Niu Jinda returned from Hou Junji where to discuss military affairs.
Beating drums and gathering generals, all the generals, including Zhao Chen, gathered in the commander's tent at the first time.
All orders were sent, and all the generals and officials took the orders and left.
At noon on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the tenth year of Zhenguan, the attacks of the troops of the Tang Dynasty on the Tubo army in Songzhou City began.
People yelled and neighed in the camp, and the soldiers rushed.
Hundreds of catapults and ladders were assembled quickly and transported to the battlefield outside Songzhou City.
The rapid sound of horse hooves seemed to hit people's hearts. There were already scattered snow traces, but they were now covered with yellow mud.
The neighing of war horses makes people feel inexplicably irritated.
In front of the central army's tent, the chief guard standing with a knife looked gloomy.
Looking at the scene in front of him, Zhao Chen couldn't help but feel a little depressed, and even his breathing became unnatural.
Niu Jinda stopped in front of Zhao Chen, his eyes calmed down.
"Zhao Chen, Songzhou City has been broken, disrupting all previous plans. What do you think of siege today?" Looking at the Tang soldiers who were in a hurry ahead, Niu Jinda could not hear any different emotions in his tone.
Zhao Chen had thought of telling Niu Jinda about the fall of Songzhou City.
But even if I told him, it would not change this established fact.
They hadn't stopped all the way, but they were still several days late.
Besides, what's the point of talking about these now?
"If we only solve the siege of Songzhou, it will naturally be easy, but now..." Zhao Chen shook his head and did not continue to say.
Everyone felt that the governor of Songzhou, Han Wei, could still hold on to the rescue of the army.
Even the emperor and the ministers in the court thought so.
Otherwise, how could only send 50,000 soldiers from the Tang Dynasty to rescue?
Zhao Chen knew that Songzhou would fall, but he had no choice but to talk to Niu Jinda.
Because time is too late.
Niu Jinda looked in the direction of Songzhou City ahead, and a cold smile appeared on his face, saying, "But now? But now that bastard Han Wei lost Songzhou City."
"If the city is still there, my 50,000 soldiers in the Tang Dynasty would not be able to completely defeat the 150,000 army of Tubo, and at least they could delay them."
"After time, they naturally can't hold on."
"But now, we are forced to do nothing. If we don't attack the city, our food will be eaten by the people who ran out of Songzhou."
"It's better to fight for one's own goal if you die at all times!"
Niu Jinda's eyes were spitting fire, and he talked to Zhao Chen about the difficulties of the army now.
He was also angry, and Zhao Chen clearly heard the rattle of Niu Jinda's joints.
Zhao Chen sighed softly.
In siege battles, the damage is absolutely huge.
Compared with the Tang Dynasty's bravery sweeping across the plains, siege of the city was completely built with the lives of the soldiers.
Fifty thousand vs. fifty thousand, the number of people is an absolute disadvantage.
What's more, it's a siege.
Zhao Chen was a little worried.
He may not care about the others, but Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu, the two guys who have been following him.
Qin Huaiyu led cavalry, and he might not be able to use it in the siege.
But Cheng Chumo is an infantry captain. If the attack is not smooth, he must be in battle.
Can Cheng Chumo have such good luck in the midst of life and death?
"Niu Shuai, how long can our food last? If possible, wait for reinforcements! We are so few people, after all..."
"There are more than 100,000 refugees in Songzhou City, and the number has exceeded that of the army several times. The food consumed every day is countless, and we can't hold on for that long." Niu Jinda shook his head, smiled bitterly again, and said:
"Besides, Tubo will not let us wait for reinforcements."
Zhao Chen opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start.
Niu Jinda is right. With more than 200,000 mouths, the daily food consumed is an astronomical figure.
How can they wait?
If the people who escaped from Songzhou City were not concerned, they would naturally be able to hold on to reinforcements.
But who dares not care?
Moreover, the 150,000 Tubo soldiers in the city are not fools, so how could they wait for reinforcements to arrive?
"We always have to try it. Maybe we are lucky and really took back Songzhou City?" Niu Jinda grinned and squeezed out a smile that was even worse than crying.
"But these are all filled with human lives..." Zhao Chen wanted to persuade.
Niu Jinda smiled, patted Zhao Chen on the shoulder, stepped on the war horse led by his personal guard, tied the reins, looked at Zhao Chen, and said, "Zhao Chen, Your Majesty said you are still young, how long you need to know, it's really good."
"Today I will teach you the first lesson. Remember, when war is the least valuable, it is human life."
"If you don't understand, go back and see the people who have escaped!"
Niu Jinda raised his whip and threw it hard on the butt of the war horse.
The war horses neighed and rushed forward.
The guard behind him quickly followed.
In front of the central army's tent, Zhao Chen was left alone.
...
On the top of Songzhou city, teams of Tubo soldiers stood here.
January is the coldest time, but there are many Tubo soldiers on the top of the city with bare arms.
Under the sunlight, the white light in the snow reflected on the weapons of the Tubo soldiers.
Added a hint of chill.
Looking at the Tang soldiers slowly coming down the city tower, the Tubo soldiers on the city tower did not show any nervous expressions.
Not long ago, they easily won Songzhou City, known as the largest city in the northwest of the Tang Dynasty.
Now that they faced the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, these people did not feel panic at all.
More than 100,000 people who fled from Songzhou have made decisions about the significance of this war.
The low horn sound was sobbing outside Songzhou City.
The three gates of Songzhou City were surrounded by Tang soldiers.
Amid the sound of the horn, the crossbowman walked out of the battle formation, holding a bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right hand, and walked step by step towards the gate of Songzhou City.
One hundred and fifty steps are already their limit.
The archer and lieutenant waved the flag, and dense arrows fell on the top of Songzhou City like black rain.
...
Zhao Chen did not follow Niu Jinda to the front line.
He wanted to see the people who escaped from Songzhou City.
The fleeing people were arranged on the plain ten miles away from the military camp.
Niu Jinda left five hundred people to be responsible for the safety here.
The civilians were mixed with spies from the Tubo people.
When Zhao Chen arrived here, he saw a few bloody heads hanging on the gate.
For a moment, Zhao Chen felt a nausea in his stomach.
After verifying his identity, under the leadership of a soldier, Zhao Chen went to the camp of the lieutenant who was responsible for managing the place.
The lieutenant's surname is Wang, and he is a veteran of Niu Jinda's men.
Seeing Zhao Chen coming here, Wang was a little surprised.
On the march, Zhao Chen was pulled by Niu Jinda every day and said he didn't know him, that was a lie.
But when Zhao Chen came here, Wang Ziwei was a little surprised after all.
"Person Wang, I came here to see the people of Songzhou City!" Zhao Chen directly explained his purpose.
Wang Ziwei thought that Zhao Chen was sent by Niu Jinda to inspect the place, so he nodded and took Zhao Chen to the camp behind him.
"Brother Zhao, there are 150,000 refugees here. Because there are not enough tents, they are crowded together, and the tent stretches for more than ten miles."
"There are too many people and it is difficult for the people to manage. The key is that there are many Tubo spies mixed in here, and we can't find out for a while."
"If this continues, it is not a solution!" Wang Zhengwei and Zhao Chen shook their heads and said.
The two walked towards the refugee camp one after another.
Chapter completed!