Chapter 25 Killing the Enemy (Additional update for leader Lao Li)
On the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of Qianfu's reign, in Zhalu's military city, the red flag was fluttered by the wind but was frozen.
Yesterday was the last time the German troops left the city. They destroyed a small forest a few miles away from the city. Some of it was chopped into firewood and transported back to the city. The rest was set on fire and burned, along with the large tracts of grass and shrubs around it.
Burn it, lest it be left behind to aid the enemy.
To attack a city, of course, you need siege equipment. The Datong Army of Li Guochang and his son is a complete system, with all kinds of talents gathered together, including combat soldiers, auxiliary troops, and a management army with craftsman camps. Of course, their supply camps have preparations for battle.
The ability to build siege equipment requires a lot of wood. The Tiande army cleared the nearby woods. First, it prevented the enemy from ambushing the troops. Second, it prevented them from obtaining wood nearby, which increased their time to build equipment.
and cost.
In addition, there were originally a lot of people living in the Caochengchuan area, and there was a mix of Hu and Han people. The Tiande army had "swept" them before and requisitioned a lot of grain, grass, cattle, sheep and horses. They had also had a crop of wool cut by the Datong rebels before.
No matter how stupid you were, you knew you couldn't stay for long, so you ran away without a trace, either went to the mountains to hide, or went south to Lan and Shi Erzhou to take refuge. The Li family and his son must have nothing to plunder when they come back, and they must be very stupid.
It hurts.
Time passed like this day by day. On the eighth day of December, the Datong rebels arrived as expected. The vanguard was a mixed infantry and cavalry unit that displayed the banner with the word "Li". I don't know their names. After all,
There were also too many people with the surname Li in the Tang Dynasty. Judging from the observation on the top of the city, the enemy army probably had more than 2,000 infantry and 700 to 800 cavalry. The total number was only 3,000, which was almost a more appropriate number for a forward force.
As a confidant of the supervisory army, Shao Shude was of course "lucky" to go to the city and defeat the enemy. He secretly used the estimation method obtained from others to estimate the number of enemy troops, and finally concluded that the infantry was more than 3,000 and the cavalry was about 1,000.
.There is a slight gap with the estimated figures of several veteran scouts, but it is normal. After all, I have not studied for long, so this level is considered good.
After the enemy's vanguard arrived at the gates of the Chalu Army, they sent two cavalrymen to call for formation. The words were not fierce, but the general idea was to identify themselves, show off their martial arts, and ask the Tiande army to surrender quickly. Li Zhenwu (Li Guochang) and his son would definitely ignore it.
Past suspicions can lead to "collaboration in big things."
“Who can kill this thief for me?” Hao Zhenwei asked angrily, looking at the two rebel cavalry showing off their power under the city.
Shao Shude pulled out a heavy arrow from the quiver and was about to reply when he heard a soldier beside Hao Zhenwei shout: "I'm coming!"
I saw this man take off the long arrow, string it up, lower his waist, draw the bow, and aim. The movements were all done in one go, full of rhythmic beauty. "Whoosh", the arrow flew away from the string and grazed the helmet on the head of a knight.
, submerged hard into the frozen soil.
Everyone at the top of the city let out a sigh, regretting the missed arrow. The knights below the city were frightened, and while shouting curses, they turned their horses around. Shao Shude didn't wait for them to go far, raised his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot a heavy arrow.
He flew away in the air, carrying a huge force, and shot a knight off his horse.
The knight had iron armor on his body, so he was not seriously injured, but the insult was extremely strong. He staggered up from the ground, and unexpectedly two armor-piercing arrows came one after another. One arrow shot off his helmet, and the other hit him.
He was hit in the back of his thigh and was bleeding profusely. The other person did not dare to save him, so he just hit his horse and ran away, leaving his comrade on the spot.
After seeing the rebel group in the distance, there was a sudden commotion. The cavalry who fled back was grabbed by the officer, and then several people came forward, tied him up, and beheaded him in front of the formation. He abandoned his robe and ran away, regardless of whether he let go.
It's not a glorious thing to be on either side, not to mention this is in front of the battle, which will affect morale.
Shao Shude was also a little amazed at the strict discipline of the rebels, but he was not slow and added another arrow, completely killing the injured enemy rider. Then he put down his bow and said to Qiu Weidao and Hao Zhenwei:
"General, supervisor of the army, fortunately he has lived up to his command!"
“Good! Good! Vice General Shao is so brave. I am extremely pleased and reward you with ten coins!” Qiu Weidao said with a smile, feeling his face light up.
"Vice General Shao's archery skills are indeed superb. I will give you thirty bolts of silk." Hao Zhenwei was also a little happy. Although this guy had refused his invitation before, which made him a little unhappy, but now and then, he shot and killed the enemy in front of the formation.
Boosting our own morale is beneficial to the overall situation, so we should still be rewarded.
“If Vice-General Shao Shude shoots an enemy general, he will be rewarded with ten pieces of gold and thirty bolts of silk!” Soon a messenger went down to the city and spread this order to all the battalions to encourage the soldiers to fight the enemy bravely.
Shao Shude was a little ashamed. What the hell is this! The enemy soldier he shot to death had no recognition flag on his back and was not dressed like a senior officer. He was just a junior colonel. Propaganda is all propaganda!
But you have to admit that Hao Zhenwei's skill was pretty good. Most of the soldiers were inside the city, and they didn't see what happened outside the city. They all said they killed the enemy general, which is true, so
At this moment, everyone's morale improved. In addition, the reward was not low, and the money was very attractive. Ten pieces of money plus thirty bolts of silk were worth more than a deputy general, and it was almost the reward of a tenth general.
, there is no problem at all when I return to my hometown to buy land and marry a wife.
In addition, this kind of publicity is also of great benefit to Shao Shude himself. Fame is also an invisible resource. To use an analogy that may not be appropriate, one day the German army is defeated and the troops are scattered. If Shao Shude encounters a defeat, with the help of
Fame can win over many people on the spot. Sometimes, it is even more effective than money, even though it cannot be seen or touched.
"Qiu Shijun, Li Jinzhong will definitely not be able to attack the city. His morale has recently dropped, and there are only so many people, so he has nothing to worry about today." Hao Zhenwei stroked his beard and said to Qiu Wei: "Why don't you and I go back to the camp to handle military affairs? The city
It’s enough to leave your head to the younger generation.”
Hao Zhenwei's words were a bit pretentious, but he couldn't be wrong. Li Jinzhong—Shao Shude also just learned the name of this rebel vanguard general—had only three thousand cavalry at his disposal, and lacked equipment, so he was unable to fight against the enemy.
The Zhelu Army City poses a threat. They can't even cut off the external communication of the Zhelu Army. The messengers coming out of the city can easily find openings to go to other places, and the rebels cannot stop them at all.
Of course Qiu Weidao also knew this very well. However, he did not have the big heart of a martial artist and was still a little afraid of the main force of the rebels. The Li family claimed that they had an army of 50,000 people. This was of course nonsense, but there were still more than 20,000 people. I heard that last time
After the great victory in Honggu, many Huhan residents in Daibei joined the army, and their military strength expanded again. Even though the Tiande army had about 6,000 people on the side of Zhelu Army City, its composition was complicated, and less than half of them could actually fight. If Li
The father and son tried their best to attack, but it was not so safe.
Of course, he would not say anything in front of the sergeants at this moment. This was not appropriate and might affect morale. Therefore, after nodding with a smile, he and Hao Zhenwei both walked down the tower and walked towards the general's mansion in the city.
Shao Shude, as the deputy general who oversees the army, will of course accompany him. The battle that may break out on top of the city has nothing to do with him, and he cannot get involved. That is a matter for Hao Zhenwei's Yajun generals.
"The rebels are divided into two groups, one going to Daizhou, led by Li Guochang, with heavy defensive troops, and all the way attacking Lan and Shi'erzhou, led by Li Keyong. I just don't know which of the two groups is the main force. It's hateful.
Xin, the imperial troops from generation to generation are not cohesive. Otherwise, if they gather together and take the initiative to attack, they will know where the main force of the rebels is." Walking on the heavily armored street, Qiu Weidao sighed and said: "Hedong, Zhaoyi
, Yicheng, Yiwu, Zhongwu, and the six-town army of Heyang, with tens of thousands of powerful warriors, refused to advance, hesitated, and the battle was like this, every one of them should be beheaded!"
Hao Zhenwei glanced at the indignant eunuchs and felt a little funny in his heart. Apart from wielding power, what else do you eunuchs do? Who can show you such hypocritical pretense? However, he was surprised and despised in his heart, but it did not prevent him from singing praises.
: "The supervisor of the army is worried about state affairs, and he is really a role model for our generation. Over there, things are complicated and difficult to describe. We will be blocked on the road that the rebels must pass south, and there is nothing to say. We can only fight bravely to kill the enemy and serve the purpose.
Imperial Court.”
"General Hao Du is a man who understands righteousness. When I return to Chang'an in the future, when I meet my godfather, I have to give him a good talk. There are so many generals in the North Expedition Camp of this generation, but they are all incompetent people.
"General Hao Du, who defeated the enemy with a majestic battle at Zhonglingshui in front of him, and now has the feat of defending Zheluping as a passage for thieves, shows his loyalty to the court. If such a good general is not used, who else can be used?" Qiu Weidao seemed angry.
said.
Hearing Qiu Weidao mention the word "godfather", Hao Zhenwei's expression suddenly changed, but he soon returned to normal. The Tiande Army was different from other vassal towns. They only had one state and two counties, and they were also located on the border, facing the grassland.
Threat, so they relied heavily on the imperial court. Daily food, wages, and materials needed to be transferred from the imperial court through Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Zhenwu Army and other places. Therefore, to them, the big man in Chang'an was the sky, who could make decisions with a single word.
Their glory, wealth, and even life and death. Since Hao Zhenwei has the intention to make progress, it is normal for him to deliberately make friends with the eunuchs who oversee the army. After all, all fools know who is in charge in Chang'an now.
The two of them chatted and walked, and soon arrived at the general's mansion. Shao Shude took off his bow and arrow and handed it to the sergeant guarding the door, then followed Qiu Weidao and walked in. There were many people working in the mansion, and they basically followed them when they went on an expedition.
He is an aide-de-camp of the Fengzhou shogunate. His rank is not high, but his practical ability is not bad. He helps Hao Zhenwei handle various logistics and civil affairs affairs.
Of course, there were many soldiers in the mansion. Shao Shude even saw the young Yajun officer who had a conflict with him in the warehouse outside the city that day. However, his face was solemn at this time and he was arguing loudly with others. He seemed to be sending people out of the city to defend him.
Li Renjun, the tenth general in the stockade outside the city, sent a message. The stockade and the Zhelu Army City were at odds with each other. As long as the stockade was not broken for a day, the rebels would never be able to attack the city with all their strength and would be in a situation of being flanked.
We are all "veteran" warriors who have been fighting for many years, and have a very deep understanding of the value of the village. It is absolutely impossible to sit back and watch it be breached by the rebels. Therefore, it is very easy to send someone out of the city to contact them and strengthen their determination to defend it.
It's natural.
Shao Shude was too lazy to care about the private quarrels among Hao Zhenwei's direct descendants. He followed the two big shots step by step and soon entered the lobby of the general's mansion.