Chapter 154 Anyone who has studied elementary school geometry will never fall for this trick
Just as Li Zicheng sent Tian Jianxiu and Liu Fangliang to organize the siege against Shangcai County, the officers and soldiers in Shangcai County were also full of confidence and admired Shen Shuren's planning.
Because just in the past two days, they had just learned the news that Li Zicheng had sent more troops to Ye County. At that time, the Chuang army had not launched a full-scale siege, and the scout battle was still continuing, and the Shen family's cavalry was extremely powerful in the scout battle.
Being strong, it is natural to inquire about the military situation within a radius of one or two hundred miles.
So after learning the news, several generals who stayed in Shangcai City came to congratulate the Chenshu people and show their goodwill:
"Your Excellency, you are really a master of calculation! How could you let Li Zicheng divide his troops to guard against Zuo Liangyu at this critical juncture?"
"Zuo Liangyu, a disloyal and unjust person who only cares about separatist rule, has no need to be careful. Li Zicheng was also deceived and blinded, but the master planned a strategy and played with the intruders at his fingertips!
"
Faced with the adulation of the generals, Shen Shuren did not put on any airs, but was kind and humble. His attitude was very refreshing:
"You don't need to praise me too much, it's just some trivial tricks, just do it casually, do it casually. I am a scholar, and I don't have the power to tie a chicken. If I go into battle to kill the enemy later, I have to rely on your lives.
Li Zicheng cannot defeat us. Yesterday, he began to put up a full-scale siege posture, so he may attack at any time. We must be strict in preparations to defend the city."
During the conversation, Shen Shuren could see that Lian Huang Degong, a new subordinate who was originally rebellious and had not cooperated with him in depth, became completely convinced.
Before the battle, you can transfer the enemy's effective forces away to show your love for the soldiers. The effect on morale is so obvious.
Military spirit is available!
You know, among the generals, Huang Degong is the easiest to worry about "working for Shen Futai". It's not that Huang Degong is so unruly, but because when he was in a high position, he had only been exposed to it.
A scholarly Shen Shuren.
At that time, Huang Degong thought at most that "this scholar has a backing and can be received by Mr. Yang Ge", so he did not dare to offend him, but he definitely did not feel that "this kind of person should climb over me in the future."
It is easiest for a collaborator who was much junior to him three years ago to suddenly become his boss to become his boss. And even such a person can be completely subdued, and other generals are no problem.
Chen Shuren and the generals were having a heated discussion in the county government office, and the enemy was really cooperating. Suddenly, a scout messenger rushed to the lobby and reported an urgent military situation to the generals:
"Report to Futai! The vanguard of the intruders has arrived outside the city. There are also ladders and trench cars. The general at the head is holding the banner of "Tian" and seems to be planning to attack the city."
Chen Shuren was stunned for only a very brief moment, almost unnoticeable. Then he immediately became excited and called to Huang Degong and others: "Tian Zi banner? That should be Tian Jianxiu. Let's go, Mr. Huang, follow me."
Go up to the city and take command of the city guard today, Chief Laohuang."
Huang Degong proudly handed over his hand: "Don't worry, sir! If Li Zicheng were to fight with us in the field with an army of 300,000, the general would still have to weigh it. Now he dares to attack the city. He will never come back!"
The Shenshu people's army was divided into several divisions step by step, so as to have strategic depth and protect the grain road.
Therefore, he claimed to have a total force of 90,000 troops, and when placed in Shangcai County on the front line, there were only about 30,000 troops.
Among the general troops of each town under his command, Huang Degong was at the forefront, Zuo Zixiong's 30,000 troops stayed in Ruyang County in the middle, and Liu Guoneng's troops were further back to form a strategic reserve.
Of course, Huang Degong's headquarters did not have 30,000 troops, so Chen Shuren also transferred a general from Zuo Zixiong, and more than 10,000 troops came over, temporarily under Huang Degong's overall control.
In addition, because Shen Shuren had already planned to spend time with Li Zicheng and provoke the other party to advance rashly due to lack of food, so in the recent period, Shen Shuren also temporarily strengthened the city defenses of Shangcai and Ruyang counties.
Although the city wall cannot be greatly modified, you can make some other small moves to make it appear loose on the outside and tight on the inside to better seduce the opponent.
In addition, Chen Shuren also deliberately spread the word, saying that he would work step by step and build a stronghold to fight the war. He had already hoarded a huge amount of military rations in Shangcai and Ruyang cities.
Only when this news is known to Li Zicheng, will he completely believe that "if we stick to each other's backs, his food consumption will never be enough for Chen Shuren" and attack. And the food reserves in the city are also a huge bait.
Li Zicheng didn't have many civil servants and counselors, so he couldn't see through such a plan, so he couldn't be blamed. The traitors were not strategists in the first place, they expected to defeat ten groups with one force.
…
After a while, Shen Shuren and Huang Degong and others arrived at the north gate tower of Shangcai County.
Shen Shuren did not show up. He just held a telescope and watched from a distance through the observation hole of the city tower. Outside the city, tens of thousands of people were arrayed in order. It looked like a magnificent army. There were also many large wooden siege equipment, but there was an obvious lack of artillery. It should be
It had been consumed in the six-month-long siege of Kaifeng.
However, Shangcai is only a medium-sized county town, and its defense facilities are worse than those of Ruyang County. Ruyang County is also lower than the prefecture-level Xinyang.
In addition, the fringes of the Dabie Mountains are already poor. Compared with the core cities in the hinterland of Henan, the city defenses here are even less impressive.
Among the important towns such as Luoyang and Kaifeng, which city wall cannot be two or three times higher than that of Shangcai County?
At this moment, the city wall under Chen Shuren's feet was less than two feet high. No wonder the intruders dared to attack the city.
If you can't take down a wall that's five or six feet high like that in Kaifeng, how can you hold down a wall that's less than two feet here?
Even if the corpses are piled up, five corpses are three feet thick, and more than twenty layers of corpses are piled up, which is as high as the city wall! If those cannon fodder can carry two sacks or earthen baskets and charge, rush to the foot of the city wall and then die there, the efficiency
It's even higher, one is equal to three ordinary corpses.
Unfortunately, Chen Shuren looked around and didn't see any particularly high-level military generals, so he tried his old trick again and asked Huang Degong to speak out and scold the opponent's coach.
Chen Shuren waved his hand: "Old Huang, go and show your face, scold the eighteenth generation of our ancestors, and then find a group of louder scolders to spread the word and see if you can force Li Zicheng to show up. We are ambushing hundreds of turtle doves here.
Gun, let's see if we can give it to Li Zicheng."
Of course, Shen Shuren has no martial virtues. If you have the opportunity to behead someone in a battle, you must use it. Don't miss it when you pass by. It's the most fun to use a black gun or something.
Huang Degong was a little embarrassed and disdainful in his heart, but Futai had orders, so he obeyed. Now he stood arrogantly behind the parapet, patted the battlements with one hand, pointed his halberd at the city wall and cursed:
"Old robber, Anlu Commander-in-Chief Huang Degong is here! When Commander Xiong Wencan was still there, the 5th Battalion of Ge Zuo was beaten by me until he begged for mercy and surrendered. If it hadn't been for the old dog Zhang Xianzhong who coerced the surrender and then rebelled, they would have been two
The year is over! If Li Gou doesn’t die quickly enough, he can come and attack Grandpa Huang’s city!”
Huang Degong had no education, and all he said was that he was a thief, grandfather, grandson, etc., but it was enough to make Tian Jianxiu very angry.
"Huang Chuangzi! You actually work for a young rich man, and you still have the nerve to brag about your heroism. When you followed Xiong Wencan to make meritorious services, it was just a fluke. Today I will teach you how powerful Chuang Wang's heavenly soldiers are! Enter the city, chicken
Dogs will not stay!" Tian Jianxiu also led a group of people to yell at each other wildly.
Huang Degong secretly glanced back and asked for instructions: "There don't seem to be any famous robbers. Do you want to open fire? Just kill Tian Jianxiu."
Chen Shuren's personal bodyguard came over and gave the order: "No need, we are not sure about this distance. Let's fight closer. The Chuang army has never fought with our army before. I don't know that our weapons are so powerful that they scared them. First of all,
The wave will have no effect."
Huang Degong originally didn't want to carry out an assassination, but after hearing this, he immediately accepted it. He still liked to bring the enemy close and beat him hard.
…
"Kill!
! Rush into Shangcaicheng and don’t seal the sword for three days! Whatever you grab is yours!"
After Tian Jianxiu was angered, the vanguard of the invading army quickly rushed up carrying weapons and pushing ladders and trench carts.
In addition to the regular soldiers, there were tens of thousands of cannon fodder men who had just been captured from Henan. They were forced by knives to carry broken sacks and earthen baskets, and rushed to the bottom of the city with the earth, preparing to fill in some gentle slopes that would facilitate the storming of the city.
Some of the cannon fodder were unwilling to die and tried to retreat before the battle, but were quickly chopped into pieces by the supervising team of the invading army. After killing dozens of their own people, the remaining cannon fodder felt fear and could only bravely rush forward.
Tian Jianxiu also waved his sword in person and shouted from a distance behind: "As long as you carry three loads of soil to the city and come back alive, you can release them immediately! Release them as soon as possible after transporting them, and never break your promise!"
His slogan is also a rhetoric commonly used by rogue thieves. The rogue generals have also summed up experience in the past ten years.
If the people who are transporting earth to fill trenches or building slopes are too harsh and do not see any way to survive, these people will resist with poles or even fists, even if they have no weapons.
Although this kind of force is insignificant, if chaos breaks out in front of the two armies, it may also give the officers and soldiers in the city an opportunity to counterattack.
Therefore, the best thing is to promise to transport one load of earth, or at most two or three loads of earth, to the foot of the city wall or to the city river, depending on the degree of difficulty. Those who can escape without being shot to death by arrows will be released on the spot.
Only in this way can the weak have a sense of luck, close their eyes and rush upward, betting that they are lucky and can't be shot in three loads of soil.
"Fire the arrows! Shoot these earth-moving people back! The cannon team is ready!" Huang Degong was on the top of the city wall, waving his sword and patrolling back and forth, shouting to encourage his soldiers to resist with all their strength.
Suddenly, arrows rained down from the top of the city, killing some cannon fodder soldiers transporting earth, and forcing many cannon fodder soldiers to drop their earth bags and baskets from a distance out of fear and turn back. Suddenly, under the city wall,
There wasn't much soil piled on it, but it was spread out in long, even rows.
The slope of this temporary route is very gentle, long in length, but not high enough. The only achievement is to fill up a few gaps in the dry trench outside the city, at least it can be walked directly on the slope.
Tian Jianxiu saw that these cannon fodder soldiers cut corners and the results were far less than expected. He was angry in his heart, but it was not easy to get angry at this moment. Because on the battlefield, if he made a promise and then criticized the "completion quality", it would easily arouse mutiny.
People are originally full of desire for survival and think that they can survive after three operations. If the capitalists come out and say that they want to rework, they will definitely be overwhelmed by anger.
Huang Degong at the top of the city saw that the situation was getting more and more urgent, and was about to order all firearms to be fired to scare these cannon fodder soldiers away - Huang Degong knew that for those veteran bandits, the loud noise of firearms could not scare them away, but
For newly captured cannon fodder, the extra sound of firearms can damage morale more than crossbows.
But just as he was about to give the order, Shen Shuren personally climbed up the wall, came to Huang Degong's side, and gave two instructions: "Mr. Huang, I don't object to you using firearms, but the cutting-edge firearms I transferred from the Wuchang Army
, don’t overdo it with talents. Just use firecrackers to scare away these poor earth-moving people.
Tian Jianxiu felt that there was hope. When the soldiers rushed up, they would be sudden enough to kill a lot of people. The first group in front of him were just ordinary people from Henan. Unfortunately, they were caught. Although they worked for the bandits, we couldn't do it.
If you don't kill, you can't be merciful as a woman. But if the situation permits, it's best to give priority to killing more old camp thugs."
Huang Degong didn't think that Shen Shuren was overstepping his authority, because Shen Shuren only made demands for the firearms troops he brought, and did not ask for Huang Degong's own troops. He pressed his trump card and moved closer to hit, so that he could hit bigger and more suddenly.
Kill.
So Huang Degong just fired an old-fashioned firecracker for a while, and when the cannon fodder carriers below heard the sound of firearms, they completely ignored them and rushed back like a tide. Tian Jianxiu's war supervisors were slashing wildly.
He couldn't pull it back even after his head was pressed. Instead, he was knocked down and trampled to death dozens of old war supervising thieves.
After all, the beheading with a knife can only be seen by those nearby, but the loud noise of a musket can be heard within a hundred steps. It is self-evident which one is more frightening.
Tian Jianxiuyan saw that it was impossible to completely build a slope of soil under the city wall that rushed directly to the top of the city, and he felt a little regretful.
But at the same time, he also seized the opportunity to let the main soldiers take advantage of this opportunity before all the earth-carrying cannon fodder soldiers had completely retreated, to fish in troubled waters and carry ladders to climb the city - if after a while, the earth-carrying cannon fodder soldiers were completely
After withdrawing and escaping, the officers and soldiers can focus all their long-range firepower on the main force of the bandits. Now they can take advantage of the chaos to share the firepower.
Groups of fierce old camp thugs brandishing swords and shields rushed directly to the city. They found the areas that had been filled up by more than half a foot with mounds of sacks and set up ladders. Then they quickly climbed up in a few steps.
The distance was only over ten feet high, and a skilled soldier could climb up the wall in just three or four leaps. The bandits' morale was soaring, and everyone was vying for the lead.
"Fire! All the Fo Langji and Ikaruga Guns open fire!"
But at this moment, on both sides of the protruding horse faces on the city wall, countless heavy-duty turtledove guns using shotgun shells, as well as ordinary guns of three to five hundred kilograms, and heavy guns of one thousand kilograms, all began to fire fiercely, and
It fires at a sideways angle.
If the artillery fires at the enemy in front, it will at best plow a hole in the middle of the line. With the low accuracy of artillery in this era, the shells will not explode, and it really can't kill many people.
But if it is a horizontal cross fire, directed at the base of the city wall, the killing effect will be extremely terrifying. Because it is easy for people to gather under the base of the city wall, and the longitudinal projection line of the artillery shells may cover an entire row.
When Tian Jianxiu took advantage of the chaos to attack the city at the beginning, his troops rushed too fast and lost command, so he did not concentrate on attacking the horse faces protruding from the city wall, which can be regarded as a relatively low-level mistake.
But this mistake cannot be entirely blamed on him, because in a small county like Shangcai, the city wall is actually relatively dilapidated, and the number of horse faces on the wall is relatively small. There is only one horse face protruding from the wall every two to three hundred steps.
Can provide side firepower.
When usually covered with bows and arrows or ordinary firecrackers, the crossfire between the two horse faces, in the middle position, is often very weak and reaches the limit of the range. Therefore, in order to quickly deploy a large number of troops when siege, choose to attack the horse faces and both sides at the same time.
There are also equidistant points between horse faces.
I just didn't expect that Shen Shuren was so wealthy that he directly used the Fo Lang machine to provide side firepower - you must know that the movement of the cannon is very clumsy, even if it is just a Fo Lang machine, it will be set up at a fixed angle before firing.
, it is difficult to make temporary maneuvers after a war breaks out.
Chen Shuren can use all the Folang machines for side fire, which means that when the enemy rushes from the front, these Folan machines cannot exert their firepower at all, and they have to wait until they rush under the corner to suddenly burst out with maximum combat effectiveness.
This tactic of sacrificing forward shots and purely shooting from the side brings the magical effects of trigonometric functions and geometric programming to the extreme, but it also goes beyond the blind spots of the bandit's IQ and scientific knowledge.
After Tian Jianxiu was brutally bombarded for a long time, he finally realized the change of formation and quickly ordered: "Instruct all armies to concentrate on attacking the few horse faces defended by the official army! Do not attack the main city wall! Shen Gouguan's heavy artillery is positioned horizontally.