The Chinese army's 8,700 cavalry fought for two months and suffered nearly 400 casualties. The 30,000 infantry of the front army, left army and Qingzhou Army suffered more than 1,500 casualties. All wounded soldiers have been sent back to Kaiyang to recuperate.
Except for the 5,000 men who escorted prisoners and supplies, the rest of the army gathered at the foot of Tan County, surrounding 70,000 to 80,000 Yellow Turbans.
Liu Xiang does not want to fight a protracted siege battle here, but the Xuzhou Yellow Turbans have been unwilling to surrender since Qingzhou, and their current efforts to persuade them to surrender have no effect, and they are ignoring their requests for negotiations.
I don’t know what’s going on?
A group of iron-headed boys must be dragged here.
It will do no one any good to surrender but not surrender, to leave but not to leave, until a plague is unleashed.
Stupid, stubborn, unreasonable!
Liu Xiang was so angry that his liver ached.
"Lord, let's attack the city. If we don't kill a ruthless person, they won't know how to be afraid." Cui Yi was also very annoyed. This group of people were so heartless that they were unwilling to let them go. They stayed in the city and refused to come out. I really thought that
Can't you break the city?
Zhang Liao stood up and said: "My lord, we have built a batch of equipment in the past two months, which is enough to cope with the siege. Tan County is in ruins and cannot stop our army."
The most active one was Le Jin, who clasped his fists and begged for orders: "Your Majesty, our troops are willing to launch a strong attack and attack the city first!"
His subordinates were eager to fight, but their morale was dampened. Liu Xiang sighed. He originally wanted to let these yellow scarves go south, but they were looking for death themselves.
"Send troops tomorrow to build siege fortresses on the east, west, and north sides using the annexes."
When the sky turned around, rice was being prepared at Mao hour, and the camp was set out at Chen hour. Guan Yu and Zhang Liao each took charge of their headquarters and attacked the east and west sides. Yue Jin led 10,000 Qingzhou troops to attack Beicheng, and Liu Xiang led the cavalry in the rear.
Tanxian County has been attacked several times in the past two years, but no one has repaired it. It has long been dilapidated. The battlements are uneven, the walls are uneven, and cracks are spreading on the rammed earth wall, making it look crumbling.
How could this kind of city defense give those Yellow Turbans such a sense of security?
They don't think that with this, they can stop the Anping Army's attack, right?
Or do you think that if the city wall is crowded with people, it can be defended?
They were so crowded that it was difficult to turn around. Are they just waiting to be beaten? The way they stood shoulder to shoulder gave them the feeling of being outnumbered, but apart from the illusion of a sense of security, it had no effect at all during the battle to defend the city.
On the other hand, Fu Guo outside the city posed considerable obstacles to the unfolding of the formation.
Zhang Liao had not attacked Tan County before, but only fought a few field battles outside the city, so the messy Fu Guo was not dismantled.
The residential buildings in Fuguo can be regarded as pros and cons for siege operations. They can hinder large-scale incoming troops and provide cover for siege troops. With a few modifications, they can directly become siege fortresses and provide a place for soldiers to live.
The archers and crossbowmen boarded the roof to guard, while the infantry began to rebuild below, opening a wide entry channel to facilitate the passage of large equipment, using houses, courtyard walls, oars, and horses to build cofferdams and completely seal off three sides.
Be prepared for enemy troops to leave the city and counterattack.
The attic was used and the roof was converted into a watchtower and an arrow tower.
During this period, someone led a team out of the city to harass, and the cavalry took advantage of the situation to charge into the city. However, before the horses could reach the moat, the drawbridge was pulled up, and more than 3,000 people who left the city were abandoned.
These people were still lining up to face the enemy. The drawbridge was pulled up behind them and the city gate was closed. They became abandoned.
After several rounds of arrows, morale collapsed and most of them became prisoners.
The defenders on the city were talking a lot, and the sound of fighting in the city could be heard outside the city.
Since then, no one has left the city to fight.
After three days, the siege camp was completed, and siege equipment such as jinglan, ladders, trebuchets, etc. were stationed in the camp. The Anping Army launched a formal siege on the fourth day.
The area near the moat was within the enemy's bow and arrow range, and the residential buildings were not demolished very much. The advantage of the Anping Army's numerous bows and crossbows was not obvious, but it did not hinder the trebuchets. The stone bullets hit the city wall, and it was difficult to avoid the densely packed defenders.
Flesh and blood are flying everywhere.
Too miserable.
Just like the trebuchet throws ketchup packets instead of stone bullets, anything that hits the city top will splash a red wave. After a while, the city head has been dyed red.
The Yellow Turban soldiers guarding the city were frightened and wailing, and they fled for their lives down the city. Above the city wall, there was chaos and blind collision. Many people were trampled to death, and many people fell directly to the city wall.
They don't seem to have dealt with siege operations involving trebuchets.
All preparations are in response to the ant attack.
The panicked look was extremely miserable.
But once the offensive is launched, how can it be stopped because the enemy is pitiful? The heavier the enemy's losses, the stronger the offensive will be.
The crossbowmen took advantage of the shelter of the oars and houses to continuously shoot arrows onto the city wall. The suppression effect was very good, and the defenders' morale was taken away. There were almost no people shooting at the city walls.
Under the cover of catapults and crossbowmen, the infantry began to fill in the moat, and the progress was much smoother than expected.
Le Jin carefully looked at the miserable situation of the defenders, turned around and glanced around his subordinates, and said with a chuckle: "The great achievement of being first is right in front of you, who of you wants it?"
"Captain, everyone wants the credit, but the moat hasn't been filled in yet. It's not time to attack the city."
"Hey, when the moat is filled up, it won't be our turn if we get there first. Let's see if those idiots on the city can stop the front army or the left army. The ladder is set up and the soldiers rush up. Where can we go? It’s our Qingzhou Army’s turn?”
When my subordinates thought about it, they realized that this was indeed the case.
"Captain, what do you think we should do? We all listen to you."
Le Jin said proudly: "What kind of fun work is there? Crossing the river on the trench bridge, climbing the city on flying ladders, it's a competition to see who is braver. I will personally lead the team, you guys go to see the trebuchets and crossbowmen, wait until I arrive At the foot of the city, let them stop immediately. If they are beaten to death by one of our own people, it will be an injustice."
Several people asked for a fight: "The captain is resting in the rear, and I can lead a team to climb the city."
"How can it be that the captain eats meat every time? This time I will be the first to eat."
"I would like to board first!"
"Shut up." Le Jin will not give credit to his subordinates. He still wants to be promoted. This time, the lord is watching from behind. What a good performance opportunity, how can he give it to others?
"A certain leader will go up first, and you will follow up later." He turned to his left and right armies, Sima, and said, "You are optimistic about the trebuchets and crossbowmen. You can't stop them too early, and you can't stop them too late."
"Captain, don't worry!"
"Okay, I will bring a group of people up first, and you will follow up later."
The trebuchets kept throwing stones at the city, the crossbowmen fired arrows to suppress the defenders, and the soldiers worked hard to fill the river. This was the normal operation of the left and right armies.
The Qingzhou Army on the north gate took advantage of the panic of the defenders, built a trench bridge, carried the flying ladder, and crossed the river at a trot. Le Le held a sword in his mouth and held a shield, just like a big monkey, rubbing, rubbing, He rushed to the top of the flying ladder, stretched out his hand at the crenel to use his strength, turned over and climbed up the city wall.
The sword was swung left and right, and the two defenders who had not reacted were instantly chopped to the ground.
Just as he was about to rush forward, a stone bullet flew past his eyes with a "wu" sound. He was so shocked that his hair stood on end and he jumped three feet high.
"If you come into contact with your grandma, I will beat you to death when you turn around!"
In fact, I really can't blame anyone else. He rushed too fast and was just in time for the last wave of stones.
He almost died in the hands of his own people, which made him furious. The sword in his hand danced into a white light, and he rushed towards the defenders hiding behind the battlements as if he saw the enemy who killed his father. Behind him were the soldiers of the Qingzhou Army who kept coming to the city.
The Yellow Turbans, who were trembling behind the battlements, could not have imagined that someone would rush into the city before the trebuchets stopped.
Many people had already fled down the city wall, and most of them behind the battlements were so frightened that their legs were weak and they could not run.
The Qingzhou Army rushed up to the North City in a steady stream, held the road to the city, captured the city tower, and lowered the drawbridge. It only took a quarter of an hour. The Yellow Turban Army was too fast to react, and Liu Xiang was stunned.
The moat hasn't been filled in yet, so the city wall is captured?