The next day, Shi Tianze began to attack Diaoyu City.
His style of play is different from Wang Dechen.
Wang Dechen fought fiercely and urgently, always trying to find a way to break through the gate of Diaoyu City in order to break through one point and break the surface.
Shi Tianze, on the other hand, was steady and slow, tending to destroy the defense of Diaoyu City, find ways to destroy the morale of the defenders, and burn down the food and grass in the city.
His main attack direction was Zhenximen, which has the gentlest terrain.
The Mongolian soldiers no longer struggled to carry the ladder up the steep mountain road, but began to carry out large-scale construction on the mountainside and dig out the mountain road.
It doesn't feel like fighting, but like building a city.
But the casualties were not less than before. The Song army's cannons and rocks kept falling, and the Mongolian army suffered no casualties. The wooden planks laid on the rocks were often smashed, and from time to time someone screamed and fell off the mountain ridge.
Shi Tianze also ordered people to pile stones and build a fortress to prevent the Song army from shelling. He sent elite soldiers to go up the mountain at night, pour corpse oil and set fire to the vegetation under the city wall.
If the Song army failed to extinguish the fire with sand and soil in time and the rock wall was burned to a scorching heat, the Mongolian army would carry buckets of water up and pour it down like hard-working ants.
The severely heated rock finally cracked when exposed to water.
This is the method of "burning rocks with fuel".
Shi Tianze not only burned the city walls, but also used this method to dig mountain roads.
For more than ten days, the Mongolian army finally dug out a flat area on the mountainside that could accommodate more than a thousand people, and began to pile up earth and build a fortress further ahead.
Like Foolish Old Man moving mountains, tens of thousands of people camped step by step, slowly approaching Diaoyu City.
Shi Tianze seems to want to set up the artillery cart so that it can be thrown into the Diaoyu City. Not only can it kill the Song army with cannon stones, but it can also throw fireballs to burn down the grain and grass in the city...
However, the casualties were too heavy and the advance was slow.
Meng Ge has begun to send people to urge him.
On October 14, Shi Tianze hurried to Shizishan Camp.
As soon as they entered the main tent, the Qie Xue army commander named "Gu La" had already taken a step forward and spoke directly.
"It has been more than two months since the central army to attack Jinghu Lake. The Great Khan can no longer wait in this Diaoyu City. Do we really need to attack for another ten years by building roads like this?"
The reason why Gu La said this was because not long ago, the Song army threw two large fish weighing more than thirty kilograms and more than 300 pieces of noodles from the Diaoyu City.
He also left a note saying, "If you attack for another ten years, you won't be able to get it."
Many Mongolian generals were angry and anxious because of this, subconsciously fearing that they would have to stay in Sichuan and Shu for a long time.
There is already an impatient atmosphere in the army, and it is obvious that there is no room for Shi Tianze's style of play.
Shi Tianze also felt helpless about this, but fortunately he had already found out about the case.
"Please give me a detailed report from the Great Khan Rongchen. Building a road through the mountains and attacking the west gate of the town is just a superficial offensive."
He stepped forward in two steps, walked in front of the map and started pointing.
"Great Khan, please look here. I have ordered people to quietly dig a secret passage... Diaoyu City will be captured. The war will only take place in ten months."
Fishing City.
Li Xia has been guarding the city with Zhang Jue recently and has benefited a lot.
Zhang Jue and Yi Shiying have many things in common in their military use. They both have clear punishments and rewards and treat their soldiers well. However, Yi Shiying is more rigid in fighting, while Zhang Jue is more flexible and changeable.
Zhang Jue was good at using axes and organized a team of axe-armed troops. Whenever there was an emergency at a city gate, he would lead his axe-armed troops to kill them, often rushing to the front.
He was calm and composed when commanding the battle, which made Li Xia think he was like Zhuge Liang. But once there was a crisis on the battlefield, he would become furious and charge into battle, suddenly becoming Zhang Fei...
In short, this man is wise, brave and courageous. He is really not afraid of death.
The deputy general is like this, and the main general Wang Jian is probably of the same type.
After the Mongolian army retreated that day, Zhang Jue, who had just used an ax to chop a Mongolian soldier who had stormed the city into two pieces, returned to his gentle and elegant appearance.
He liked to talk about the war with Li Xia, and seemed to have the idea of handing over Diaoyu City to Li Xia for guarding in the future.
"It seems that the war will continue for a long time. We are prepared to defend the city for many years, which is the advantage of a long war; but if we wait for the Mongolian army to advance enough to fire artillery into the city, it will be the disadvantage of a long war."
"It is true that there are pros and cons." Li Xia said: "But I think it may not be a long battle. Brother Meng probably won't accept Shi Tianze's slow attack on the city."
"How can I see it?"
"Meng Ge has been besieging the city for more than five months. He is a prodigal. The longer the delay, the more his majesty will be damaged. It is like a strong man fighting with a child but unable to win for a long time."
Zhang Jue nodded, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, and said: "But as long as we don't expose any flaws, Shi Tianze can't even think of a quick victory."
Li Xia nodded and said: "Wang Dechen can't fight with a calm fight like Shi Tianze, but Shi Tianze can fight with a surprise attack like Wang Dechen. I let someone take something, until..."
At this point, someone came over and interrupted their discussion.
Zhao An hurried over, clasped his fists and said, "General Wang has been able to get up and wants to see General Li."
Zhang Jue has been busy defending the city recently and has not been to the city for several days. He was a little surprised when he heard this and asked: "Is General Wang's injury healed?"
Zhao Andao: "It's not fully recovered yet. But the general is anxious, so he stopped caring about military affairs after he stopped bleeding."
"It's like this again." Zhang Jue shook his head and said, "Feiyu, let's go together."
…
When I arrived outside the general's mansion, I saw a general coming out of it.
This man was wearing armor, tall and strong, with a dark complexion... When he got closer, he discovered that it was Luo Wangshan's wife Aji.
"sister in law?"
Zhang Jue was quite surprised. Looking at Aji's outfit, he couldn't help but said: "What are you doing?"
Aji had a white cloth tied on her forehead and was still mourning Luo Wangshan. But she was also wearing a helmet outside the white cloth, as if she had inherited Luo Wangshan's duty to protect the villagers.
"General Zhang." She cupped her fists towards Zhang Jue, then turned to Li Xia and saluted again, saying, "My benefactor."
This "benefactor" was due to a sneak attack by the Mongolian army that night. If Li Xia had not arrived with reinforcements, the defenders of Diaoyu City could only defend the inner city and could not recapture the Majun stronghold. The soldiers and civilians in the stronghold would probably have perished.
There was a small incident at that time. The tribesmen who were carrying A Ji and his two children to escape were hit by stray arrows and had no time to enter the inner city. It was only because of the reinforcements that the two children survived.
Li Xia quickly said that he did not take it seriously. He only said that the ability to hold the stronghold was the result of the bloody battle between the soldiers and the people.
After expressing his gratitude, Aji turned to Zhang Jue and said: "The big guys in the village recommend me to be the leader of the village. From now on, I will guard the Majun Village."
"General Wang agrees?"
"Even though I am a woman, I can still kill enemies." Aji said: "I killed five Tatars that night!"
Although her tone was sonorous, she was still a little uneasy in front of Zhang Jue.
Today she put on her late husband's armor and came out, asking Wang Jian to let her lead the soldiers to defend the city.
Wang Jian did not agree.
Not only because she is a woman, but because Wang Jian and Luo Wangshan have been friends for many years, they cannot watch their old friends leave while their widow goes to war. If something unexpected happens, their children will have no one to take care of them.
At this time, Zhang Jue only saw that Aji did not answer directly, and then he understood Wang Jian's reply.
"Sister-in-law, please go home to mourn Brother Luo, and leave the war to the men. As for the choice of village leader..."
"It's not that I want to be the leader, it's the big guys who want me to be the leader of the village."
Aji's husband died at a very emotional time.
But a simple mountain woman couldn't explain the reason clearly, so she could only shout: "In the past, Yu Shuai and the two Mr. Ran surrounded Ma Junzhai to Diaoyu City, saying that it would be more peaceful. Now my man is dead. ...When you and General Wang leave, who will be in charge of the village?!"
It's a long story. Back then, Yu Jie asked brothers Ran Jing and Ran Pu to build the city and persuaded Ma Junzhai. But Yu Jie passed away, and brothers Ran Jing and Ran Pu resigned and returned to their hometown.
After this incident, the villagers of Majunzhai no longer trusted the imperial court, and they relied entirely on the friendship between Luo Wangshan and Wang Jian to maintain their relationship over the years.
Under the current situation, Majun Village is not willing to let the court interfere in the selection of their village master. The Tujia people also have Tujia customs.
"Sister-in-law, please rest assured. General Wang and I will definitely discuss this matter." Zhang Jue said: "It is best to move the village into the city, and then we will send troops to guard Qisheng Gate..."
Aji was in a hurry, but didn't know what to do, so he walked away. Before leaving, he said something to Li Xia.
"My benefactor is free. Come to the village. I want to thank you again."
…
In the general's mansion, Wang Jian was pacing slowly.
His injury has not healed, and in the slightly cool weather, his forehead is covered with sweat. I don't know whether it is from heat or pain.
"Jun Yu, Feiyu is here."
"General, have you just met Luo's sister-in-law?" Zhang Jue asked.
"That's right." Wang Jian muttered: "It's not appropriate for Qisheng Gate to be defended only by rural soldiers. The troops in the remote city are not enough to guard the eight gates."
"Then we can't let the daughter-in-law lead the local soldiers to fight."
"Well, the casualties in Majunzhai are heavy enough." Wang Jian said, "Fortunately, I have ordered people to blow up the mountain road under Qishengmen, and there is no offensive in the northwest. I will consider this matter again."
Zhang Jue nodded.
Qishengmen is very dangerous. Wang Dechen's previous night attack failed, so the Mongolian army will not make another sneak attack in the short term.
The two guards talked about this matter, and then they talked about the battle at Zhenxi Gate.
But Li Xia suddenly interrupted and talked about what he had not finished talking about on the city wall just now...
"How about I appoint Madam Luo to guard the Qisheng Gate?"