Chapter 72: The fierce battle in Dragon Bone Mountain City
From the narrations of Nima Chan and other generals, Shuo Tuo knew that Longgu Mountain City was somewhat dilapidated. But after watering and freezing, the weak points on the city wall were all made up.
Moreover, for siege, there was originally a method of approaching the city. However, there was an extra layer of ice outside the city wall, which obviously increased the difficulty and even made this siege method close to useless.
Not only is the city wall covered with ice, there is also a shiny ice surface under the city wall. Undoubtedly, this increases the difficulty of the attack. Whether you are walking on it or building a ladder on the city wall, you must be careful of slipping.
Nima Chan did not show too much surprise at these arrangements. When he saw the huge rocks under the city, he frowned.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Nima Chan still vividly remembers the tragic scene of the last time he was suddenly hit by a huge boulder directional mine, and is still frightened.
The key is that Nima Chan and others still don't know how to trigger this kind of landmine, whether it is controlled by humans or there is some mechanism.
Therefore, there was no other way except to send the barbers to test the situation. The so-called test was to ask the barbers to move the boulders and carefully inspect the bottom of the boulders.
After listening to Nima Chan's suggestion, Shuo Tuo nodded in agreement and ordered the camp to be set up. Seeing that it was already past noon, he decided to eliminate the giant stone mines today and launch an attack.
After knowing the process and circumstances of the first attack on Longgu Mountain City, Shuo Tuo had put away his intention of underestimating the enemy. At least, he would no longer think about attacking in one go, and had made mental preparations for multiple attacks.
Dragon Bone Mountain City!
Guo Dajing and others began to work again, setting up a camp for Jianlu. Guo Dajing kept in mind the location of Shuo Tuo's tent and the surrounding layout.
The trembling men with shaved heads spread out and cautiously approached several boulders. After careful inspection, they moved, lifted, and dug again.
After struggling for more than half an hour, I finally determined that there were no landmines, just huge rocks placed there to scare people.
There were constant Manchu curses in the city, and Yue Tuan's death was even mentioned as a topic. The sight of a few boulders frightened the enemy so much that they didn't dare to move forward, and loud jeers broke out again.
Shuo Tuo had a sullen face. Obviously, in such a situation, it was useless to persuade him to surrender, and he would not send anyone forward to humiliate himself.
"Attack!" Nimachan looked at Shuo Tuo. After receiving the instructions, he waved his sword and issued the order.
The trumpet sounded with a whimpering sound. The barber pushed the cart and carried the ladder in front. The heavy armored soldiers of Jianlu followed closely, and the archers stepped forward to suppress the attack.
There was no change in the offensive method, and it was impossible to change. At this time, although the Jianlu captured a lot of firecrackers and artillery in previous battles, they rarely used them.
Historically, it was not until King Sanshun surrendered to Jianlu that Jianlu learned how to forge and operate artillery, and gradually used it in large quantities when attacking cities and plundering territory.
Although Shuo Tuo was mentally prepared, he still used all his strength in the first attack. The painless siege only increased casualties and damaged morale.
Since we are here for revenge, there is no reason to back down when encountering difficulties. Although the mountain city is dangerous, the attack on the North Korea has not been conquered before.
Arrows rained like rain, and the cry of killing shook the sky. The enemy and we once again started a bloody fight under the Dragon Bone Mountain City.
When the enemy rushed to the city, they beat them down with rolling wood and stones, muskets and bows like raindrops. After experiencing a defensive battle, the defenders' will and experience increased.
The bows and arrows were condescending and fired back at Jianlu's archers. Although there were not many qualified archers, they could still interfere with Jianlu's bow and arrow suppression.
The musket is designed to hit heavily armored prisoners. When fired at close range, it still has strong lethality against the protection of heavy armor.
The mines were mixed with rolling logs and rocks, and exploded under the city or in the air. Shrapnel shot out in all directions, and also had strong pyrotechnic effects.
The leveled defense and counterattack showed the stability of the defenders. On the other hand, it was supported by confidence.
Shuo Tuo observed the battle situation from a distance and realized that this was a tough nut to crack. The enemy was busy but not chaotic, unlike when they attacked other Korean cities, the defenders above were shouting and screaming, but the defense in the city was still panicked and fearful.
Especially the landmines dropped by the defenders. Every time they exploded, they would always cause casualties to their own troops. Many soldiers who had climbed up the ladders were also overturned and fell.
In a short period of time, corpses, wounded soldiers, damaged ladders, discarded guns, knives and equipment were all in shambles under the city.
Boom, boom, boom...
Continuous flashes of fire appeared, and the wooden cannon began to unleash its power, spraying thousands of rubbles towards the enemies below the city.
One round, two rounds, three rounds, three consecutive rounds of wooden cannon fire, giving a fierce blow to the Jianlu and the barbers who were attacking the city.
This thing——Shuo Tuo couldn't help but shrink his pupils as he looked at the flashes of firelight on the city.
It's hard to reach far, Shuo Tuo can easily draw the conclusion. As for the power, that's all. Heavy armor can provide more effective protection, which can be judged from the injured part.
But the number is really frightening. Even if it can only be injured without fatality, Shuo Tuo will not find it difficult to deal with. If there are 1,800 defenders - Shuo Tuo shook his head and shook off this depressing figure.
idea.
The battle was fierce and cruel, and Jianlu was indeed brave. Under all kinds of blows from the city, he still remained undefeated and climbed up the ladder to attack.
A Jianlu jumped onto the battlement, but the heavy armor and the frozen ice on the city wall affected his agility. Before he could gain a firm footing, several spears stabbed him in the chest. Although he had good martial arts skills and parried the spears, he lost his footing and fell.
.
Not far away, another Jianlu climbed up the city wall. He dodged to avoid the stabbing spear. Jianlu took the opportunity to hold the gun under his arm, slashed down the gun-wielding defender with his sword, and jumped over the crenellation.
"Boom!" A nearby firecracker roared, and Jianlu was hit hard on the chest. He took two steps back, leaned against the city wall with his mouth wide open.
Spears and broadswords stabbed and slashed, causing blood and flesh to spatter, and the seriously injured Jianlu's head was in different places.
After all, the Jianlu who climbed onto the city wall were alone and had to face the attacks of several defenders. With firecrackers, spears, and broadswords, it was difficult to hold on for too long on the city wall when the enemy was outnumbered.
Long.
The key point is that the counterattack on the city was very violent. The explosion of mines, the bombardment of wooden cannons, and the rolling of logs and rocks killed many of the captives, making it difficult for the captives who were able to climb up the city to continue. The consequences of fighting alone can be imagined.
And know.
The effect of landmines exploding in the air has been known to Zheng Fengshou and others. In order to inflict maximum damage to the enemy, they came up with a simple method, which is to tie a rope to the mine.
The rope is two or three meters long, with one end tied to the mine and the other end tied to the city.
After triggering the mine, push it outward along the city wall, and the mine will hang in the middle of the city wall. After a sudden explosion, the ladder can often be broken, and the prisoners on the ladder can be pushed out and fall.
This trick was not even thought of by Guo Dajing. It can be seen that the wisdom of the ancients cannot be underestimated. As long as it is inspired, sparks of inspiration can burst out.
"Kill, kill!" Reinforcements from the Dongjiang Army came up, led by Zhang Pan himself, and killed and knocked down several captives, stabilizing the battle situation again.
The defenders were also suffering casualties, but with city protection and a variety of defensive weapons, they were much fewer than the enemy.
As long as the will is not broken and the courage is not lost, no matter how fierce the rebels are, they cannot easily break the mountain city. Jiangyin in history is an example.
The Jianlu were still attacking, but the momentum was not as good as at the beginning. The defenders were still tenacious, and the frequency of use of mines and wooden cannons did not decrease.
Nima Chan secretly glanced at Shuo Tuo and saw Lord Beile frowning slightly, raising his head to observe the battle situation, but had no other instructions.
To withdraw our troops now would be to waste all our efforts, right?!
Nima Chan bit the bullet and sent out archers for rotation again.
Drawing a bow and shooting an arrow is a strenuous task. Under normal circumstances, after just ten arrows, your arms will feel numb and it will be difficult to fully draw the bowstring.
"Suppress with bows and arrows and snatch back the bodies of the dead." Shuo Tuo suddenly raised his hand to stop Nima Chan and said in a deep voice: "Ming Jin, withdraw your troops!"
"General, I will obey the order." Nima Chan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to accept the order.
In Shuo Tuo's view, due to the topography and the number of his own troops, it was impossible to besiege Longgu Mountain City. It was obviously very difficult to break through on one side with only ladders, hooks and ladders and other equipment.
Although the gunpowder weapons of the defenders were not powerful enough, they were much more powerful than rolling logs and rocks, causing great trouble to their own army.
Therefore, if you want to conquer a mountain city, you need to use large-scale siege equipment. For example, the siege tower, also known as Lu Gong's chariot, has a roof that can be flush with the city wall. It can carry troops and rush directly to the city wall from the overpass.
Of course, what Shuo Tuo wants to build is a simple version of Lu Gong's chariot. As long as it can carry soldiers to rush into the city, or archers can perform suppressive shooting on it, it will greatly increase the possibility of breaking through the mountain city.
In the surrounding mountains and forests, there are inexhaustible trees, and it is relatively convenient and quick to use local materials.
The enemy attacking the city began to retreat, but the attacks on the city did not stop. Wooden cannons, fire blunderbuss, and arrows were pursued from near to far, so that the Jianlu had to leave some corpses behind.
Phew! Cui Xiaoyi spit out thick white mist, holding the blood-stained long knife, his chest heaved and he panted violently.
The captives who attacked the city suffered heavy casualties, and the defenders also shed blood and died.
Dongjiang Army and Korean volunteers, led by their respective generals, sent reinforcements to the city in waves, replacing the dead and wounded, and maintaining the strength and strength of the city's defense.
Simply put, the captives are fierce and have high martial arts skills, while the defenders have the advantage of the city and always have the advantage in strength.
A strong big hand patted Cui Xiaoyi's back. Zheng Fengshou nodded vigorously towards Cui Xiaoyi who turned around and said: "Master Cui is really brave and brave in killing prisoners."
Cui Xiaoyi shook his head and said: "It's not considered brave. It's just killing the enemy together with others."
After a pause, Cui Xiaoyi pointed at Jianlu, who had retreated out of sight, and said, "I want to attack the camp tonight, what do you think, sir?"
Zheng Fengshou pondered and did not decide immediately, but said slowly: "We will make a decision after discussing this matter. Jianlu has just set up camp and is tired from attacking the city, so he must be prepared."
Reaching out and patting Cui Xiaoyi again, Zheng Fengshou said with a smile: "The reinforcements from Dongjiang will arrive soon. Whether it is to attack the enemy together or to continue to defend the city and consume the Jielu, it is the best strategy."
Cui Xiao nodded and forced a smile. He knew that Zheng Fengshou acted prudently, and rashly leaving the city to attack the camp when there was no precise information should not be his choice.
And holding on to the city is indeed the safest way. The Korean volunteers plus Li Weiluan's men, as well as the vanguard of Shang Kexi and Qiu Ketai's men who have arrived, are enough to kill all the captives.
Zheng Fengshou exposed the attack on the camp and patrolled the city. In addition to offering condolences and encouragement, he also urged the soldiers to strengthen the city defense and prepare enough ammunition.
At this moment, a messenger hurriedly arrived and invited Zheng Fengshou, Cui Xiaoyi and others to come to discuss matters.
Zheng Fengshou, Cui Xiaoyi and others hurried to the city to meet with Li Weiluan, Shang Kexi and other Dongjiang generals to discuss matters.
Li Weiluan's troops were stationed in the mountains and forests north of the city. After Shang Kexi and other generals arrived with reinforcements, they only sent a thousand people into the city to join the team, and the rest also camped and rested in the mountains and forests north of the city.
Seeing all the generals entering the city, Zheng Fengshou was a little confused and felt that a big operation was about to begin.
Li Weiluan first explained with a smile, "Guo Baihu sent someone to report the news secretly and is preparing to take action at 3:00 tonight. He hopes that we will make a gesture of attacking the camp so that he can take advantage of the chaos."
A North Korean barber named Jin Nianliang raised his hand and said: "Guo Baihu has figured out the true and false situation of Jianlu's camp. All he needs to do is make noise and feign an attack to make Jianlu panic."
Zheng Fengshou felt that it was not that simple, otherwise, the Dongjiang generals would not have come together.
Sure enough, Li Weiluan just nodded to Jin Nianliang's words and continued: "We briefly discussed it and thought that we can either make noise and feint to attack, or we can take advantage of the opportunity to strike hard, it just depends on the specific situation."
"If Guo Baihu succeeds, attacks and kills Shuo Tuo, and Jianlu loses his leader, there will be chaos." Shang Kexi added: "Our army can turn from false to true, attack with all its strength, and defeat the enemy in one battle."
Zheng Fengshou understood that this was a two-pronged preparation. It could be a feint attack or a real attack. There was no problem with this. It would depend on the situation. It was more flexible.
"I have no objection. You can also lead your troops out of the city to cooperate in the battle." Zheng Fengshou said with a cupped hand: "But you can't win without caring about your family. You must leave a considerable amount of troops in the city."
Li Weiluan said: "That's natural. This is not a desperate move, but a flexible operation depending on the situation. There are only a few hundred people in the pretend attack camp, and the brigade is waiting for the opportunity to move behind."
Everyone sat down to discuss carefully, and based on the information brought back by Jin Nianliang, they refined the plan before they dispersed and stepped up their preparations.
………………..
Action will take place at 3:30 tonight. Guo Dajing took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and looked at the flag on Longgu Mountain City with a scope. That was his communication signal to Jin Nianliang and the two parties.
Very good. Guo Dajing squinted his eyes and felt that it was time to administer the medicine. He waited and waited, always trying to achieve the most perfect effect, but in the end it might be a long night and many dreams.
Maybe tomorrow these civilian coolies will be used as cannon fodder and driven forward. At that time, they will be too passive.
As soon as they arrived at Longgushan City, Guo Dajing and other undercover Koreans took advantage of the time when they were cutting down trees to set up a stronghold to cover Jin Nianliang and sneak out to report the news.
Half a day was enough for Jin Nianliang to send the information and prepare the troops to attack the camp at night. Guo Dajing had such an expectation. When he saw the response signal from Shancheng, he felt relieved and was completely relieved.