Chapter 32: The sons and daughters, beat the drum and climb the city
On the banks of the Luoshui River south of Yanshi City, Zhang Cheng said with firm eyes: "We will capture Yanshi today without tomorrow."
He scanned the people and said in a deep voice: "Zhang Guodong, on the south, east, and north sides of Yanshi City, each of your infantry battalions will send a main attack force. The first person to climb the city and break the gate will be counted as the first meritorious service. The first person to climb the city will be counted as the first.
He was rewarded with ten taels of silver, and the remaining officers and men were rewarded with one tael of silver.
I am stationed here at the south gate. Zhang Guodong, you will supervise the battle at the north gate. Zhang Guangda will lead the heavy cavalry to supervise the battle at the east gate. Now all the ministries are cutting down the trees around the city and rushing to make siege equipment. We will launch a general attack at Shen Shi. Yanshi must be captured before You Shi. Let's move in.
Dinner is served in the city."
He went on to say: "Chen Zhong and Wang Tieren each led their own rangers and light cavalry, and set up an ambush on the hilly valley ten miles outside the west gate of Yanshi. If the bandits abandon the city and go west, they must intercept them together to prevent their main force from retreating to Luoyang."
"Here!"
The generals took the order and left one after another to make preparations.
The left troops of Zhang Guodong's infantry battalion were responsible for attacking the south gate of Yanshi City, while Chen Dakuan in the middle was responsible for attacking the north gate, and Jin Yong on the right was responsible for attacking the east gate.
Zhang Cheng just ordered Cui Shijie, the commander-in-chief of Qian on the left, to lead many soldiers to the ladder. As for the other equipment, there was no time to make it. After all, many of the military supplies of the army were at the car camp, and they could not get here until night.
The first and second bureaus of Division A on the left were on guard about a mile outside the south gate to prevent bandits from suddenly rushing out of the city. The remaining sergeants were cutting down trees outside the city and making ladders and other equipment for climbing the city.
Zhang Chengfang looked eager to try, and bowed excitedly in front of Zhang Cheng: "Father, Commander-in-Chief, Chengfang is asking for orders. I would like to be the first to climb the city, open the south gate for the army, and capture Yanshi County in one fell swoop."
Zhang Cheng looked at the seventeen-year-old Zhang Chengfang, who was already a strong and strong young man. He liked it in his heart, but asked: "Have you practiced climbing the ladder to the city before?"
"Reporting to the deputy commander, when I was stationed in Chicheng, I also practiced climbing ladders to climb the city. Although it is not a real city wall, the children are light and healthy. When climbing ladders, they are indeed more flexible than the soldiers in the infantry camp."
Seeing that there was still hesitation on Zhang Cheng's face, he hurriedly continued: "Father, there is no need to worry. The child just heard what General Zhang Guodong said. The thieves specialize in destruction and are not good at defending the city. Moreover, our soldiers are fully equipped with armor and shields.
Climbing up the ladder is bound to be a success.
Moreover, because the children are light and strong, they are good at climbing with hooks. They often practiced it when they were in Chicheng. Today, they can give it a try under Yanshi City. I hope my father will allow me to do so!"
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng nodded and said: "The commander-in-chief has very high expectations for the children's camp that you and Jin Tai are leading. I don't want you to take the risk of going to the city. However, if you come to ask for a fight, I will consider it. You should go back and be prepared."
"
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Gu Dacheng, the leader of the bandits in Yanshi City, was also restless. He hurriedly climbed up to the south gate of the city and looked at the Ming army outside the city, feeling even more worried.
"Chief Gu, the officers and soldiers are preparing to attack the city. Why don't we go out of the west gate and go to Luoyang to find King Chuang." said a bandit leader.
Another thief immediately echoed: "Yes. Chief Gu, the money and food in Yanshi City have been transported to Luoyang. What's the point of guarding an empty city? It's better to go find King Chuang and conquer Luoyang together!"
Gu Dacheng knew that these new thieves in Henan were still accustomed to looting. The treasury in Yanshi County had been completely empty and there was no way to squeeze out any profit. They did not want to be trapped here. They all thought about it.
Fly to Luoyang, rush into the city, and plunder the city.
But Yuan Zongdi ordered him to stay here. Although he didn't ask him to defend to the death, he couldn't leave without a fight. At least he had to drag the Ming army outside the city to Yanshi for two or three days.
At that moment, he said to the thieves: "King Chuang has strict military regulations. Since we are ordered to stay in Yanshi to intercept reinforcements, how can we abandon the city without fighting? Besides, there are only a few thousand officers and soldiers outside the city. We are relying on Yanshi."
The city wall must be defended for at least three to five days, which will cost him nearly half a man."
After observing for a while, Gu Dacheng said again: "Looking at the arrangement of officers and soldiers outside the city, we must be attacking the city from three sides. I can't yet determine which side is the main attack direction, so we can only deploy defenses on three sides.
It's getting dark now, and the officers and soldiers have to build ladders to climb up the city. I guess we shouldn't attack the city today, but we have to be on guard. Each team has to arrange people to guard the city.
Don't let the thieves and soldiers steal us."
"Chief Gu, do you want to go out of the city and attack his mother?" A bandit with a stubble on his face said loudly.
Gu Dacheng looked at the officers and soldiers outside the city for a while, and then said: "No need, I see that this group of officers and soldiers is a little different from the ones I encountered before, so let's just guard the city wall."
At this time, there were still more than 4,000 thieves in Yanshi City. Gu Dacheng divided them into three teams, each with a thousand people, each responsible for the defense of the south, east, and north. He led hundreds of elite old thieves under his command.
The county government is on standby and will go to support if anyone is in urgent need.
In addition, a group of more than 300 thieves were sent to guard the west gate, and four or five horsemen galloped out of the west gate toward Luoyang, presumably to report to the Luoyang intruder Li Zicheng.
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Yanshi is neither a frontier fortress, nor an important pass, nor a big city. It is just an ordinary county town, and its city walls are not very high and thick.
Moreover, the trenches outside the city had been filled in when the bandits attacked the city. There was a flat river in front of the city wall, and the two-foot-long ladder could be directly put up to the city wall.
At the time of application, all the sergeants were waiting in formation outside the south gate. In front of the formation were twenty-four long ladders, each of which was nearly three feet long. Although not delicate, they were very strong.
The top of each long ladder is equipped with an iron hook to hook the city wall to prevent the soldiers guarding the city from pushing it away. The bottom of the ladder is also equipped with an iron spike so that it can be firmly driven into the ground.
Medium, so that the left and right sliding will not be unstable.
On Zhang Cheng's left side, there are 24 teams of the 8th Bureau of Sergeants. Each team is equipped with a long ladder. According to Zhang Cheng's deployment, each team has two sergeants on both sides of the long ladder to carry the ladder to build the city, and then one team is equipped with a long ladder.
Sergeant A climbed the ladder to the city wearing full armor.
He was standing on a newly built high platform and said loudly: "Army, listen to the order, Cui Shijie, you will command the attack on the south gate. Division A is in the east and Division B is in the west. Each team is equipped with a long ladder.
After the first and second-grade sergeants rushed forward to set up the city wall, the third-grade sergeant immediately climbed up the ladder and climbed up the city wall.
Sons and gentlemen, the first person to climb the city will be rewarded with ten taels of silver. When the city is defeated, every soldier who participated in the attack will be rewarded with one tael of silver.
However, if anyone retreats before the battle and refuses to fight, he will be dealt with according to military law and beheaded on the spot!"
He then shouted: "Where is Lin Fangping?"
Lin Fangping came out of the queue and responded loudly: "Lin Fangping is here!"
Zhang Cheng shouted loudly: "Lin Fangping, I have ordered you to be the war supervisor of the South Gate and to lead the cavalry as the war team. If you whisper to each other before the battle, look back and wait, if you are too timid to do so, you will be beheaded!"