When Li Siye led his troops to Mulu City, Anxi had experienced two battles in succession and was extremely exhausted. However, there were still three thousand food troops defending the city, and they defended the city extremely tenaciously.
Mulu City is an oasis city built with chiseled stone and rammed earth. The city walls are solid and thick. The Great Eaters have put a lot of effort into this city. Even though there are only three thousand defenders, it seems to be full of flaws, but it is late.
It's too late to attack.
He ordered the crossbowmen to use Fuyuan crossbows to fire fierce thunderbolts at the top of the city, and sent death squads to blow up the city gate. However, the enemy had already sealed the city gate with a stone. He personally led the jumping troops to attack the city and massacred the people.
Throwing rolling stones from the top of the city repelled the Tang army's attacks twice in succession.
This is the weakness of the Anxi Army. They do not have complete siege equipment for long-distance marches, so they can only rely on long-distance crossbows to fire climbing arrows to climb up. The enemy uses a long-handled, prickly cactus-like weapon to attack the soldiers one by one.
Poke it down on the top of the city.
The sky was darkening again, and stars were floating in the sky over the desert. The Tang army temporarily used camels as a temporary camp. Due to the increase in seizures, their powerful maneuverability was gradually weakening. This was a difficult and inevitable choice.
Li Siye sat cross-legged in the felt tent, using a knife to cut open the salty bacon on the wooden plate, chewing and swallowing the dry compressed biscuits. Eating this kind of food for a long time was also a kind of torture. Sitting next to him
The generals nearby also frowned and swallowed hard.
He threw the plate on the ground and said: "We traveled thousands of miles from Talos to get here. We defeated so many enemy armies that we were able to stymie a small fortified city. You guys think of a way and we must get it within tomorrow."
Xiamu Lucheng.”
Duan Xiuzhen complained silently in his heart, has any of these victories been achieved through a fortified attack? Not even once. If these big cannibals were a little more cowardly and willing to be cowardly turtles, you probably wouldn't even be able to take Kangju City now.
Wang Zhengjian analyzed on the side: "It's different now than before. We are fighting on other people's land. People stick to their own homes and naturally refuse to retreat even half a step. Moreover, in this oasis of Mulu, there are tall
There are few trees in the city, and they are all low shrubs. It is difficult to build siege equipment, and it is difficult to capture the city with manpower alone."
Tian Zhen also held her forehead and said: "We have been stuck under the city and unable to get in. If their reinforcements arrive, it seems that we will have to retreat."
Li Siye suddenly laughed, put his hands on his knees and said loudly: "There will be no reinforcements, at least not for a period of time. There are only so many people in the Khorasan Army. I don't believe that they can continue to explode troops. We are here
The main force of Mulu City was defeated in the desert. Those who fled back to Tusi City must have thought that Mulu could not hold it, so they would naturally report the fall of Mulu City to Bingbo Xilin. He may not even know that the city is still in his own hands.
.What Boshilin can do now is to hold on to the city of Tus and wait for the Caliph to send him reinforcements, and then wait for an opportunity to counterattack."
Wang Zhengjian had a sudden thought and said: "Otherwise we abandon Mulu City and attack Tusi City directly."
Tian Zhen sneered: "You can't even attack Mulu City, and you still want to attack Tusi City?"
"This is different. Mulu City is a small city. Because it is small, it is easy to hold on. Tusi City is a large city with a population of hundreds of thousands. The long walls make its defense weak. Moreover, this city with a population of hundreds of thousands, every day
Food needs to be delivered to the city every day. As long as it is cut off from the outside world, it will not take long for the army and the people to be without food, and it will soon collapse."
Li Siye nodded calmly: "You are right, but I cannot leave hidden dangers on my back. Only a steady victory is a real victory. Anyone who takes shortcuts with the slightest illusion will be defeated in the future.
It will bring us devastating disaster. Only by using Mulu City as an advance base can we achieve a measured advance and retreat."
There was one sentence he hid in his stomach but did not say. Since the Anxi Army set off from Shule to the territory of Dashi, their sharpness has been used to the limit. As the saying goes, a strong crossbow cannot penetrate Lu Shen. The Anxi Army had no time to prepare for the expedition.
Abundant, coupled with unfamiliarity with the natural environment, they have experienced four wars, and their opponents are not ordinary people, not a decadent apocalyptic dynasty, but a new and vibrant country that has just experienced a war that changed dynasties and has the ability to mobilize
It's definitely not that strong.
As long as he can successfully capture Mulu City, he will have greater confidence to negotiate terms with the big cannibal.
"Otherwise, we find a way to cut off their water source?"
"This method is not advisable. The Murgab River has abundant water resources, unless we find a way to divert the river. Moreover, our own supplies cannot sustain it for too long."
Li Siye suddenly remembered Ma Phosphorus and asked to himself: "Where is Ma Phosphorus? Is Ma Phosphorus still alive? I sent them to stop the enemy in the desert. They have a good chance of escaping."
As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent. They no longer had any illusions about whether Ma Phosphorus could survive.
He stood up from the ground and encouraged everyone: "We will continue to attack the city tomorrow. We will use feint attacks on three sides and frontal attacks to capture the city. I will personally lead the team to attack the city. Duan Xiushi, you will lead the crossbow team with fierce fire and thunder.
Suppress the city."
All the generals crossed their arms in response.
On the morning of the next day, the Tang army continued to attack Mulu City. Li Siye personally took the lead in attacking the city. After a whole morning of fierce fighting, a young general named Guo Xin climbed to the top of the city first and threw down the black flag symbolizing the Abbasid Dynasty.
, and planted the Sanchen flag on the top of the city.
There are still more than 1,200 food troops in the city who have been taken prisoner. This battle is the heaviest loss since his expedition.
He rode a white horse into the city through the cleared city gate. The people in the city hid in their adobe flat-roofed houses and stared blankly at these foreign conquerors.
The prisoners took off their armor and squatted on the ground. Tian Zhen stood in front of them holding a long-handled sword and asked Li Siye: "These people have caused the death of so many of our brothers. Should we kill them all?"
Li Siye frowned and thought for a while and said: "It would be unsightly to kill people in the city with blood all over the ground, and it would easily make the residents of the city feel hatred after seeing them. Why don't we take them to the desert outside the city and find a place to bury them."
Tian Zhen took the initiative to take on this unethical and dirty work, and led the people to escort the more than a thousand captives outside the city. When they passed the city gate, they saw dozens of skinny horses and people wearing rags from a distance.
Huangsha's people staggered and stood at the city gate.
Ma Li was holding Douluo in his arms, his face as dry as a human figurine that had just been thrown out of the sand. He looked up at the Sanchen Banner on the top of the city, and his eyes that had been dry for a long time became crystal clear again.