The Jin soldiers attacked all night, and the entire Guancheng was filled with thick smoke. The soldiers covered their mouths and noses with cloths dipped in water, and fought against the flames under the command of general Chen Qing.
This was Wanyan Wulu's plan to use fire attacks, forcing the Song army to use up precious water sources in a panic. Without drinking water, the Song army could only abandon the pass and retreat south. They could occupy Jianxiao Pass without spending a single soldier.
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It's a pity that Wanyan Wulu met Chen Qing, who had 800 years more experience than ordinary Song generals. He didn't use precious water to extinguish the fire at all, but used sand and soil. This was the ultimate trick to deal with oil fires.
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Luo Gan led eighty soldiers to continuously bury the kerosene in the warehouse compound with soil. From the initial chaos, they gradually cooperated with each other tacitly. Some people shoveled the soil, some carried the burden, and some buried them, each performing their duties...
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The most worrying warehouse did not suffer any damage. The barracks were half burned and all materials were evacuated southward in time. The entire city wall was smoked black by fireworks and covered with a layer of black ash. The ground inside the city was also the same, as were the beams of more than a dozen barracks.
It was burned down and collapsed, leaving only ruins.
More than a hundred rolling logs that were not moved away in time were burned into charcoal. The city tower was completely burned and turned into a white field. Even the suspension bridge was burned into charcoal. It could not bear the weight and broke suddenly, leaving only half of it.
The suspension bridge hangs on the city wall, like a door curtain, just blocking the city gate.
The soldiers were all covered in soot, their faces and bodies were completely black, except for their eyes, which were white. However, thanks to the experience of the general Chen Qing and the effective command of the generals, no soldier was injured or killed, even the injured soldiers.
It was also moved to the open space to the south in time.
A drizzle began to fall in the early morning, which was the spring water that revived all things. The soldiers raised their heads and enjoyed the moisture of the spring water, letting the drizzle wash away the stains on their bodies. The fine spring rain extinguished the fear that grew in everyone's heart.
"Commander!"
Du Min, a frail scholar, found Chen Qing with a roll of paper.
He was busy writing letters to the soldiers, but as he continued to write, the letters home became the last words left by the soldiers to their families. These plain but touching letters home made Du Min fully understand what it meant.
Feelings of family and country.
"Mr. Du, what's wrong?" Chen Qingying stepped forward and asked.
"I found this when I was transferring paperwork last night. I think it's quite important."
Chen Qing took the paper and opened it, and it turned out to be a map of Guancheng. Although it was very simple, it mapped out all the places they couldn't see.
"This is........"
Chen Qing pointed to a thin line hanging down from the top of the mountain, with a semicircular hole at the bottom. "This is the source of mountain spring water." Chen Qing recognized the thin line.
"Commander, look at this line again!" Zheng Ping pointed to another thin line on the top of the mountain.
This thin line made a big bend, and finally extended down from the top of the mountain and fell into a canyon. There was a sign below, 'The canyon is a line of sky, about five miles south of the city, where the general's monument is broken.'
Chen Qing's eyes became serious. If he read correctly, this should be a trail that could go around the south of the city. This was the north-south pincer attack they were most worried about.
Yang Yuanqing also nodded, "It should be a secret passage through the mountains, leading to a very narrow canyon. The exit is next to the general's broken monument!"
"Commander, let me take the brothers there!" Zheng Ping stepped forward to ask for help.
Zheng Ping had a flexible mind, and he suggested that it would be more appropriate to deal with such emergencies. Chen Qing readily agreed, "Take fifty brothers and bring more crossbows and arrows."
"The commander gave me two more barrels of kerosene to drive me into a hurry. Burn the hell out of me."
Chen Qing nodded and said with a smile: "Take away the caltrops and a few kilograms of arsenic. It's up to you!"
Zheng Ping left with fifty soldiers and a dozen horses, carrying a large amount of arrows and supplies.
At this moment, a low horn sound came from the north again, ‘Woo——’
The enemy fruit pickers are coming!
...........
Wanyan Wulu personally led three thousand cavalry to the foot of Guancheng.
Guancheng has been burned to ashes, and the bridge has also been burned into two pieces. It hangs in front of the city gate in an extremely unsightly manner, and the city tower has also disappeared.
However, the Song Army's battle flag still stood on top of the city, and soldiers were densely packed in front of the battlements.
Wanyan Wulu actually felt very unhappy. The city was still standing, the soldiers were still in high spirits, and their helmets were bright. Nothing had changed at all!
Commander Wanyan Chimu whispered: "Perhaps the other party is pretending to show us. I think that after last night's fire, their water has been almost consumed."
Wanyan Wulu nodded. Wanyan Chimu's words touched his heart. The fire burned the city last night. Will the other party just watch the warehouse being burned down? Impossible, they will definitely get water to put out the fire.
Despite this judgment, Wanyan Wulu also knew that they had delayed for too long and the battle to attack Monk Yuan should have already broken out.
In fact, he didn't care whether Monk Yuan won or lost, but this group of Song troops was annoying. More than a thousand people blocked his 30,000 troops, which really made his face dull.
Wanyan Wulu immediately said to Han Chang: "I will give you forty more siege ladders. You must capture Guancheng before dark!"
...........
In Wujia Town, about fifty miles south of Jianxiao Pass, a Song army of 2,000 men was marching rapidly north. The leader was Commander Yang Zheng, and all of them controlled Wu Gao's confidants. They went to support Jianxiao on Wu Jie's orders.
close.
Although his military position was higher than that of Chen Qing, Chen Qing was the defense envoy at Jianxiao Pass. Yang Zheng could not dominate the position, but could at best assist Chen Qing in defending the city. Wu Jie had repeatedly warned him before setting off.
They had just passed Wujia Town for less than two miles when dust suddenly flew up behind them and horses' hooves roared.
"General Yang, we are Jurchen cavalry!" A scout ran up and shouted.
Yang Zheng's expression changed and he asked anxiously: "How many people are there?"
"About five hundred cavalry!"
Five hundred cavalry is not too much and can be used in a battle.
Yang Zheng immediately ordered: "The whole army is in formation, ready to fight!"
Two thousand soldiers of the Song army quickly formed an array. At this time, the Jurchen cavalry also stopped running a mile away. The dust dispersed, revealing their dignity.
Coincidentally, this Jurchen cavalry also rushed to Jianzhen Pass to inquire about the situation. The Jin soldiers from the west route had not yet arrived, and Wan Yan did not stand a little anxious, so he sent a captain with 500 cavalry to Jianzhen Pass to check.
Condition.
Half an hour ago, this Jurchen cavalry heard that there was a Song army team ahead. They chased it slowly and finally caught up with it in Wujia Town.
Captain Wanyan Ligui squinted at the Song soldiers on the opposite side. The opposing army was not large in number and was still infantry.
He waved his sword and shouted: "Kill them all and take credit for their heads!"
Five hundred Jurchen cavalry were armed with spears and bows. They suddenly launched into action. The cavalry galloped forward and shot arrows at the opponent's formation.
............
In the canyon, Zheng Ping led fifty brothers to find the General's Monument about five miles away from the military city. This was originally a monument erected to commemorate the victory of General Xue Wanjun in the early Tang Dynasty when he led his army to pacify Liangshidu. It was also called General Xue's Monument.
However, after the wars of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, only a small half of the general stele remained. There was a wooden pavilion before, but the wooden pavilion was also set on fire by the Jin soldiers, leaving only a ruined wall.
It's still easier to find. When Zheng Ping found the General's Monument, he also discovered the Skyline Canyon. It's called Beiting Valley. It's about several miles deep. At its widest point, three people can walk side by side, but at its narrowest point, only one person can walk.
It is a line in the sky.
As soon as Zheng Ping led his army to the entrance of the valley, he heard someone shouting in the canyon, "There is a light ahead, it should be the exit!"
Zheng Ping was taken aback and ordered urgently: "Get your crossbows ready!"
The soldiers didn't care to clean up. They took off their crossbows and loaded arrows. They squatted in several rows and aimed their cold crossbow arrows into the narrow valley.
The light in the valley was dim and it was difficult to see what was going on in the depths. After a while, footsteps were heard and several puppet soldiers appeared.
"Shoot in the first row!" Zheng Ping ordered calmly.
Five crossbow arrows were fired from the first row, and the leading soldier inside saw the Song army at the mouth of the valley. He screamed in fright, which then turned into screams and fell down.
The three soldiers behind them turned around and ran, but before they could take a few steps, more than a dozen crossbow arrows were fired, and they were all hit by arrows and fell down.
"There is an ambush from the Song Army ahead!"
Someone shouted in the valley, and then there were rapid footsteps running inside. There were about four or five people. Their footsteps gradually became silent. They must have run away. It seemed that they were a team of scouts responsible for the front line.
"Xiao Yi, hurry up and boil the poison!"
Zheng Ping gave the order, rushed in, and soon dragged out an injured enemy soldier from inside.