The soldiers of the Xixia Army outside the city also launched a counterattack with bows and arrows into the city. An overwhelming barrage of arrows was shot into the city. The soldiers of the Song Army in the city were shot down one after another.
Chen Qing immediately ordered: "Move the bow and arrow array to the top of the city!"
After the order was passed on, two soldiers with bows and arrows lined up and rushed towards the city. The several-mile-long city wall was enough to accommodate thousands of soldiers. Their positions were at the end of the city. They squatted with their backs against the wall of the Female City, and they shot arrows down the city together.
Arrows fell like raindrops, and the soldiers outside the city had no way to hide, resulting in extremely heavy casualties.
But the most brutal battle was the fierce battle on the siege ladder. The Xixia soldiers desperately attacked upwards, and the soldiers on the top of the city stabbed them with shields and spears. The Xixia soldiers screamed and fell into the city one after another, but one person who fell into the city was immediately replaced by another person.
The soldiers of the Song Army also suffered constant casualties. The injured soldiers retreated and were immediately carried down to the city for treatment by civilians. At the same time, another soldier stepped on him.
Twenty Song Army sharp archers were also deployed on each horse-facing wall, coupled with twenty powerful assistants to load and string arrows. The archers specifically hunted the Xixia generals and Xixia generals on the siege ladder from the side.
A strong person can be killed with one arrow, with incomparable accuracy.
They are not many in number, but they play a huge role, which can greatly reduce the enemy's offensive efficiency. Without the command of their generals, the enemy will often kill indiscriminately.
An hour gradually passed, but the city had not yet been taken. The Xixia soldiers suffered more and more casualties, especially when the soldiers were shot by poison nails and the poison began to take effect. They became dizzy and couldn't even walk.
Cao Baozong's confidence was losing little by little, and he finally began to doubt that if there were only five or six thousand soldiers in the city, it would be impossible to have such a resistance.
'Could it be that Chen Qing has already led his army into the city?'
A thought came together in his mind, but he was immediately denied by himself. It was impossible! The spies' information was not wrong, and at this time, the Wei River had not completely thawed, and the moat was still covered with ice. Generally, it would be a little warmer before setting off, especially if he didn't.
The scouts reported that they had discovered the enemy's main force.
Tuoba Chengqing whispered again: "We have been paying attention to Chen Qing's main force, but have ignored the west. I think it should be the Song army from Lintao Prefecture and Hezhou."
One sentence reminded Cao Baozong, it should be, why did he forget the Song army in Lintao Prefecture and Hezhou?
But what to do now?
The city could not be captured, but there were heavy casualties. However, if he retreated, Cao Baozong felt really unwilling to do so.
At this moment, Chen Qing also felt that the time was ripe to harvest the enemy troops. The city walls were crowded with Xixia soldiers attacking the city. Most of the soldiers were concentrated under the city walls to avoid the arrows fired from the top of the city.
He immediately ordered: "Stop shooting arrows and use kerosene to attack!"
Chen Qing gave an order, and five thousand soldiers from Beicheng and Dongcheng each raised their kerosene barrels and threw them towards the city. The barrels shattered and a large amount of kerosene poured out. Countless torches and haystacks were thrown down, and the fire burned rapidly.
In an instant, it swallowed up the Xixia soldiers within twenty feet.
Countless Xixia soldiers became flaming figures, screaming, crying, struggling to escape, and finally fell into the flames.
This time the Song army spent a lot of money, taking out half of the fierce fire oil inventory, and used 20,000 barrels of fierce fire oil to harvest the enemy's effective troops.
Immediately afterwards, the second round of 10,000 barrels of kerosene was thrown, and the spread was farther. The Song army dropped hundreds more barrels of gunpowder, which immediately exploded. With a bang and flames, many running Xixia soldiers were instantly killed.
The Song soldiers at the top of the city also evaded, and the haystacks at the top of the city were also set on fire. The Song soldiers at the top of the city hurriedly threw all the haystacks into the city.
Cao Baozong was so shocked that he was stunned. This was a horrific scene he had never seen before. The entire city turned into a sea of fire, and the screams and wails of soldiers could be heard from such a distance. It was simply a purgatory on earth.
"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!" The retreating bell rang.
Before Cao Baozong even issued the order, Tuoba Chengqing impatiently rang the withdrawal bell.
In fact, there is no point in ringing the bell or not. Countless soldiers are returning from fleeing for their lives, but the city where the soldiers gather most has become a hell on earth.
Cao Baozong returned to the military camp in despair, hiding in the tent and refusing to see anyone. Then deputy general Tuoba Chengqing came in and said, "General, the head count has been completed."
"How many escaped?" Cao Baozong asked in a hoarse voice.
"There are 17,000 people, and more than 3,000 of them are injured."
Cao Baozong almost spat out a mouthful of blood, and twenty-three thousand people were killed in one battle. It was simply terrible. How could this happen?
Cao Baozong was so painful that he wanted to hit his head against the wall.
"General, there is another news!"
"What?"
Tuoba Chengqing hesitated and said, "Some soldiers who escaped said that Chen Qing might be commanding the battle at the top of the city."
"Ah!" Cao Baozong was completely shocked.
After capturing Tongxi City, the Song army transferred all grain and grass supplies to Tongxi Fort.
Soon, Yang Zaixing stared at Xinxia City again.
Xinxia City is not so much a castle as a board-walled military camp. The city walls are made of rammed earth and wood. It was impossible to build a masonry city wall in just two months.
In fact, many cities in the Western Regions and grasslands are made of rammed earth. Xinxia City is very thick and can barely be regarded as a military city, but this kind of city wall will collapse in a few years.
Xinxia City is relatively small, with a circumference of only eight miles. There are 2,000 garrison troops inside, which mainly store food. They previously stored 100,000 shi of food, but now half of it is left.
In the afternoon, in the woods more than ten miles north of Xinxia City, nine thousand cavalry were resting, and Yang Zaixing was discussing with Liu Qiong how to attack Xinxia City.
The city wall of Xinxia City is one foot thick. It is impossible to break it open with a wooden door like Tongxi County. The gate is also made of heavy wooden door, but it is much thinner than the city wall. Bumping the gate is one way.
However, Liu Qiong discovered another shortcoming of Xinxia City, that is, the city wall is not high, probably less than two feet. It is made of rammed earth, so it cannot be built high and it will collapse easily.
Less than two feet, wouldn't it be easy to get to the city?
"It's inappropriate to attack the city gate!"
Liu Qiong pondered for a moment and said: "The other side is a mud wall. How to fix the city gate is a big problem. It seems easy to break open, but maybe it's just the opposite."
Yang Zaixing smiled and said: "It's not difficult to fix the city gate. As long as two thick pieces of wood are buried deep in the ground, the city gate can be fixed on these two pieces of wood. But the problem is not here. The problem is the enemy defenders.
Basically, they are concentrated on both sides of the city gate. If we attack the city gate, we will cause some unnecessary casualties."
Having said this, Yang Zaixing added: "I'm not saying that there can't be casualties in a war, that's impossible, but it's best to avoid unnecessary casualties as much as possible."
Liu Qiong nodded, "General Yang is right, and if I were the enemy general, I would definitely build a second defensive wall with thick mud bags behind the city gate, so that the Song army could break through the city gate.
It makes no sense, I think it would be easier to attack the city, or attack the city at night, making the Xixia army unable to defend itself."
Yang Zaixing and Liu Qiong have reached a consensus to give up attacking the city gate and attack the enemy's city wall instead.
Yang Zaixing said excitedly: "The enemy's strength is only 2,000. The maximum number of patrols at night is 1,000, and the main force is concentrated at the city gate. So there are only more than 100 patrols on the east city. Let's go up first with 300 people and occupy a city head.
, the army from behind will be able to kill them continuously."
Speaking of this, Yang Zaixing smiled and said: "I'll lead the three hundred elites to the city!"
"It should be my turn this time!"
Liu Qiong's eyes widened. Although he was only a deputy general, he refused to give in this time. Every time Yang Zaixing got the chance to take the lead, it seemed that he had never gotten such an opportunity.
The two argued for a long time, but neither of them gave in. Yang Zaixing could only say angrily: "Then we will use the old method and decide by drawing lots. Two branches, one long and one short, the longer one will go to the city."
Yang Zaixing got up and broke off two branches from a small tree not far away. He opened his palm and showed it to Liu Qiong, "That's right! One is long and the other is short."
Yang Zaixing immediately turned his back, pinched the lower part of the branch, raised it in front of Liu Qiong and said with a smile: "You go ahead! The longer one is yours."
Liu Qiong looked at it for a while and then pulled out one on the left. He was shocked to see that it was a short branch. He was so angry that he threw the branches to the ground and trampled them into pieces.
Yang Zaixing laughed loudly, "You did it yourself. You can't blame me. It's in my hand. I didn't cheat."
Yang Zaixing showed the long branch to Liu Qiong, but quickly stuffed a short branch into his sleeve with his left hand.
"Okay! You go to the city, I will cover you." Liu Qiong had no choice but to say