Since ancient times, the greatest military achievement on the battlefield has been to ascend first, kill the general, and capture the flag.
The reason why the first climbers are regarded as the most successful is because the offensive battle is the battle with the heaviest casualties. First of all, before approaching the city wall, they have to continuously suffer fierce attacks from bows, crossbows, trebuchets and other equipment. In the process, there are also
There are threats such as the rapid moat and traps set by the defenders. Even if you successfully reach the city wall, you will still have to face multiple challenges such as how to climb to the top of the city, occupy the top of the city, and then open the city gate.
Due to technological backwardness, there are only two ways for the siege party to climb the city, cloud ladders and ramparts, but the latter is actually only suitable for the kind of rebel army that coerces a large number of refugees, so the regular army actually has only one way.
, is the ladder.
But climbing with a ladder is also very risky. Just from the front, in addition to losing the bow, you will also face the pouring of rolling logs, rocks and gold juice.
Especially gold juice, because it is made from excrement and poison. The troops defending the city will boil it over a strong fire and put it in jars. Facing the soldiers climbing the ladder, they will pour it below while the attackers will attack the city.
Soldiers in the city would be burned to the point of being burned to death if they were exposed to it. Even if they were lucky enough to be rescued, they would die due to repeated cross-infection of the wounds.
Under such great danger, if the soldiers were to take the initiative and bravely climb to the top of the city, they would naturally have no choice but to offer extremely high rewards.
Han Feizi once said: "When Qin attacks a city, whoever can climb it first will be given a high title and be given a field house. The old people are fighting to climb it. No matter how strong the city is, Qin can defeat it."
Later generations followed this example. For example, the two founding heroes of the Western Han Dynasty, Fan Hui and Zhou Bo, were the first to ascend to the throne many times. Le Jin, the famous general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, was also called the "King of the First to ascend".
Ba Bu, defeated Chao in Yongqiu, defeated Rui in Ku County, defeated Yuan Tan in the battle of Nanpi, all of them had the merit of being first."
It can be said that he was promoted from the lowest-ranking officer to one of the "Five Good Generals" by virtue of being first in rank.
In contrast, there are some differences between killing generals and capturing the flag. In terms of rewards for post-war meritorious service, killing generals is naturally better than capturing the flag. But in terms of actual impact on battlefield outcome, capturing the flag is actually more effective.
Some.
Because the latter is more likely to damage the enemy's morale and cause chaos in the enemy's formation.
...
The defenders were on guard, and they set up awnings and lit up thick smoke, blocking Ling Cao's view and making it difficult to rush in. Even if they covered their mouths and noses, they couldn't fight for a long time. If they wanted to fight quickly, they had to find a way to cause the enemy on the opposite side to attack.
confusion,
Just before exiting the gap, Ling Cao noticed a general's flag and thought of this method.
He ordered the soldiers to take off their clothes and tear them into strips, then soaked them with the accumulated water on the ground, and then distributed them to everyone and tied them on their faces. After a while, hundreds of people were ready, scattered or densely scattered in the rain, no matter how shirtless they were.
Or heavy armor, they all grasped their weapons tightly. Even if the face was covered with cloth and the expression could not be seen, Ling Cao could feel the murderous look in the eyes just looking at him, and he couldn't help but be quite satisfied: the military spirit is usable!
"Divide into two teams,"
Ling Cao raised his long sword and shouted in a deep voice: "Follow me all the way and walk to the left."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and rushed into the smoke again.
Breaking into the city again, even though there was a cloth cover, Ling Cao was still stung by the acrid smoke, but he couldn't care about it at this time. He was already tall, and he was leading the way. He had just stopped.
As soon as I stepped down, I heard a "whisking" sound in my ears, and soon more than a dozen arrows came to greet me.
While Ling Cao protected his body with his sword, he continued to half-bend and rushed quickly. He took a moment to glance back and saw that his own sons were following closely behind.
The arrows fired by the guards missed very densely. They did not hit Ling Cao for the time being, which does not mean that they could not hit other Sun Cejun. They only heard muffled groans and screams, which made Ling Cao's face twitch. The men were quite confident. If they were shot in some parts of the shoulders and hands, they would never show weakness in front of the enemy. Since they screamed, they must have been shot in the cheek or other vital parts.
In other words, in such a short time, more than a dozen people have been killed or injured...
Although his heart ached to the point of dripping blood, Ling Cao's movements became faster and faster. When he saw that he was dozens of steps deep into the smoke, the pain in his eyes was like heartbreaking. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes directly.
He continued to run forward based on his feeling, wielding his sword as a shield to prevent the bow from missing.
From time to time, heavy objects fell to the ground on both sides of him. It was unknown whether they were weapons fired by the guards inside the wall, or the corpses of enemy and friendly soldiers falling from the top of the city. One of them happened to trip him. Ling Cao scripted He staggered, and was about to fall down, but he took advantage of the situation and pounced forward, pressed down on the ground with one hand, and then jumped up. Under the violent movement, the wound that had only been briefly bandaged burst open again, and blood soaked out, but Ling Cao seemed to I couldn't feel any pain at all, so I continued to rush forward like a tiger out of the gate.
I don't know how long it took, but Ling Cao, who had his eyes closed all the time, vaguely felt the light. Was it coming out of the smoke? He tentatively opened it a little, and saw the smashed wooden wall and the other side. A small half of the brick wall appeared in front of us, and then a series of shocked faces also looked over. They were some civilians wearing simple masks.
After a brief period of daze, the civilians realized that the enemy was approaching and they panicked. Just as they were about to flee, they saw Ling Cao leaping over the low wall with a flying body, and then the bright sword suddenly appeared, and in an instant In a moment, he chopped four or five people to the ground, shouted angrily: "Ling Cao from Wu County is here, anyone who stands in my way will die!"
"Can you rush over here?"
A dozen feet away, several Du Bo and Zhou Zhi were stunned at the same time.
On top of the city, Zhou Hui, who had been paying attention to this gap, also turned pale and exclaimed: "Is there such a tiger general under Sun Ce?"
He immediately looked around and asked, "Cheng Pu and Huang Gai are not here, so who is this?"
Everyone in Shu County looked at each other and shook their heads. They were too far apart and the wind and rain were blowing, but they couldn't hear clearly what Ling Cao had just announced.
At this time, Wang Zheng on the side said calmly: "This man's name is Ling Cao, and he is a captain under Sun Ce."
He had extraordinary eyesight and had recognized Ling Cao as soon as he showed his head.
"Ling Cao?"
Zhou Hui stared straight at the gap. At this time, the two armies were in close combat. Ling Cao's performance became more and more powerful, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. The swords were dancing, and those who stood in his way were invincible. No one could survive. After a round, I couldn't help but sigh:
"A true warrior, Sun Ce really has many talented people under his command."
First, Cheng Pu captured Longshu and killed the heroic Liu Xun, and then Huang Gai made a surprise attack on Hefei. The magistrate He Hong did not mention it, but later also captured Lu'an.
In Zhou Hui's view, these two men marched straight to the east and west, as if entering uninhabited territory. They attacked the city in less than ten months and were victorious in consecutive battles. They were rare generals with both wisdom and courage. Not only did they Even under Yuan Shu's command, there are probably not many people who can compete with him.
It’s okay for Sun Ce to be able to fight on his own, but his men are also so difficult to fight. The most troublesome thing is that they are not just one or two.
In comparison, all he could use was Wei Yan. The key was that Sun Ce also had Han Dang.
Although Wei Yan had the upper hand in the first battle that day, after he returned to the city, he told Zhou Hui in private that Han Dang was also a tiger general with courage that no man could match!
If Sun Jian's old troops like Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang performed well, Zhou Hui could understand it, but now that a little-known Ling Cao suddenly appeared and performed so bravely, it was really hard for him to accept.
Already...
Why is Sun Bofu so lucky?
What Zhou Hui didn't know was that if Wang Zheng and Huang Zhong hadn't eliminated the three future Jiangdong Twelve Tigers Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, and Chen Wu (the sneak attackers in the Battle of Hefei) in advance, Sun Ce's troops would have
The front will be even more unstoppable!
However, Wang Zheng on the side frowned slightly when he sighed.
It is not impossible to do things that demoralize others and destroy one's own prestige, but it depends on the occasion, the time, and the object.
If the Heavenly Army under his command is brave and fierce, and Huang Zhong, a skilled general, is bold and full of confidence, then in front of them, there is no harm in praising the enemy, and it can even play a role in motivating the generals.
.
But in front of the generals in Shu City...
Especially at this moment of great pressure, it is really not appropriate!
Wang Zheng said loudly: "It is true that Sun Ce has many talents under his command, but in my opinion, the princes of Shucheng are not inferior to him. Not to mention that Brother Wen is unstoppable, and Tao County Lieutenant is also very determined in command, and he is quite a Confucian general.
Style, and this..."
After praising the civil and military people on the city wall for a while, Wang Zheng looked at Zhou Hui and said with a smile:
"Furthermore, my general, Wu Sheng, is also a fierce tiger in the world. As for Huang Hansheng, he is even more skilled in swords and bows. Reinforcements will arrive soon. These people will come with the army. When the time comes, I, the heroic hero of Xuzhou, will also invite you."
Zhou Xianjun commented one or two."
Zhou Hui heard the criticism in Wang Zheng's words. He was startled for a moment, and then suddenly realized that he had just made a mistake and said hurriedly:
"Generals Wu, Huang, and Hui have also been famous for a long time. Although they haven't seen it yet, they are expected to be better than Sun Ce's men. Oh yes... Tao Xianwei is indeed a Confucian general with both wisdom and courage. He is definitely not Ling Cao.
These men are as brave as men."
Wang Zheng looked at him with a half-smile but said nothing more. At this moment, a civil servant suddenly let out a cry: "Why did Ling Cao break out of the formation in just a moment?"
"What?"
Everyone was shocked and looked over again, but Wang Zheng said lightly: "It doesn't matter, this is what Zhou Duwei did intentionally."
Intentional?
What's the meaning?
Countless eyes focused on Wang Zheng again, and Wang Zheng said calmly: "Don't you think the door will be closed and the dog will be beaten?"
...
Wang Zheng guessed right, Zhou Zhi indeed had such a plan.
Having also seen Ling Cao's unstoppable bravery, when Zhou Hui was amazed again and again, Zhou Zhi immediately realized one thing: this Ling Cao's status in Sun Ce's army is not too low!
An idea suddenly occurred to me.
If we could capture this man alive, we might be able to understand Sun Ce's army's current troop mobilization and food situation.
Of course, there is a certain risk in this, but after thinking for a moment, Zhou Zong made up his mind, immediately waved the military flag, and first let the civilians beside the low wall disperse and run around, while the guards fighting on the front line retreated to both sides, letting go of a
He then allowed Ling Cao to lead nearly a hundred Sun Ce's troops into the city.
Once the defense line that had been struggling to support was released, not only did Ling Cao and others not arouse any suspicion, but their morale was greatly shaken, and they advanced dozens of steps in an instant.
Zhou took the general's flag and continued to retreat, preparing to temporarily avoid his attack and lure the enemy deeper. After all, when he thought about it, Ling Cao's purpose of entering the city was naturally to occupy this gap and destroy all the surrounding female walls, but he did not expect it.
The other party even wanted to destroy all nearby defenders.
The first step Ling Cao chose to take out the effective strength of the nearby defenders was to seize his general flag!
So seeing Zhou Zhi and others retreating, Ling Cao immediately chased after him. Even if the defenders archers on both sides fired a dense rain of arrows, they did not stop Sun Cejun's footsteps. Under the leadership of the crazy Ling Cao
Everyone screamed and howled, and then rushed towards the surrounding area to kill.
At this time, the defenders also discovered this. A personal guard reminded him: "Captain, these thieves seem to want to rush into the formation and kill them?"
Zhou Ju did not answer, but paid careful attention to the enemy's formation. He found that the nearly a hundred people brought in by Ling Cao had divided into two groups again. About twenty people were guarding the collapsed wall, and the rest followed Ling Cao's charge.
, couldn’t help but sneered:
"Sun Ce is known as the little overlord. Doesn't this guy think he is the best?"
Long Qie, a general under Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, was a fierce warrior. He liked to take the initiative and charge into battle to kill generals. Because of this fighting style, Han Xin understood it and was killed in the Battle of Weishui.
The opponent took the initiative to send him to the door. Zhou Zhi was not only unconcerned, but also ecstatic. Naturally, his first choice was to capture him alive. He waved his hand and summoned a unit to go forward, both to defend his general and to block him head-on. He also ordered the left and right sides
The team joined other soldiers, and while outflanking and cutting off its retreat, they eliminated the twenty or so men left behind by Ling Cao, and at the same time blocked the gap to block Sun Ce's army's backup.
As soon as the formation was formed, the enemy troops were already roaring towards them. Ling Cao took the lead and his momentum was astonishing. Even after the fierce battle, he did not show any signs of fatigue. Instead, he seemed to be getting more courageous as he fought.
The next moment, the two armies collided with each other and began a short-blade clash!
It was raining heavily, the sky was gloomy, and it was almost nightfall, so torches were lit all around.
Sun Ce's soldiers rushed into the city, hoping to seize the enemy's flag, thereby damaging morale and expanding the victory; Shucheng's soldiers rushed outside the city, hoping to drive the enemy out, thereby strengthening their own fighting spirit and stabilizing the front.
Hundreds of people were entangled in one place, their shouts of death were deafening. Blood was falling on the rain, swords and guns were clashing, heads were flying, and broken limbs were everywhere!
Since he is known as the Little Overlord, Sun Ce's best weapon is naturally the spear. The reason why he was dissatisfied with his defeat at the hands of Wang Zheng that day was because he used the Red Edge Sword instead of the Overlord Spear that he is best at.
.
What is good for the superiors must be good for the inferiors, so the majority of Sun Ce's generals use spears and spears.
Then I saw several spearmen who were the first to crash into the defenders' shield formation in front. One of them was particularly powerful. He thrust out his spear and pushed back the shield in front of him. There were even cracks in the shield, and he took advantage of the situation.
Hitting the face of the shield hand, the nose bones were broken immediately, and tears mixed with blood filled the sky. Another Sun Cejun stepped forward and raised his spear. The head of the spear was gone. The broken head was along the shield.
The left waist of the hand penetrated the gap in the leather armor, penetrated half of the body, and emerged from the back of the head.
During the Han Dynasty, local armies often grouped soldiers from the same place together so that they were all fellow villagers. This was not only beneficial to daily drills and battles, but also enhanced mutual trust and combat effectiveness. The Yangzhou Army was no exception.
The same is true here in Shucheng.
The people around the fallen shield bearer were all fellow villagers. Seeing his tragic death, they were all angry. Before Sun Cejun could pull out his spear, three or four defenders had already surrounded him. The shield bearer not only had a shield, but also a short sword.
Clamping him with a shield, he then inserted two or three daggers into his body, two of which were inserted under his ribs, and one of which was inserted into his eye. The spearman was killed instantly.
However, before these defenders had time to be happy, more than a dozen spears had already struck at each other and pierced their backs.
The two screamed and fell to the ground on the spot. The remaining one roared before dying, threw the short knife, and hit the attacker's throat, which was regarded as a backstop.
After a moment of fighting, the casualties on both sides exceeded single digits!