The entire hillside was engulfed in fire, and a large number of rolling logs and branches also burned. Thick smoke billowed, and flames raged. Zheng Ping stared blankly at the fireworks on the hillside. He suddenly slapped his thigh, "I understand now!"
"Fat Zheng, what do you understand?" Yang Yuanqing asked with a smile beside him.
Several generals nearby looked at Zheng Ping.
Zheng Ping smiled mysteriously and said: "When we were cutting down the trees, didn't I say that our slope was not steep enough and the log rolling would not be effective?"
Liu Cui said with a smile: "To be honest, the rolling wood is not as effective as Wang Jianpo's, so I haven't seen many people killed."
"The commander is not used as a rolling log at all!"
Zheng Ping pointed to the fire on the slope and said with a smile: "These wood will burn for at least half a day. Unlike kerosene, it will be extinguished in a while. It will be fierce for half a day, burn for half a day, and continue to burn at night. Will it drag on day by day soon?"
Then everyone suddenly realized that setting fire to block the road was indeed a clever move.
"Is Yuan Qing here?" Chen Qing came running on horseback.
"The humble post is here!" Yang Yuanqing stood up quickly.
"Be careful on duty tonight, the enemy seems to be testing a trebuchet!"
Yang Zaixing was surprised, "Did Jin Bing build a trebuchet so quickly?"
Chen Qing nodded, "If you don't pursue stability and accuracy, a simple trebuchet can be easily made. We have experienced it ourselves."
"But what do they want the trebuchet for?" Zheng Ping asked puzzledly.
Chen Qing smiled lightly, "If the road to the ramp is blocked, Jin Bing will definitely find another way!"
Chen Qing glanced at the surrounding wooden walls and said to everyone: "There will probably be a fierce battle tonight, so everyone should take the time to rest!"
Chen Qing turned the horse's head and headed towards the warehouse. Yang Zaixing thought thoughtfully, quickly got on his horse and chased after him.
"Commander, please go slowly!" Yang Zaixing shouted from behind.
Chen Qing reined in his horse and asked with a smile: "What's the matter?"
"I just remembered something and wanted to talk to the commander."
"you say!"
"When I was burning down the enemy's camp, I once found a large tent filled with a kind of ladder. Different from other siege ladders, it was very rough and made directly from two pine tree trunks. There were probably hundreds of them.
Although it was eventually burned down by fire, I felt that it would be easy for the Jurchens to recreate this simple ladder."
Chen Qing nodded, "You are right. If the Jin soldiers want to attack from both sides, ladders are absolutely indispensable. Since the trebuchet is already being tested, the ladders should be almost ready."
"Actually, I want to discuss with the commander how to deal with this simple ladder?"
Chen Qing smiled and said: "I guess you already have an idea, you might as well tell me."
"In fact, I have been thinking about this issue for the past two days. I heard General Zheng say that you used an ax to cut off the first few rungs. This is actually a good way."
Chen Qing shook his head and said: "I can bet you that the first few rungs of the ladder made by Jin Bing this time must be made of iron. They have learned a profound lesson and will not make such low-level mistakes again."
"What about fire?"
Chen Qing still shook his head, "We have also learned a profound lesson. When the fire burns down the ladder, at least two hundred Jin soldiers can climb up. It is actually unrealistic to burn the ladder with fire."
"Beizi said that using fire did not mean burning ladders, but burning the enemy. Beizi used a leather bag at that time. When the leather bag was squeezed, the fire oil would spurt out. Using this leather bag to spray fire oil would have a great effect.
It will be great.”
"I got you!"
Chen Qing sighed and said: "There are only 400 bags of this kind of kerosene in total. You took away 300 bags. Now there are not even 100 bags left. There are probably more than 70 bags left."
"Use an iron fork, or use an iron hook!"
Zheng Ping jumped out from the side and said with a smile: "How could you come up with such a bad idea without me, fat brother? I use the simplest method, use an iron fork to push it outward, or sprinkle some water on the edge of the cliff to make it freeze and become smooth."
At one o'clock, when the time comes, tie the ladder with a rope, pull it sideways, and go down with a squeak, it must be really cool."
Yang Zaixing's eyes lit up, "General Zheng is right, the simplest method is actually the best. You can use a group of five soldiers to deal with a ladder."
Chen Qing was also interested and smiled happily: "Go and call Liu Cui, Lao Yang and Wang Duo, Hu Yanyun is also here, let's discuss it together, and then mobilize the soldiers to find a way, three cobblers can take on one
Zhuge Liang, not to mention there are so many people here."
...........
At two o'clock in the morning, a thunderous sound woke up Chen Qing, who was sleeping soundly. He had not slept all night last night and was really exhausted.
Although his body was still very sleepy, Chen Qing sat up instinctively and asked loudly: "What's the sound outside?"
After a while, a soldier reported, "Commander Qi, Vice General Yang said that the enemy has begun to use trebuchets to attack the wall."
Chen Qing's sleepiness suddenly disappeared, and he immediately got up. He was wearing iron armor, but he just put on his iron pocket, took his weapon, and hurried out the door.
Chen Qing got on his horse. He was now behind the camp. He could see the fire still burning on the slope in the distance, with black smoke billowing. They had cut down enough trees and they could burn it for several days and nights. There was no problem for the Jin soldiers to escape from the slope.
Come on, you can only make decisions on both sides.
"Boom!" There was another muffled sound, and a big hole appeared in the east panel wall.
Chen Qing urged his horse and ran over.
Their plank walls were built by specialized engineering soldiers of the Western Army. They were made of rammed earth and wood. The walls were relatively thin on the east and west sides, so soldiers could not go up to the city. However, the south city was built very thickly, up to seven feet wide, and there was room on it.
A bed crossbow can be placed.
Of course, this kind of mud wall cannot be compared with the city wall. It is easily penetrated by trebuchets and may even collapse after a heavy rain.
Thousands of torches were lit under the cliff to the east, illuminating the surrounding area like daylight. The east side was relatively open and could set up a battlefield, while the west side was filled with dense woods that even trebuchets could not enter. Naturally, the Jin soldiers would not consider it.
west.
Under the board wall stood more than a thousand Song soldiers on night watch, holding spears and crossbows, very alert.
The observation tower equipped with a huge wooden wheel has been moved to the east. Chen Qing quickly climbed onto the observation tower. Yang Yuanqing stepped forward and said: "The situation is not good. The board wall can no longer support it."
Chen Qing stepped forward and looked outside the camp. He saw thirty or forty large trebuchets lined up dozens of steps away. They were very crudely made. Several of them were damaged before being launched and fell to the ground.
At this time, more than thirty trebuchets were launched at the same time, slamming dozens of large rocks on the high wall, making a series of dull sounds, like thunder rolling past the clouds.
It turned out that what he heard was not one heavy blow, but the chorus of dozens of blows.
"Boom!"
A section of the board wall finally failed to hold up and collapsed suddenly.
The soldiers standing below retreated one after another. The collapsed wall was about 20 feet wide. It collapsed as a whole rather than due to fracture. The base below was also crushed.
Chen Qing's eyes narrowed, and he discovered that there were dense figures of people in the darkness behind the thousands of torches.
"Not good! The enemy is about to attack!"
Chen Qing immediately ordered, "Sound the alarm!"
"Dang! Dang! Dang!"
The rapid and harsh bell rang in the camp, and thousands of soldiers woke up from their sleep. They all slept with their armor on, their weapons beside them. As soon as the alarm bell rang, the soldiers jumped up, picked up their weapons, and
Run towards the outside of the big tent.
Thousands of troops were rapidly gathering, and the Jin soldiers below also started to move. Thousands of Jurchen soldiers carried more than a dozen ladders and rushed towards the collapse. The trebuchets were still smashing the wall, but the war had already begun.
Chen Qing was unusually calm. At this critical moment, he issued three orders:
First, the fire on the other side of the slope cannot be stopped, requiring Wang Duo to closely monitor the situation below the slope, and the five hundred divine arm crossbow soldiers cannot evacuate.
Second, immediately dismantle all large tents to protect the war horses from being disturbed by the war.
Third, invest 200 ten-man troops, with Yang Zaixing and Zheng Ping each leading 100 troops, Yang Yuanqing leading 500 cavalry as support, and Liu Cui leading 1,000 spear troops as backup.
