Taking advantage of the situation

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Taking advantage of the situation

"Where's the police?"

Li Hong was startled and immediately stood up and looked in the direction where the horn sound came from.

At this time, he found that several beacon towers in the east were already burning with billowing smoke.

"Go back to the city immediately!"

Li Hong immediately issued the order to return to the city without hesitation.

The working soldiers and civilians immediately packed up their things and rushed to Xianbei City not far away.

"Captain, let's leave quickly!"

The soldiers were also urging anxiously from the side.

Li Hong thought for a moment and said: "Two or three sons get on the horse and meet with the Huns!"

"promise!"

When the personal guards and surrounding soldiers on guard heard Li Hong's shouts, they immediately converged on Li Hong's location.

Soon he gathered more than a hundred cavalry soldiers.

"Walk!"

Li Hong shouted and led the soldiers towards the east fortress.

Soon Li Hong and others arrived at the Dunbao. After entering the Dunbao, Li Hong led the people and walked quickly towards the arrow tower in the east.

"How's it going?"

Li Hong asked a scout beside him.

"I'm reporting to the captain that the Huns' vanguard of about 7,000 cavalry has arrived ten miles away!"

Li Hong was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect that the Huns' vanguard actually amounted to 7,000 cavalry.

He looked around and quickly understood that it was impossible to defend such a small fort against so many Huns.

Keeping the soldiers in the fort is just a waste of their lives.

"Pass an order from a certain general to abandon all forts and retreat to Xianbei City!"

"promise!"

After the order was issued, Li Hong directed his men to transfer the materials from the fort.

Soon the sky gradually darkened, and the scouts again sent news that the Huns' forward had stopped advancing and was setting up camp.

This should be considered good news. It at least means that the Han army has enough time to withdraw the scattered soldiers and civilians to Xianbei City.

However, Li Hong did not feel happy. The fact that the Huns did not conduct a surprise attack also meant that the Huns were confident enough in their own strength.

Li Hong looked at the wildness in the darkness quietly, without any waves in his heart at this time.

In fact, a month ago, Han Feng, the military governor of Liaodong, had already anticipated that the Huns might invade.

Li Hong himself also made a plan for this, but neither he nor Han Feng expected that the scale of the Huns' invasion this time would be so huge.

The fire quickly ignited, and under the light of the fire, Li Hong led his people to retreat towards Xianbei City.

When we returned to the city, the soldiers and civilians in the city were already making intensive preparations according to the plan.

At this time, the young men in the city were already armed, and the trebuchets, crossbows, and armored soldiers in the arsenal had also been brought out.

Li Hong did not take a break and immediately ordered a meeting with officers above a hundred generals in the city to discuss the matter.

After everyone had arrived, he looked around and said in a deep voice: "I have ordered the entire city to be under martial law. Anyone who dares to act without permission or who dares to undermine the morale of the army will be killed without mercy!"

"Gentlemen, the Hunu army is pressing down on the territory now. I hope you will work together to attack the Hunu!"

"Kill Hu, kill Hu!"

"Wan Sheng...Wan Sheng..."

After Li Hong finished speaking, all the officers shouted loudly that although they knew that the enemy army was powerful, the Han army was not afraid of the Huns.

Soon the cry of "Kill Hu" was heard throughout Xianbei City, and everyone in the city was quite optimistic about the upcoming war.

However, Li Hong was not as optimistic as everyone else at this time.

As a senior officer of the Han army, he naturally knew more than ordinary people, and he also knew a lot about the reforms of the Xiongnu Empire.

With professional infantry and siege troops, the Huns will be much more difficult to deal with than before.

However, Li Hong did not show a trace of worry on his face. He always calmly issued orders one after another, showing the qualities that a senior Han army officer should have.

On the morning of the next day, the scouts finally got the exact information.

"Reporting to the captain, the Huns will be personally led by Xulu Quanqu Chanyu this time...the total number of troops is as high as 100,000!"

The news brought by the scouts suddenly caused an uproar among the officers.

"Lieutenant, you must ask for help from Jiedushi immediately, otherwise the troops of Xianbei City may not be able to resist the Huns!"

Li Hong naturally understood this, so he immediately sent a messenger to Han Feng to ask for help and ordered the whole city to prepare for war.

On September 19th of the first year of Yuanping, Xulu Quanqu Shanyu led his troops to the gates of Xianbei City.

Facing the powerful Xiongnu army, Li Hong chose to defend Xianbei City and clear the country.

On the day Xulu Quanqu Chanyu arrived, he launched a fierce attack on Xianbei City.

Li Hong knew that if you defend for a long time, you will lose, so he didn't stick to it blindly.

Instead, with the cooperation of the city garrison, the cavalry was commanded to continuously launch fierce and short counterattacks against the Huns.

The Huns did not expect that the Han army would dare to take the initiative when facing an attack by a Xiongnu army that was ten times their size.

Therefore, he suffered a heavy loss on the first day of the battle, and nearly 200 people were killed by the Han army.

The Xiongnu were unfavorable in the first battle, and the vanguard retreated to camp six miles away.

On the second day, the main follow-up forces of the Huns arrived one after another, and the Huns surrounded Xianbei City from three sides.

Li Hong once again launched a surprise attack on the Huns, but in the face of the prepared Huns, the Han army did not win. Li Hong was forced to order the entire army to retreat into the city.

"Captain, that must be the great banner of the Xiongnu Chanyu!"

An officer asked, pointing to the large banner of the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Li Hong stood at the top of the city and looked at the Xiongnu Chanyu's banner and said disdainfully:

"Yes, that is the great banner of the Xiongnu Chanyu. One day someone will cut it off with his own hands!"

In daily training, the Han army has already practiced urban offensive and defensive warfare many times.

Each city wall and crenellation requires a number of people, and what types of troops need to be deployed at each location have already been calculated.

Therefore, the Han army did not panic and made preparations for the war in an orderly manner.

In addition to the prepared thunder stones, rolling wood, and gold juice and fire oil on the top of the city.

There are also small trebuchets erected at regular intervals.

The large counterweight catapults are also being assembled in an orderly manner in the open space in the city.

In order to prevent enemy troops from entering the city, there is a huge moat under the city.

The inside and outside of Haogou and key areas were also covered with caltrops at this time.

At the crenellations of the city wall, there were also many horses covered with sharp iron barbs, which were used to hinder the enemy's subsequent movement after climbing up the city wall.

Since its establishment, Xianbei City has considered being besieged by the Huns for a long time, so its defensive equipment can be said to be quite complete.

The city's food supply and weapons and equipment reserves are also very sufficient.

Li Hong and the defenders in the city believed that the Huns would be beaten to death under the Xianbei City.

"Woo."

The horn sounded.

"The Huns are coming!"

Li Hong shouted, "Second and third sons, prepare to meet the enemy!"

As the order was issued, Xianbei City also became commotion.

The trumpet sounded, and the soldiers guarding the city gathered one after another, took out their weapons in an orderly manner, climbed onto the city wall, and prepared for battle.

Li Hong stood on the tower and looked far to the west. On the horizon, he saw groups of Xiongnu soldiers roaring towards Xianbei City like waves. The horseshoes clanked and the ground seemed to shake.
Chapter completed!