miao specifically told General Cao Zhen to act with caution and not to advance rashly.
"If Didao can be attacked, then attack it; if it cannot be done, then return to the army and ensure that the soldiers are in full swing. Do not force it, as it will only increase casualties."
Such arrangements and words made him feel that they were too conservative.
An unexpected surprise attack is meant to be dangerous!
If we strive for stability step by step, wouldn't we miss the opportunity?
Furthermore, on the battlefield, we are living towards death, so we must move forward without any further delay!
He had been fighting under the control of General Cao Zhen for many years. He knew that Cao Zhen, who had commanded the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, was very decisive in dispatching battles in the past.
For example, during the crusade against rebellions in various places in Yongliang, there had never been such a fearful general.
well.
The loss of Longyou last year was not the fault of the general, but the general was burdened by those pedantic people who just talked and talked!
Thinking about this, Wang Shuang couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.
Taking a deep breath of the cold wind, he waved his hand to summon the soldiers beside him, "Go tell General Lu and urge the rear team to speed up. Although this place is sparsely populated, we must be wary of the scouts coming from Nishu to patrol."
"promise!"
After the soldier took the order and left, Wang Shuang got on his horse and headed towards the front army.
The look in his eyes was full of high spirits.
The military information he had gleaned from Xizuo and the information provided by the Heshou Qiang tribe made him feel that Didao would not be difficult to capture.
Didao has been the seat of Longxi County since the period of King Zhao of Qin (279 BC).
After entering the Han Dynasty, the ancient city was extremely solid because it was the only route along the central and western lines of the Silk Road.
Later, Heyou was in turmoil for more than a hundred years, and was captured by the Qiang and Hu tribes several times. During the Ling Emperor's period, the Qiang rebellion caused Liangzhou to no longer belong to the imperial court, and Didao City was completely destroyed by war.
During the period of Wei Wen and Cao Pi, the imperial court transferred the Longxi County seat to Xiangwu County in the Wei River Basin because the central and western lines of the Silk Road were blocked by the Qiang and Hu tribes, and rebellions continued in the Heshou and Hehuang areas.
Tao lost its strategic significance.
The walls of the newly built city are no more than one foot long.
There is no need for large equipment such as ladders or siege engines to attack the city by climbing over the wall.
Naturally, all these premises are based on the accurate military information conveyed by Jiang Liu, the former official of Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou. Wang Shuang was confident that with his own five thousand capable soldiers, he could unexpectedly attack the only enemy.
Didao, garrisoned by three thousand soldiers, could be defeated in one battle!
This battle is an opportunity for our soldiers who conquer the battlefield to break free from the shackles of the Gongun princes' words!
When Didao City first came into view, Wang Shuang was full of ambition and hesitated.
Immediately, he detached his generals and led 500 soldiers to destroy the pontoon bridge above the Tao River to prevent soldiers from the Gaoxiang Department on the east bank from coming to rescue.
Although the military intelligence stated that there were only a thousand people in the Shu army camp, so there was no need to be afraid. However, we also needed to be on guard against their sudden attack and shaken morale when our own army was bravely attacking the city.
Immediately, he sent his deputy general Lu Zhai to lead an army of two thousand troops to attack the south gate of Didao, and he led the rest of his troops to attack the west gate.
And he used a method to completely offset the advantages of the city wall.
Based on the method of building a siege vehicle, the soldiers used wood and round shields to build a slope-shaped step, half a foot high and more than a foot long. Just push it under the city wall to turn the city into a small gentle slope.
Very simple, but very practical.
Soldiers with a little more skill can jump up by taking two or three steps.
This is also the reason why he only asked the soldiers to carry two days' worth of food, and they all came carrying thick wooden sticks.
However, his efforts were in vain.
When the warning drums on the wall of Didao thundered, You Chu, who had always been loved by the scholars and common people, led the young men in the city and cooperated with 500 soldiers to guard the south gate. Zheng Pu then led Zhang Yi's two thousand people out of the west gate of the city. , relying on the city wall to fight in formation.
It is a very conventional and practical formation.
The soldiers with large oars pressed forward, followed by the soldiers with spears, and then the soldiers with swords and shields.
Regarding this, Wang Shuang was a little confused and a little uneasy.
The Shu army actually gave up their advantageous location and came out of the city to fight. They must have something to rely on!
However, he couldn't retreat.
His men came all the way, while the Shu army was waiting for work. No matter the morale or physical strength of the soldiers, they could not allow him to retreat.
Otherwise, we will be chased by the Shu army one after another, and the soldiers will be routed thousands of miles away.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Just as he loudly ordered all the soldiers to form a tight formation, thunderous drums sounded in the Han army's formation.
In the formation of the Han army, several soldiers tied up a gray-faced man with their hands behind their backs. When they reached the formation, they raised their swords and chopped off their heads.
It seems to be similar to offering flags before a war.
But it made Wang Shuang's pupils shrink rapidly.
He had heard that Xu Miao roughly described Jiang Liu's appearance, and the appearance of the man who was beheaded was actually 70-80% similar.
In other words, the Shu army has long been aware of Jiang Liu's internal communication!
Our army has fallen into a trap!
After realizing it later, he felt desolate and quickly ordered his soldiers to gather closer and form a defensive formation.
Because he knew that the Han army here was more than the two thousand in front of him!
For example, the Shu general Gao Xiang's tribe camped on the east bank of Taoshui River, and probably more than 10,000 people never left!
"war!"
"Fight! Fight!"
Just as he expected, when the two thousand soldiers in front of him slowly advanced, high-pitched and uniform calls for battle could be heard from both the upper and lower reaches of the Tao River.
Outside the skyline, several flags embroidered with the Chinese character "Han" appeared one after another.
Behind the banners, countless soldiers in ocher-red military uniforms, led by their respective generals, came in a dense siege.
In an instant, the snow-covered white field outside Didao City was quickly dazzled by the fiery red torrent, rippling rapidly. It was like the rising sun, giving the world a bewitching rays of rays.
The snow on the trees on the hillside was shaking in fear, and was shaken by the roar of morale.
It was Gao Xiang who had been dormant for several months.
More than ten thousand soldiers under his command have never left Didao.
As for the supply of military rations, when Zheng Pu sent his troops out of the west gate at night every ten days and returned to the south gate, he not only imitated Dong Zhuo's example of having a small army and showed his strength, but also took the opportunity to transport him grain. As for why Hanzhong County was There was a sudden increase in troops, part of which came from the newly recruited Baima Qiang, and the other part came from Liu Min's Tuntian Xiangyong in disguise.
Just as Cao Zhen pretended to be an army general to attack Bashu and covered up the strategic intention of a surprise attack on Didao; Prime Minister Zhuge Liang also asked Zhao Yun, Chen Shi and others to cooperate, allowing Zheng Pu's plan to successfully deceive the Wei army.
Therefore, Wang Shuang's heart is now filled with despair.
Seeing countless Han troops encircling him, he knew that this battle could not be won.
The only hope is to form a formation and hold on until Xu Miao, who is far away in Siwang Gorge, learns the news and leads his army to rescue.
"Enemy attack~~~~"
"Array~~~~~"
His shrill roar was as hysterical as a night owl in the deep mountains and forests.
But can the soldiers under his command, who are horrified because of the huge disparity between us and the enemy, still be able to fight to the death as he wishes?
the answer is negative.
Countless officers and soldiers of the Wei army were already looking back frequently, peeking at the road they came from just now.
They are not generals, and they are not proficient in the art of war such as "if you retreat, you will lose", they can only let the instinct of survival take over their minds.
If you form a formation and fight, you will definitely die if you face several times the Shu army.
If you run away in a hurry, you may be able to escape the end of being killed.
But before they could make a decision, a red torrent hit them head on.
The big oar warriors turned their bodies into gravity and used their shields and oars to smash through the Wei army's shield wall. Countless spearmen found gaps, tore open countless small gaps in the Wei army's array, and cleared the road in the middle.
The sword and shield soldiers behind them raised their swords with cold sunlight shining in them, and swarmed in.
He burst out with an angry cry that changed the color of heaven and earth: "Conquer the Central Plains!"
The roar is like thunder, and the sword is shining!
Heads flying, stumps flying, blood flying!
The fiery red banner of the Han Dynasty marched forward bravely and unstoppably.
If you look down from the sky, you will see that the Han soldiers turned into countless fiery torrents, like arrows that escaped from the strong bow, and penetrated deeply into the Wei army's formation, making them invincible to those who stood in their way!
The phalanx formed by the pitch-black armor was shattered into pieces by the impact.
Amidst the wailing of countless people before their tragic deaths, and the wailing of injured and dying people, the Wei army finally experienced a collapse in morale.
Some people threw down their swords and spears and bowed their heads to surrender, while others turned around and fled to the rear, recklessly splitting all the robes blocking their way with the sharp blades in their hands.
"General, leave quickly!"
Next to the golden drum banner of the Wei army, Wang Shuang, whose face was ashen, was pulled onto his horse by his guards and galloped away.
Less than half an hour into the battle, the Wei army had no chance of turning a corner.
Especially the deputy general Lu Zhai who was sent by him to attack the southern gate of Didao. His head was being held in the hands of the Han generals, who were cheering and making a detour.
However, when he was surrounded by his personal guards and fled, there was a muffled thunder sound from far to near.
Yang Ji, leading five hundred cavalry, had already circled behind his formation and was attacking from a flank.
And the general driving in front of him was more than eight feet long, as strong as a bear, carrying a horse eight feet long, and roaring like thunder.
He is Zhang Bao.
Because of the ambush at Xianbei in the Changlishui River Valley, the captain of the cavalry command was sent to Lintao by the prime minister to jointly take charge of the horse ranch with Jiang Wei, so that he could command the cavalry and cavalry to fight together in the future.
When passing by Didao, he took the time to come to see Zheng Pu to express his long separation, but he did not want to meet him at the same time, so he spontaneously asked for orders to drive his horse to fight alongside Yang Ji.
When Wang Shuang saw the Han cavalry approaching, his eyes were about to burst.
He has no way out.
The Han army in the rear would soon catch up. There were too many Han cavalry in front. Even if he turned his horse's head and took a detour, he could not avoid the encirclement.
If you want to break out of the encirclement and return, you have to fight your way through these Han cavalry.
Therefore, he kept kicking the horse's belly to make the horse continue to gallop forward, holding the spear tightly in one hand, and his beard and hair were stretched out and howling in anger.
"Anyone who stands in my way will die!"
——
[Note 1: I forgot to comment earlier. Xiaoguan was the name of the Western Han Dynasty, and was renamed "Wating City" in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is located in Dawan Township, Jingyuan County, Guyuan City.]
