"From now on, all troops and horses will be concentrated within a ten-mile radius, and the outer positions will be given to the officers and soldiers. We will fight to the death with the officers and soldiers in the ten-mile hinterland." Ai Keqi pulled out his sword, his eyes sharp, and none of the leaders raised a voice to object.
Ai Keqi made up his mind to fight for his life, and others could only obey. On the morning of the tenth day of March, the peasant army soldiers began to shrink into the hinterland of the hills and gave way to the outer valley roads. From the Eastern Command Post, Cao Bianjiao also rushed to the eastern front line of Yezhuping from Shanyang.
Qin Liangyu, Geng Zhongming, and Liu Yingyu all arrived. Cao Bianjiao first expressed his opinion, "Now that the Jiahe area is under our control, the rebels have lost the chance to escape eastward. They are still shrinking their troops at this time. It seems that they are
We need to concentrate our forces to fight us to the death. Cao suggested to let go of the southern part of the hills, attack from the east, west, north and west, and use a step-by-step approach to avoid giving the rebels a chance to counterattack.
It’s obviously not worth exchanging lives with thieves.”
"Well, Qin agrees with General Cao. Most of the outer areas of Yezhuping are flat areas. Even if the thieves escape, they cannot escape from the hands of the cavalry. Judging from the previous battles, our first task is to capture the northern part.
Commanding heights, as long as you have these commanding heights, you can have an overview of the overall situation and better understand the deployment of the rebels."
What Cao Bianjiao and Qin Liangyu said was already very complete. Geng Zhongming and Liu Yingyu added a little more, and the rough attack plan was finalized. At the beginning of the next day, the golden sunshine shone on the Yezhuping hills, and the rolling high slopes were like
Five thousand elite troops led by Qin Liangyu rushed straight into the center of the north. The goal of Qin Liangyu's troops was very clear. They didn't care whether there were peasant ambushes on the valley roads on both sides. They kept attacking, aiming directly at the highest point of Yezhuping.
Highland No. 8. The terrain of Highland No. 8 is so high that if you occupy this place and take advantage of the telescope, most of the northeastern part of the hills will be clearly visible, and the troop deployment of the peasant army can no longer be hidden.
This attack was completely different from the past. The soldiers in the front held their shields high, and the attack was mainly carried out by musketeers and crossbowmen. In order to deal with the wild boar flat, a large number of muskets were prepared. Since the peasant army automatically gave up the outer positions, it started very smoothly.
But when they were within one mile of Highland No. 8, the peasant army's blockade became extremely fierce. Aikeqi also understood the importance of Highland No. 8, so he concentrated a lot of troops around him. After Qin Liangyu broke through the first round of blockade, both sides of the valley road
A large number of peasant soldiers suddenly appeared on the gentle slope. They held javelins and threw them down with a roar. Many soldiers had no time to escape and were stabbed. Qin Liangyu's face changed drastically, and he waved his sword and shouted, "The shield-hands cover on both sides, everyone behind you."
withdraw."
After a period of chaos, the soldiers adapted to the peasant army's attack method. Shields were used on both sides to cover the ground. Hundreds of pioneer soldiers retreated along the valley road. At the same time, a loud arrow shot into the sky. The peasant army was happy to repulse the attack of the officers and soldiers.
The crowd cheered, but not long after they were happy, their smile turned bitter. Suddenly they could no longer feel the warmth of the sun. There was a shadow under their feet. When they looked up, dense firepower came over them. Bang bang bang, many peasant soldiers were nailed.
They died on the gentle slope. Some people were hiding with round shields. There were constant popping sounds, and the sound of muskets lasted for half a cup of tea. When the gunfire stopped, the peasant army finally raised its head and looked around.
It was full of corpses, and the way the officers and soldiers attacked now was completely different from the previous attacks. They now attacked more fiercely and with more heroic spirit.
As soon as the gunfire stopped, Qin Liangyu ordered Ali to lead the people to charge forward. This time there was little resistance. Most of the peasant army was killed by muskets. Some of the survivors were sparse and could not make a difference. They occupied the high slopes of the valley.
Finally, the musketeers began to follow up, preparing for the next round of coverage attacks.
Under the leadership of Ali, at the last minute, they finally occupied Highland No. 8. The more than 4,000 peasant troops surrounding Highland No. 8 suffered all casualties. At the end of the day's battle, Aikeqi listened to the casualties. When he heard
After seeing the number of casualties, my heart aches. In just one day, so many people were lost. How will we resist in the future?
By this time, many things had been figured out. Before, it was not that the officers and soldiers could not take Yezhuping, but that they hid their tricks and deliberately created that stalemate. As for why they did this, the reason was very simple, because they were afraid that the rebel soldiers would escape.
Now that the retreat is cut off, the officers and soldiers don't have too much to worry about. All kinds of attack methods are coming. The most hateful thing is that they seem to attack fiercely, but they try to avoid close combat. The shield blocks the front. When encountering a difficult resistance,
Just call in the musketeers for fire coverage. After so many years of fighting, when have you ever seen such a crazy attack method?
The officers and soldiers were not worried about running out of ammunition at all. Ai Keqi was filled with a sense of powerlessness. He had finally experienced the gap in strength. The offensive methods of the officers and soldiers were not fancy at all. Every method was obvious, but what could be done?
Strength is sometimes stronger than any conspiracy. The officers and soldiers used tyrannical strength to crush them. Now that the highest point of the hills has fallen, the officers and soldiers will launch a fierce attack in the northeast early tomorrow morning. The brothers who stay there are in danger.
, knowing this, Aikeqi couldn't think of any way to remedy it.
The next day, Geng Zhongming commanded the troops and horses to continue the offensive of the previous day. Not only that, he also used a simple trebuchet to throw a large amount of kerosene into the hinterland of the hills. As the rockets fell, many peasant soldiers in the valley became fire.
People. There is no mercy in war. All means are for victory. Under successive attacks, more than 3,000 peasant troops stationed in the northeast of High Point 8 were successfully wiped out. These poor peasant troops only saw the officers and soldiers.
They didn't even get a chance to fight. On the second night, many peasant army soldiers collapsed. Some of them held their heads and cried. This kind of fighting with no chance of fighting for their lives made them fall into despair.
"No fight... No fight, how can we fight? Today we have only a thousand men and have been stationed at Gaopo for an hour, but we were beaten by the officers and soldiers until even half of them were left. Poor leader Ma Kui
"It's like a sieve when you die." A young peasant soldier pulled his hair, his face covered with muddy tears.
At night, there are cries of peasant soldiers everywhere. They tremble in the face of death, but are they wrong? Who is not afraid of death? Aikeqi sat beside a stone with a lonely expression, looking at the night sky with dull eyes.
Is it really right for him to do this, single-handedly sending tens of thousands of rebel brothers to the point of no return?
Geng Zhongming, a vicious guy, seems to like using fire very much. Today, the brothers saw with their own eyes many familiar people burned into black things by fire. The attacks of the officers and soldiers became more fierce, and many positions were plowed several times by arrows.
Many more people were lost, but Aikeqi did not keep statistics. He was afraid that after hearing the casualty figures, he would not be able to bear it and fainted.
The boring hand reached into his arms, God, the court is unfair, the people are displaced, and their lives are unsustainable. What's wrong with everyone holding high the flag of righteousness and resisting the court? Why should they be punished like this? Can we be considered resigned if our brothers die cleanly?
Many peasant army soldiers lost hope, and the leaders also lost their courage. Although Aikeqi's ruthless methods shocked everyone, some people still had the idea of surrender. They could not continue to fight, and if they continued to fight, everyone would have to
Died in Yezhuping.
Wen Zhongliu was a noble lord from Turov in the east. If you really want to say it, he can be regarded as a die-hard follower of Zhang Xianzhong. From the beginning of the campaign in northern Shaanxi, Wen Zhongliu led his troops and never left him. During the campaign in northern Shaanxi,
In the battle, Wen Zhongliu made great contributions. There had been failures before, but Wen Zhongliu never doubted Zhang Xianzhong's decision. From beginning to end, he believed that Zhang Xianzhong was the only person who could lead the rebel army to success.
However, everything changed dramatically after the influx into Bashu. Zhang Xianzhong seemed to have changed into a different person, and he began to regard human life as nothing. He had several battles with officers and soldiers, with more victories than defeats. The battle at Xiling was even more...
Losing troops and generals.
Was it really right to follow Zhang Xianzhong in the uprising? Now it seems that this decision will send his future to hell.
Wen Zhongliu is an authentic northern Shaanxi man. Since he follows Zhang Xianzhong, he will not change it until death. The battle of Yezhuping lasted for a long time. Wen Zhongliu became more and more confused about his so-called loyalty to the true nature of following Zhang Xianzhong.
Is it necessary? Wen Zhongliu is not an ordinary soldier who does not understand military affairs. He clearly knows the results of stubborn resistance. From the first day of fighting after the fall of Shanyang County, it can be seen that the attacks of the officers and soldiers were as fierce as fire. Their attacks
It's enough to overwhelm everything. If you continue to fight, there is only one way to die.
Wen Zhongliu couldn't sleep, so he lay down in the tunnel and drank some water, then staggered towards the other side. Several peasant army soldiers leaned together and whispered something. When they saw Wen Zhongliu approaching, they quickly stood up and saluted. Wen Zhongliu
Liu waved his hand, indicating that everyone should not be cautious. One of the soldiers, Wen Zhongliu, was very familiar with him and was from his hometown. "Sanma, can you still hold on?"
Facing his lord, the peasant soldier named Sanma nodded, "As long as Leader Ai doesn't leave, we can survive. But...Brother Wen, I heard that after Hequ fell into the hands of the imperial court,
, the officers and soldiers did not massacre, but gathered the people together for centralized management. The officers and soldiers distributed seeds and helped control the plague. The life of the people at home was better than before. I... I don’t know why I still keep fighting with the officers and soldiers.
Brother Wen also said before that we rose up to rebel against the imperial court just for a better life, but now, what are we fighting for?"
Sanma was homesick. As he spoke, hot tears flowed from his eyes and fell on his dry beard. Sanma was not the only one who was homesick. When he talked about it, many peasant soldiers lowered their heads.
Few people who dare to rebel are afraid of death, but no one wants to die meaninglessly. Yesterday's attack by officers and soldiers saw with their own eyes that the firepower covered them like a dragnet, like ruthless fire. If the attack continues like this, there is only one way to die.
Even a fool can understand the situation in front of us. Our side has no chance of winning. If the officers and soldiers are cruel and unruly, they will stop them even if they die, but the officers and soldiers are not cruel. Their cruelty is only aimed at those who resist. A few months ago
A plague swept through the Hequ and Yansui areas, causing countless casualties. However, some businessmen heard about what happened there. The officers and soldiers used thunderous measures to control the spread of the plague. In February this year, many families received seeds.
Some of the hardest-hit areas also had porridge shacks. In contrast, Suide, where officers and soldiers had no control, was completely silent, forming a sharp contrast.
It can be said that the officers and soldiers saved Hequ. Some rebels in northern Shaanxi put down their swords and guns and returned to their hometown, but the court did not pursue them.
Liu Zhong had a wry smile on his face. He couldn't blame these peasant army soldiers. For those ordinary peasant army soldiers, they only saw family and life. They fought for life and definitely not for any long-term ambitions.
During the war, ordinary people only cared about whether they were eating well and wearing warm clothes. They followed Zhang Xianzhong to rebel in order to improve their lives.
But now, they have discovered that officers and soldiers can give them a better life without war. How can they continue to fight for their so-called dream? At this moment, Wen Zhongliu felt relieved. He had persisted for so long, and he was worthy of Zhang Xianzhong. The remaining
The way down should be decided by him. Most of these northern Shaanxi men are farmers. They should not die in this meaningless war.
Wen Zhongliu made a decision. After making the decision, he suddenly felt much more relaxed. Under nightfall, Wenzhongliu found Wu Hao, who was also the leader of the peasant army. "Brother Wu, this war is irreversible. What do you think?"
?”
"Brother Wen, what do you think?" The past few days of fighting have left Wu Hao listless. Due to lack of supplies, he has also lost weight. From the melee in the Central Plains to now, Wu Hao has lost all his pride.
, he was very confused now and didn’t know what to do at all. He felt like a fish and shrimp in the sea, confused until he fell into the shark’s mouth. Wen Zhongliu threw the water bag to Wu Hao and looked at the stars in the sky.
"Brother Wu, I decided to leave. I heard that the officers and soldiers divided the seeds. There is a lack of manpower for farming in my hometown. I have to take those people home. They just want to farm and survive."
Farming, what a ridiculous statement, but Wu Hao couldn't laugh, because his dream was not great. He just wanted to sit in the town and have a good meal. "Do you really want to leave, then I will lead people away too," he said.
This fight is hopeless. But Brother Wen, you have to think clearly. Once you leave, there will be no regrets. The officers and soldiers are not easy to get along with. What if the officers and soldiers don't settle old scores with us like the legend says?
Then we're doomed."
"Now that I've decided, I'll naturally think about it clearly. Haha, in fact, living until now is enough." Wen Zhongliu thought clearly. Sometimes it is worth taking some risks. After the rebellion has been done, other risks are nothing.
"I'm definitely going, Brother Wu. After a while, I want to go to Zhangbei to visit. It's been seven years and I'm tired of the war. I want to see how the people there live."