It is already the tenth day of August, and Santai has been under siege for almost half a month.
Taobao's attack was so fierce that after ten days, more than a thousand people had been killed and wounded, but they still couldn't touch it.
This terrain is too deceiving.
Santai is based on the city wall and is itself part of the city wall. Half of the building is inside the city and half is outside the city.
Logically speaking, it is relatively easy to capture from inside the city, because the entrance is inside the city, but the problem is that there is only one winding slope road to the stage - the hillside road is actually a winding mountain road.
The slope is not wide and is easy to defend. When walking on the first section of the slope, people can stand on the slope above and shoot arrows from a high position, which is very troublesome.
To put it bluntly, Santai is a bit like the docks built on high mountains like Yiyang Yiquanwu, or the three docks are connected together by suspended bridges.
Historically, at the end of the Jin Dynasty, Liu Yan led thousands of people to defend Santai, causing Shi Le to give up the attack.
There is a water source on the platform, and the only weakness may be food, but there is a huge ice chamber in the ice well platform, which goes directly underground for several feet (total depth is 15 feet). Not to mention food, some meat is stored.
Difficult to do.
Of course, it can definitely be defeated. Who can withstand repeated wear and tear and long-term siege? Didn’t the Tang army conquer a strong city with a dangerous terrain like Shibao City at the cost of tens of thousands of people?
The question is this, how much are you willing to pay?
If you don't want to attack by force, then besiege them for a long time. There are only more than 3,000 defenders in Santai and they will not be able to break out. However, if you do this, it will look a bit ugly.
Taobao focuses on Bingjing Terrace in the north.
According to intelligence, there were a total of more than 1,500 defenders on the stage. Except for the more than 500 people who temporarily broke in after the city was broken, the remaining 1,000 people were Jie and Han warriors selected by Dahu to protect their families.
After attacking for ten days, there were more than a thousand casualties and he felt that he had only killed and wounded more than a hundred defenders, which was very deceiving. If the Jin army had not been practicing in the Tongjue Garden every day, he would not have wanted to fight.
Of course, he was just thinking about it.
As a general who is experienced in military affairs, he knows very well that as time goes by, there will be fewer and fewer arrows in Bingjingtai, and by then the number of casualties between the two sides will not be so disparate.
As time goes by, there will be fewer and fewer wounded soldiers who can survive on the Bingjing platform, which is short of medical treatment and medicine, and the casualties will become larger and larger.
As time goes by, the defenders will become more and more tired and their combat effectiveness will become lower and lower.
In short, it is a waste.
There are no reinforcements outside the garrison - or so it seems - and there is no way to escape. As the food, arrows, and personnel decrease day by day, there will always be a day when we can no longer hold on.
The drums rumbled and the flag was waved. Zhi Xiong glanced at Tao Bao with a troubled expression, and then led hundreds of soldiers to attack again.
Taobao's people were sitting on the ground outside, licking their wounds.
At this time, a team came to Tongjue Park.
The leader, wearing a brand new official uniform, dismounted and walked slowly outside the Ice Well Terrace.
Taobao took a look and saw, wasn't this Liu Da, Liu Fudu, deputy governor of the Yi Cong Army?
This kid has been very proud of himself recently and seems to be the best among the descendants, which makes Tao Bao a little jealous.
However, his face seems a bit ugly today.
There were two other people following behind him. They were Liu Hezhu, Liu Hedu and his son. They were the leaders of the Jie tribe who had been moved by Shi Le to farm and herd in Dalu Ze, Julu County. They were also Liu Da's uncle and brother.
Why are they here?
Regardless of the doubts in his heart, Tao Bao stepped forward to greet him.
Sanliu returned a hasty salute, and after looking at each other, Liu Hezhu sighed and said, "Fudu, let me go up with you."
Liu Da nodded.
"Didn't the two generals leave..." Taobao asked cautiously.
He is from Fanyang, and comes from the Wuhuan tribe. He is considered a local powerful man, so he knows some words, but he is not from the same family as the Liu family and his son, and their relationship with him is not very close.
"Guangzong's begging army surrendered, and the begging army in Daluze also surrendered. Fudu sent people to persuade them to surrender. I thought about it, Chen Gong was already on the Northern Expedition, and Dahu was defeated so miserably, how could he defend the country of Xiang?
?The autumn harvest is coming again,
Mr. Chen no longer needs to transport grain and grass over long distances. He can just harvest it wherever he goes. Even if I help the big Hu, we can't cut off Mr. Chen's grain route. We might as well surrender the problem to avoid having to deal with Mr. Chen and begging for work.
Military attack."
"The beggar army really surrendered?" Tao Bao asked, somewhat surprised.
"The beggar army already has a grudge against Da Hu. What will happen if they don't surrender?" Liu Hezhu looked at him strangely and said, "I'm afraid they have already sent troops to march westward to besiege Xiangguo. I wonder what Da Hu will do now.
How many soldiers are there, I think it’s very dangerous.”
"You won't join the war?" Taobao asked.
Liu Hezhu was a little embarrassed and said vaguely: "Mr. Chen was considerate and did not force me to send troops."
Taobao understands.
The tribe of Liu's father and son was moved to Dalu Ze in the south of Julu County. From Dahu's perspective, this was the core force that helped him stabilize the central area of ​​Jizhou.
But after the defeat of Yecheng, the Liu family and his son were devastated. Since they could not count on Da Hu, the nearby beggar army was ready to move, and there were constant rumors of killing officials and returning to the Jin Dynasty. Do you think they were panicked?
If you're not careful, you won't be able to return to Shangdang's hometown, and you will be besieged from all sides until you die.
In fact, they have no choice. It is better to surrender early and take advantage of Chen Gong's tiger skin. They will have the same status as the beggar army, that is, a vassal force, and they can get a temporary respite.
As for whether he will always be loyal to Mr. Chen in the future, it's hard to say.
In fact, Taobao doesn't even know his own future, he just takes it one day at a time.
Who is truly loyal these days? Too few, too few.
"Did Mr. Chen send troops for the Northern Expedition?" Taobao asked again.
He had been paying attention to the situation in the city and there was nothing happening. However, there were still some Jin troops stationed outside the city, which he could not know.
"I heard that a general named Hou Feihu was sent northward with more than 10,000 troops," Liu Hezhu said.
"Da Hu is abandoning the city and fleeing again." Tao Bao sighed.
All members of the Beggar Army are soldiers. If they are strong enough, there will still be tens of thousands of people. They will attack from east to west with great momentum.
Duke Chen again sent people from south to north, attacking from both sides. Dare Hu dare to defend Xiangguo?
Tao Bao felt he didn't dare. He might only have a few thousand people at hand.
But I can’t say for sure——
"Where is Liang Fuzhen?" Taobao asked again.
"In Yanci, I heard that more than 10,000 men were recruited and ordered to attack the city. Shao Xu and his son personally went to the city to supervise the battle, and it has not been defeated so far." Liu Hezhu said: "Liang Fuzhen may have to withdraw his troops. The main reason is that the war situation in Yecheng has taken a turn for the worse."
"What would he do?"
"I'll probably go back to Anping first and wait for Liu Cong's order."
Taobao nodded.
Although Chen Gong captured Yecheng, in the final analysis it was still in southern Hebei.
There are still remnants of Liu Han's forces in central Hebei, such as Shi Le and Liang Fuzhen.
To the north of the remaining Xiongnu forces, there was Wang Jun of Youzhou, and Duanbei Xianbei who was forced to retreat to the interior.
The situation is very complex, and sorting it out will not happen overnight.
How long can Mr. Chen stay in Hebei? If the main force withdraws, what will happen to those who surrendered? Will they defect to Liu Cong again? Is it reliable?
Taobao felt that his head was going to explode.
Chen Gong defeated Shi Le, and his elite troops and generals were about to withdraw. If the Xiongnu came, how could they resist?
Thinking of this, his morale suddenly dropped, and he was no longer so active in attacking the three platforms.
At this time, the hundreds of troops sent by Zhixiong retreated in a chaotic manner, losing about 200 people, and their morale was extremely low.
"Don't panic. Chen Gong has recruited another two thousand men in the city and put them in your hands. After a good rectification, we can still fight." Tao Bao said to Zhi Xiong with a bitter smile.
Zhixiong didn't say anything and looked a little pale.
Taobao took a look and saw that he had been hit by an arrow in the shoulder, which had penetrated the nail leaf. He was quite unlucky.
Over there, nephews Liu Huezhu and Liu Dabo had already stepped forward to shout.
Tao Bao tried his best to cheer up and ordered hundreds of soldiers, planning to immediately step forward and snatch the two of them back if something went wrong.
However, after some negotiation, Liu's uncle and nephew were let in and put on the ice well platform.
Taobao subconsciously took a few steps forward and watched from a distance.
Zhixiong, who was being treated for his injuries, also stood up curiously, put up a pergola with his hands, and looked at the high platform in the distance.
****
"Whoosh!" An arrow flew and Liu Da's helmet fell to the ground.
"Sister, don't kill me!" Liu Da shouted hurriedly.
A tall woman came out from behind the ramp, with a sinister face and a walking bow in her hand.
She looked Liu Da up and down and sneered: "Promoted?"
"Demoted." Liu Da said awkwardly: "I was originally General Weiyuan, but now I am just the deputy governor of the Yi Cong Army."
"What are you doing here?" Liu asked.
"Come and save sister." Liu Da bravely took a few steps closer and said with a flattering smile.
Mrs. Liu was not afraid of him either, and placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword.
She has killed people more than once, and she is not a weak woman without the strength to restrain a chicken.
"If you only have these words, you can go back. If I don't kill you this time, I won't hold you back next time." Liu said coldly.
"Sister, why is it like this!" Liu Da was determined, and simply walked to Mrs. Liu, pointed at the wounded soldiers who were being carried back, and said: "Bingjingtai lacks medical treatment and medicine. If you are injured, you will have to suffer." If you are lucky, you can recover as before, but if you are unlucky, you will die. If the whole army surrenders, you can avoid a killing, and the injured son can be healed, wouldn't it be beautiful?"
Liu didn't waste any time and directly drew his sword and struck him.
Liu Da's hair stood on end as he jumped to avoid the sword.
Mrs. Liu looked at him coldly.
Liu Da was a little angry and cursed: "What a cruel woman, even a close relative can do something. What kind of ecstasy soup did Shi Le fill you with? Damn it, I won't persuade you anymore, I'll leave now. Turn around and let Tao Bao rush and beat you." , even if eight or ten people are replaced by one of you, one day you can replace all the people on Bingjing Platform."
Liu Hezhu pulled him behind him, sighed, and said, "Ye Na, what do you want in this life?"
Mrs. Liu was a little stunned by this question.
What do you want in this life? She seems to have fantasized about it.
She doesn't want the rouge and fancy clothes that ordinary women like. What she wants is the supreme status and the pleasure of having power and controlling the overall situation.
To this end, she actively helps her husband make suggestions and sort out his internal affairs.
For this reason, she actively helped her husband to recruit troops and comfort him.
For this reason, she once told her husband in private that Liu Cong would definitely not let Liu Yi take over the throne. Liu Han might be in great turmoil by then. If the situation in Hebei was stabilized before then, something could be done based on this.
She is very ambitious, and these are the things she likes most.
"Ye Na, Shi Le will never have another chance." Liu Hezhu said: "I am standing here today, you probably know it, right? All the beggars rebelled and wanted to avenge Shi Le. Chen Gong sent another hundred thousand elite troops northward. When we attack Xiangguo, Shi Le will have to run if he doesn't want to die."
"What?" Mrs. Liu was shocked. The energy she had managed to maintain these days seemed to be dissipated in an instant.
She is not a woman who knows nothing.
She just knows it too well.
The hatred between the Beggar Army and Yecheng is as deep as the sea. Once the husband's power declines, it would be strange for them not to jump out and take revenge.
The most important thing is that his uncle Liu Hezhu has also rebelled, and there is no longer anyone reliable in Hebei.
The Xiang Kingdom will most likely not be able to defend itself, unless the husband, determined to die, goes to the tower in person to supervise the battle, putting himself to death first, and then placing his hope on outsiders.
But is there such trust between him and Liu Cong?
Liu Hezhu took a few steps forward, looked at the generals behind Liu, and shouted: "Mo Tu, you are my shepherd son, and you were lucky enough to be chosen as one of Hu's personal soldiers, why don't you recognize me?"
Mo Tu was so intimidated by Liu Hezhu's momentum that he subconsciously took half a step back.
"Your family is still in Dalu Ze, so you don't care about it?" Liu Hezhu pressed forward step by step: "So many people have died in Taobao. If we continue to fight, we will become angry and sue Mr. Chen, and I won't be able to save your family."
Motu's face turned pale, and his hands hung weakly from his waist.
"Yi Mogan, when you raised horses that were too thin and Dahu wanted to kill you, who begged for your favor?" Liu Hezhu looked at a military academy officer again and asked, "He also said that he would repay my family's kindness, haha.
, That's nice to say. Now I ask you to put down your equipment and lead people down the mountain to surrender, are you willing?"
"I..." Yi Mogan muttered, not knowing how to answer.
Liu Hezhu named two more people, making them blush and speechless.
"Don't be stupid." Liu Hezhu's tone slowed down and he sighed: "Think about it for yourselves. Outside the west wall of Bingjing Terrace, there is the Jin army barracks. There are also Taobao, Zhixiong, and Cheng Xia's army below the stage. It's hard for you to fly.
, there is no other way except death. Don’t expect Liu Cong’s army to come to our aid, it’s impossible. Even if it comes, you may not be here anymore.”
"Da Hu can recruit the young men of Yecheng, but Chen Gong can't? Recruit 10,000 people, divide them into ten teams, and besiege them day and night. They will fight to kill them all. What are you going to do? He didn't kill any of his own people, and he still has
Once the hidden danger is gone, what's the point of resisting no matter how fiercely you fight? You might even help him. Tao Bao's soldiers have been defeated, and Chen Gong tells him to go wherever he goes. He has no ability to resist at all, and I'm afraid he can't even dream of it.
Wake up with a smile.”
"It really made Mr. Chen anxious, so he recruited soldiers from various tribes to attack Santai. To be honest, after the order was sent to Dalu Zehou, I don't dare to disobey now, so I can only lead the troops to fight. Then I will fight by myself.
Can you kill your own people, some of whom may be your relatives and friends?"
"Stop fighting. As long as you surrender, I will keep you safe. Mr. Chen is a magnanimous person, and he agreed. Tao Bao, Zhi Xiong, and Cheng Xia can only swallow this breath and will not cause trouble for you."
After saying this, Liu Hezhu stood there and looked at everyone.
Liu Da was stunned.
He never thought that his uncle's eloquence was so good. He was not a defender, so he was almost convinced...
"Clang!" Someone threw away the equipment.
Liu, Liu Hezhu, and Liu Da all looked at him.
His face turned pale, and he hurriedly picked up the weapon and said: "I am tired from fighting for a long time, and I can't hold it firmly."
"Dang! Dang!" One after another, some people threw away their equipment.
"I'm really not sure." The man said anxiously.
No one cared about him anymore, because hundreds of people had abandoned their weapons and planned to surrender.
There are more than a thousand soldiers on the Bingjing platform. You look at me and I look at you.
A gust of wind blew away something called morale.
Chapter completed!