At dawn, Xia Hu led two thousand Xixia troops to the east gate of Longxi County. About one mile away from the city gate, the Xixia troops shot three gunpowder arrows into the sky. The bright red fire flew into the sky, and in the sky, 'Bang!
'It exploded.
This is a summons to the Xixia Army spies in the city, asking them to seize and open the city gate.
Xia Hu stared at the city gate in the distance. He was a little surprised. It was almost dawn, but the city gate was still tightly closed, which was a bit abnormal.
A general next to him whispered: "It should be that the Qi army suddenly withdrew, which caused tension in the city, so they didn't dare to open the city gate normally!"
Xia Hu nodded, "The mules and horses should be able to see our gunpowder arrows!"
"The current situation is special. They will definitely pay attention to the gunpowder arrows. General, don't worry. It will take time for Li Fuding and others to assemble."
"I know, I will wait patiently for them for half an hour!"
Gunpowder arrows exploded outside the city, and many people in the city noticed it. Hu Yanlei also saw it, and he immediately rushed to the east city head with ninety of his men.
At the same time, Hu Yanlei ordered Dutou Liu Zong to lead ten brothers and 200 Lijiazhuang men to rush to the west city head, and also asked the county lieutenant Wang Ying to lead 200 state soldiers to patrol the city wall.
After Li Qiao personally visited the Wu family and learned about the situation, the county magistrate Wu Shancai finally surrendered to the Song army.
Unexpectedly, just after one night, the Xixia army came to Longxi County.
Hu Yanlei stood on the top of the city and looked at the army a mile away. He initially judged that there were about two thousand people. Wu Shan, the magistrate, was really worried. There were many people's houses on both sides of the official road outside the city, and there were villages and vegetables in the distance.
Land, will the Xixia people massacre the people?
"General Huyan, are they the Xixia army or the Jin soldiers?" Wu Shan asked.
"Look at their black helmets, they must be the Xixia army. I interrogated the Xixia spies and found out that there is indeed a Xixia army of 2,000 men lurking in Gongzhou. The leader is named Xia Baihu."
"Xia Baihu?"
Wu Shan's eyes suddenly widened, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Is it really called Xia Baihu?"
Hu Yanlei heard that his voice was unusual, so he glanced at him and asked, "That's what the Xixia spies said. Is this person scary?"
"More than just terrifying, he was simply a demon. At least tens of thousands of people died at his hands. Hua Zhicai, the magistrate of Longxi County, was tortured and dismembered by him. His wife and daughter were even mutilated by hundreds of his men before the imperial court ordered
Zhong Shizhong led an army of 5,000 people to attack him. The army was destroyed, but Xia Baihu escaped and his whereabouts are unknown. If he were to kill him and enter the city, Longxi County would face a catastrophe."
Speaking of this, Wu Shan's teeth chattered a little.
Hu Yanlei was also a little worried. Longxi County was as dilapidated as Chengji County before. He remembered that there were several big gaps in Chengji County. Hu Yanlei quickly asked: "Is there any damage to the city wall?"
"I think should not be!"
Wu Shan thought for a while, then suddenly remembered something, and his face suddenly turned pale.
"Why, is there a gap?"
Wu Shan said nervously: "There was no gap before, but just a few days ago, the crack at the City God's Temple collapsed inexplicably, and a big gap appeared."
Nothing is inexplicable. Someone must have done it deliberately, most likely a Xixia spy.
Hu Yanlei said to Dutou Wunanshan: "You lead fifty brothers to continue guarding the south gate. I will lead forty brothers to check for gaps."
"I humbly obey orders!"
"I am coming too!"
Wu Shan was worried, so he hurried to the Chenghuang Temple in the north of the city with Hu Yanlei.
The City God's Temple covers an area of about ten acres and is close to the north city wall. The temple is very dilapidated and the large courtyard is overgrown with weeds. This place is usually a haunt for thieves and vagrants.
Hu Yanlei led forty soldiers to the City God's Temple, and immediately saw a shockingly large gap, which was three feet wide, with broken city walls on both sides. The gap was clean, and there was a moat outside. You could get in by putting up a wooden board.
.
If I had known there was this gap, why would I have needed a pass yesterday? I went straight into the city with my weapons.
The question is how to solve the current gap?
If it was done by Xixia spies, Xia Baihu would most likely know about it.
Hu Yanlei immediately said to Wu Shan: "You immediately mobilize the people and fill the city wall with soil in sacks!"
"I'll go right away!"
Wu Shanzheng didn't know what to do. When Hu Yanlei pointed him in the direction, he immediately ran away in panic.
Without Wu Shan's mobilization, hundreds of people around him spontaneously came to help the Song army. They directly demolished the City God's Temple, pulled out large pieces of foundation stones, and stacked them in the vacant places. They even moved clay statues and stacked them in the gaps.
At this time, a steady stream of people arrived under the mobilization of the county government. It was heard that Xia Baihu, the ruthless bandit of ten years, was back. Panic began in the city. People of all ages, men, women and children came to help, loading soil and carrying mud bags.
, build a circle around the gap in the city wall
Xia Hu was already impatient. He turned around and asked the messenger: "Did anything happen to the spies in the city?"
The messenger was a spy sent by Li Fuding to inform Xia Baihu the day before yesterday. He quickly said: "We have been lurking for two years and nothing has happened. We should be fine!"
"Then it's been more than half an hour, why is there no movement at all?"
"I don't even know if I am a humble official. Logically, I should have taken down the city gate a long time ago. I wonder what happened inside the city?"
"Besides the city gate, is there any other way to enter the city? Or which side of the city wall is worn out and can I climb to the top of the city?"
"There is a big gap in the north of the city near the Chenghuang Temple. General Li led everyone to open it at night."
Xia Hu was so angry that he slapped him hard, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
The messenger covered his face and said aggrievedly: "Isn't the general waiting for General Li to open the city gate?"
"idiot!"
Xia Hu cursed loudly and ordered: "Change to the north of the city!"
He led two thousand soldiers and rushed to the north of the city.
Wu Nanshan, the scout at the top of the city, saw the other party running towards the north of the city, so he also led fifty of his men and ran towards the north along the city wall.
In just a moment, Xia Hu saw a three-foot-wide gap. Countless sandbags, stone statues and other messy things were piled up in the gap. The other party was also trying their best to plug this gap.
No matter how you plug the loopholes, they are still loopholes, which are much easier to attack than the city wall. Just drag out these messy things and throw them into the moat.
Xia Hu immediately ordered: "Find some long wooden boards!"
A group of soldiers immediately ran towards a village several miles away.
Xia Hu immediately ordered: "Fire the arrow into the gap!"
Two thousand Xixia soldiers fired arrows into the gap together. The arrows were like rain. Dozens of people in the city fell down after being hit by arrows. Others were so frightened that they lay on the ground and did not dare to move!
Hu Yanlei shouted, "The Xixia people are coming, everyone should stay away!"
At this time, Wu Nanshan led his men on the top of the city to fire arrows at the Xixia people. The Xixia people were caught off guard and the arrow formation temporarily stopped.
Seizing this opportunity, Hu Yanlei and his men quickly carried the bodies of the dead people outside, and the injured people also fled for treatment.
Hu Yanlei said to the county captain Ma Wucai: "Leave a hundred state soldiers to guard the two city gates. Everyone else rushes to the top of the gap to shoot arrows. Call the villagers of the Li family over, and go quickly!"
Ma Wucai got on his horse and ran towards the west gate.
At this time, the Xixia soldiers' arrows rained into the city again. Hu Yanlei led his men and rushed forward with shields and spears.
Bags of mud and sand were still being transported continuously, and the people did not dare to approach the gap. They just built a semicircular wall of mud bags around the gap, which was a foot high.
At this time, two hundred villagers from the Li family arrived. They fired arrows at the Xixia soldiers on the left city wall. One hundred state soldiers also arrived. They used bows and arrows to shoot arrows at the right city wall.
Wu Nanshan ran down to the city with fifty of his men and came to join Hu Yanlei.
At the same time, Xixia soldiers also brought two ladders and dozens of wooden planks from the village. One ladder was placed on the moat, and the wooden planks were laid on it to form a natural temporary bridge.
More than 1,800 Xixia soldiers held up their shields, rushed across the moat, and began to attack the gap crazily.