Chapter 195: Soldiers approaching the city (Happy Spring Festival, all the best)
Sahanlian and Wakda led the main force of the two red flags to Lushun Fort, only one day behind the forward troops.
According to the established layout, Saharian set up camps in the north and west of the city respectively, firstly to facilitate the attack on the city, and secondly to intercept the retreat route of Lushun Fort to the port.
Ordering Baoyi to cut down the trees on the spot and build some siege equipment such as carts and ladders, Sahalian and Wakda took the Jianlu officers to inspect the defense of Lushun Fort.
Outside Lushun Fort, there are many trenches, but if you look closely, you will find that each has its own purpose. The wide and deep ones are obstacles, while the shallow and narrow ones are trenches, where Dongjiang Army soldiers are waiting.
Above the trenches, there are many canopies covering the roofs. Without thinking too much, you will know that they are for protection from the arrows thrown in. The canopies are covered with snow, and even rockets cannot ignite them.
The flags on the city were flying, but Mao Wenlong did not display his own flag, but also wanted Jianlu to underestimate the enemy and paralyze him.
"This castle is very weirdly built!" Wakda squinted his eyes and looked at Lushun Fort. "Are those pointed protrusions similar to horse faces?"
Sahalian praised: "Fourth brother is smart and hits the mark. This kind of horse-face is very insidious. When our army attacks the city, it will be hit by two, well, it should be three sides."
Wakda nodded thoughtfully and said: "The front, the two sides, it is indeed three sides."
Saharian raised his whip and pointed his finger, saying: "The enemy dares to deploy troops outside the city. They are very courageous. With their backs on the fortified city and firing from above and below, the firepower should be very fierce."
Seeing the defense facilities of Port Arthur Fort, Sahalian was a little shocked, and he also knew in his heart that the enemy was going to use overlapping and cross-fire to kill a large number of troops approaching the siege.
However, Lushun Fort was renovated based on the original city, rather than demolished and rebuilt. This is also a flaw that cannot be overcome by any method.
Therefore, Saharian and others conducted a reconnaissance around Port Arthur Fort, and finally felt that they had discovered a weak point, which was the corner of the castle.
However, the wall at the corner is very thick, and it is very difficult to penetrate it. At the same time, due to the existence of the pointed horse face, the firepower density is only smaller than that of the front wall.
Of course, if you want to attack the corner of the castle, you must first break through the Dongjiang Army's defensive position outside the city, force the Dongjiang Army to retreat into the castle, and then attack the castle.
On the city, Mao Wenlong, Li Weiluan and other generals were also observing Sahalian and others who were conducting reconnaissance around the city. With the telescope, they could see much more clearly.
"They should be the flag owners of the two red flags, Daishan's third son Sahalian and fourth son Wakda." Li Weiluan could already make a judgment from the flags.
As he said that, he looked at Santos not far away and asked Mao Wenlong for instructions: "Whether we want to bombard with artillery, I will send someone to ask Santos."
Mao Wenlong pondered for a moment, then immediately waved his hand and said: "There is no need to expose the truth. Since we can't get the head, we will wait for the Jianlu to attack in large numbers and inflict heavy casualties on them."
Jianlu didn't know that Lushun Fort had Hongyi cannons, which was an important point that could be exploited. Being arrogant and not knowing the enemy allowed Jianlu to use his own flesh and blood to learn his lesson and improve his memory.
……………….
Xizhong Island, just outside Pulandian Bay, is quite large and blooms like a lotus in the blue Bohai Sea, so it is also called Lotus Island.
The stone forest towers in various shapes, the golden beach has soft sand and is flat, and the virgin forests in the Western Mountains are lush and green. The blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, and clear water complement each other. When you climb the mountain and look into the distance, you feel like you are in a fairyland.
It is a tourist resort, but if you want to station troops for a long time and operate it, there is one biggest flaw that is difficult to make up for, that is, it is too close to the land, the closest point is only one and a half miles.
How Juehua Island was conquered by Jianlu was because the sea water froze and one could cross the ice without using a boat. The coldness of the Little Ice Age was beyond imagination.
Similarly, Changsheng Island has the same problem, it is too close to the shore. It is only connected to the mainland by a bridge to the east and is not even a mile away from the shore.
"It is not only difficult to cut ice in winter, but it is also unsafe." Zhang Tao shook his head and introduced the situation to Guo Dajing, "So, it is feasible to station outposts on these islands, but it is too dangerous to station troops to stabilize the people."
Guo Dajing also fully agreed with this, but it was very convenient to dock temporarily on this island.
"If we can regain Jinzhou, it is imperative to form a navy." Guo Dajing looked at Zhang Tao expectantly, "Brother Zhang, are you willing to give in?"
Zhang Tao chuckled and said, "Zhang is asking for it, but most likely Mao Shuai won't agree to this."
As a naval general, Pi Dao may be in greater need. Mao Wenlong also agreed to the establishment of the Liaonan Navy, but the choice of commander would probably not be Zhang Tao.
Guo Dajing scratched his head, smiled helplessly, and said: "Let Guo try to fight for it. If it fails, please ask Brother Zhang to send out capable officers."
Zhang Tao nodded vigorously and said, "Don't worry, I will take care of you and won't let you down."
Zhang Tao is indeed willing to stay in Jinzhou. In his opinion, there are more opportunities to make achievements here than in Pi Island.
To be honest, the navy in Dongjiang Town has not experienced any major wars, and most of the time it only serves as a transport fleet.
The main reason is that Jianlu did not have a navy. Zhang Tao wanted to defeat the enemy at sea, but he had no chance!
From Guo Dajing's words, his emphasis on the navy and its future uses made Zhang Tao feel excited.
While the two were talking, several people came not far away, but they were Chen Jisheng, Shang Kexi and other generals.
"General, I have met Chen Shuai." Guo Dajing and Zhang Tao hurriedly greeted him and bowed to salute him.
Chen Jisheng smiled and waved his hand and said: "A sentinel ship just came to report that the main force of Jianlu has passed Shiheyi and will reach Lushun Fort today."
Guo Dajing nodded lightly and said: "As soon as General Zhang's troops arrive, our army can launch, land and plagiarize the enemy's retreat."
The time left for Jianlu to attack Lushun Fort was only two or three days. This was a judgment made after research and calculation, and a plan was made accordingly.
The Jianlu could not bear heavy casualties, and they did not have much food and supplies. The attack on Lushun Fort could not last long. After two or three days of fierce attack, they would probably have to retreat.
If you only think about consuming more enemies at Port Arthur Fort, you will miss the opportunity to plagiarize and intercept the Jianlu.
Even if it was too early, Jianlu would move upon hearing the news, but it would waste the defense facilities of Lushun Fort and the Hongyi cannon, failing to achieve the goal of killing and injuring Jianlu as much as possible.
Now, just wait for Zhang Pan's troops to arrive by boat from Lushun Port, and then we can launch a large-scale campaign. The time is just right.
Although Chen Jisheng is in charge, the main command power is still in the hands of Guo Dajing. He formulated the plan, and he also personally conducted the survey and reconnaissance, and he has the best understanding of various situations.
But Guo Dajing still maintained enough respect for Chen Jisheng, and Chen Jisheng also delegated power to him very leniently, only acting as a supervisor and reminder.
In fact, Chen Jisheng is modest on the surface, but he is actually learning.
Chen Jisheng felt that he could not keep up with Guo Dajing's thinking. He was even more shocked by the equipment and combat power of Guanglu Island's officers and soldiers.
He and Mao Shuai were right. They gave Guo Dajing the space to perform and as much support as possible. In a short period of time, he had already impressed people and became the most outstanding general among the Dongjiang Army generals.
What is outstanding does not lie in his personal bravery and military exploits, but in promoting the improvement of the entire Dongjiang Army and maintaining the stability and strength of Dongjiang Town when food and wages were cut off.
Whether it is combat, management, or vision, Chen Jisheng admits that he can't compare to Guo Dajing. The development in this year is better than the hard work and persistence of Dongjiang Town for many years.
In the past, a large-scale campaign to occupy Jinzhou was already the limit of Dongjiang Town. Now, it has dared to plagiarize behind enemy lines and block and intercept.
"Dajing, you don't want to participate in the landing commando team." Chen Jisheng said with concern: "It is your responsibility to command the team."
Jianlu marched straight in, but also taking into account food routes and communications, a small number of troops were stationed at the inns along the way, and even a thousand troops were stationed in Nanguan Island to prevent attacks on the back roads.
However, the two to three hundred people stationed at the inn can only serve as an alarm and cannot resist the incoming army.
But Guo Dajing wanted to try hard to prevent Jianlu from raising the alarm, or to delay the alarm, so that the landing troops could arrange blocking positions.
Therefore, the landing commando team had to land and carry out a sneak attack, trying to eliminate the two hundred captives in Shiheyi without causing them to send out an alarm signal.
The five-hundred-strong commando team was all from Guanglu Island and was an elite team trained by Guo Dajing himself. There were also three hundred Ye Bu who could not be included.
Although Chen Jisheng was caring and protective, Guo Dajing believed that only by participating in the war would he have a greater chance of success. Of course others did not know that his equipment and skills were most suitable for night attacks.
Guo Dajing raised his hands to thank him and said with a smile: "Thank you very much Chen Shuai for your concern and care. Although the commandos are all elite, they still have insufficient actual combat experience, so the general is still uneasy. The general is still quite confident in the sneak attack, and he will attack the small with more.
There will be no accidents.”
Chen Jisheng just tried to persuade him, and he also understood Guo Dajing's temperament, and he was one of them. He nodded helplessly and stopped talking.
Shang Ke smiled happily and said jokingly: "General Guo wants to kill people's heads in exchange for silver so that he can add jewelry and makeup to the ladies at home!"
Everyone laughed, and Guo Dajing was also happy, and said: "If I chop off a few more heads, I will get the money and distribute it to you, so that you can buy some things for your home. My wife is happy, and we don't have to wash our feet when we go to bed."
Regarding women, Guo Dajing still believed in later generations, not to mention complete equality, nor did he despise women. But at that time, superiors and inferiors respected each other, and the three obediences and four virtues were followed, and few women could be strong in the family.
Guo Dajing's casual joke revealed his views. Although everyone didn't say anything, they also had suspicions in their hearts.
"The scenery on this island is really beautiful and picturesque." Chen Jisheng's eyes flashed, he changed the topic, and shook his head with emotion, "It's a pity-"
Guo Dajing was convinced that this place was definitely a good place for vacation and leisure, with sunshine, sea and beach. Unfortunately, he didn’t know when he would be able to enjoy it peacefully and comfortably.
………………..
Under the Castle of Lushun, the chilling atmosphere was as chilly as the cold wind, and the air was almost frozen.
The wailing horns sounded like weeping, adding to the dull atmosphere. The Jianlu, who were preparing to attack, formed an array. Their weapons were densely packed, reflecting the cold light, and exuding a power that made it difficult to breathe.
The packers pushed the carts, shouted courageously, and ran forward, rushing towards the wide and deep barrier trench.
Rushing to the trench, Baoyi picked up the earth bags on the cart and threw them into the trench. This was an essential procedure to fill the trench and open a passage for the attacking troops.
The carts were in front for cover, and the carts behind them were transporting back and forth, filling the trenches with soil and stones. The attacking soldiers were waiting in formation, waiting for the passage to be opened.
War drums rumbled, and the trebuchets on the defensive positions began to launch. A mass of black bombs flew into the sky, darkening the sky.
The bomb flew over the trench and smashed into the busy team of coated slaves.
A few seconds later, there were explosions one after another, and black smoke pillars rose into the sky, kicking up soil, snow and dust, making the vision blurry.
For the unarmored coating, the destructive power of the bomb can be fully reflected. The power of gunpowder granulation also makes the explosion more shocking.
Whether they are Bao Yi or Han slaves, they are all accomplices of the Jianlu. Whether they are forced or willing, they are the enemies of the defenders.
Li Weiluan and other generals stood at the top of the city, directing the defensive operations. Mao Wenlong, like Chen Jisheng, completely delegated power and watched calmly and calmly under the protection of his own soldiers.
In the field of view of the telescope, Saharian, Wakda, and several Jianlu generals were commanding the troops under the banner.
Santos and other artillery officers were directing the soldiers to push the Hongyi cannon over, adjust the shooting angle, and prepare to focus their fire for bombardment.
Fifteen of the twenty red barbarian cannons have been gathered at the northern city wall. However, Sahalian and others are still unaware that bad luck will soon befall them.
In Ningyuan, Lao Nu camped too close and was bombarded by Hongyi cannons and was forced to move the camp in the middle of the night; in Jinzhou, Huang Taiji set up camp less than a mile away and suffered losses from Hongyi cannons.
The reason is simple: Jianlu did not understand the range and power of the Hongyi cannon, and did not even know that the defenders had such weapons.
The Hongyi cannons were laid out one after another and were loaded and ready to go, but Li Weiluan did not give the order immediately. He wanted to wait for the Jianlu to attack and attack them together with his soldiers and generals.
If the concentrated fire bombardment of the Hongyi artillery kills the Jianlu leaders, it is likely that the Jianlu will no longer attack or even rush to retreat, thus failing to achieve the goal of killing them in large numbers.
The trebuchet continued to fight back, and large rocks weighing dozens of kilograms also appeared in the sky, slamming them down with a staggering impact.
A pallet cart was smashed into pieces, and the flying sawdust and splinters damaged the surrounding wrappings. They screamed and wailed, and some rolled on the ground in pain.
The old-fashioned artillery and Fran cannons on the position also roared and fired solid shells, destroying the carriages and exposing the coating behind them.
Mao Wenlong led his troops to come to the rescue and brought a batch of artillery. The naval ships led by Zhang Tao had now become a transport brigade. All the artillery on board had been disassembled and all were deployed at Lushun Fort.
These artillery pieces are definitely not as powerful as the Hongyi cannons, but they are enough to deal with the carriages.