After the Tanyuan Alliance, the Liao State returned Mozhou and Yingzhou to the Song Dynasty, so in fact, among the sixteen states of Yanyun, it was actually the fourteen states that needed to be recovered.
On June 15th, Zhao Zongquan held a grand oath-taking ceremony at the general worship platform. King Huan Zhao Yingce was the commander-in-chief, Gu Tingye was the champion general and led 30,000 cavalry, and Qin Hao was the auxiliary general and led the 70,000-strong army in front of the palace.
In addition, the British Duke Cheng Guogong led 200,000 forbidden troops and commanded 300,000 troops. They falsely claimed 800,000 and sent troops to Yanyun.
The war machine was rolling at this moment, and the people who were seeing off the people along the street were ten miles out of the city. Everyone was looking forward to this battle to wipe away the previous humiliation and completely regain the Yanyun Sixteenth Prefecture. From now on, the Song Dynasty would no longer be subject to
Invasion of the Liao Kingdom.
This is no less than a battle to found a country!
Qin Hao saw Yu Yanran and the children in the crowd seeing him off. Sister Lan had climbed to the roof of the car and was waving wildly at Qin Hao amidst the horrified expressions of the servants.
After marching quickly all the way to Mozhou, Zhao Yingce ordered repairs on the spot. On the one hand, the long and fast march had made the army very tired. On the other hand, the Liao Kingdom had sent heavy troops to support Yanyun, and there was no chance to catch the opponent off guard.
The Liao cavalry was highly mobile and came and went like the wind. The Song Dynasty only had 30,000 cavalry in total, so it was easy to be overwhelmed by the Liao cavalry in field battles.
Zhao Yingce invited all generals at the general level to the Chinese army's tent.
"Now the Liao Kingdom has sent 200,000 troops to aid Yanyun. Together with the local defenders, their strength is only slightly higher than ours, and most of them are cavalry. What do you think?" Zhao Yingce asked in a solemn tone.
The British said impartially: "Your Highness King Huan, the two armies have always been in perfect harmony and won a surprise victory. Now there is no way to win by surprise. It is better to send troops to Zhuozhou according to the original plan and go straight to Youzhou. Once Youzhou is captured,
It can take advantage of Youzhou's complex terrain to greatly reduce the Liao's cavalry advantage."
This proposal was approved by many veterans, but Zhao Yingce frowned: "It's just that we have very few cavalry, and the road from Mozhou to Zhuozhou is flat. The Liao Kingdom will never let us reach Youzhou easily and send cavalry to harass us all the way.
, and if we continue to wait for work in Zhuozhou, wouldn't our army be playing into our own ambitions?"
The British said impartially: "Your Highness, the advantage of the Liao Kingdom's cavalry is obvious. No matter which way we go, we will be harassed by cavalry. The soldiers on the border have experience in dealing with it. Our army is large and we have thirty thousand people to look after."
The cavalry will provide support, so there is no need to worry too much."
Zhao Yingce subconsciously looked at Qin Hao and saw that his eyes were falling on the map, so he asked: "What does Marquis Qin think? Why don't you tell us and let's discuss it together."
Qin Hao bowed slightly, then raised his hands to everyone and said, "Do you still remember the Mingzhou Navy?"
Everyone was startled. This time Zhao Zongquan also spent a lot of money to mobilize the Mingzhou Navy to supply food and grass for the 300,000-strong army. This matter was no secret in the court.
Faced with everyone's doubts, Qin Hao placed his finger on the map: "How about dividing a partial division and cooperating with the Mingzhou navy to move from the Bohai Sea along the Zhang River to the Sanggan River and then to the Gaoliang River, directly behind Youzhou, and the two armies will attack
.”
"The navy of the Liao Kingdom is showing weakness, so it is definitely no match for the navy of Mingzhou. This partial division along the way will definitely consume a lot of troops from the Liao Kingdom for defense, and it can also effectively relieve the pressure on the main army."
Zhao Yingce's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Okay, this is a great plan, what do you think?"
The British father-in-law and other veterans discussed in low voices for a while.
"But this partial division goes deep behind enemy lines, and there is a risk of going deep alone. If we are not careful..."
Qin Hao took the initiative to invite him: "His Royal Highness, King Huan, I am finally willing to go."
Zhao Yingce was a little worried, but he couldn't find a more suitable candidate than Qin Hao. After all, except for Gu Tingye, all the border troops present had never had contact with the navy. It was completely nonsense to ask them to command the Mingzhou navy, not to mention
The Mingzhou navy was organized by Qin Hao.
That night, Qin Hao led an army of 40,000 men and left Mozhou without anyone noticing, heading for the Bohai Sea to join the Mingzhou Navy.
Zhao Yingce's main force, after two days of repairs, re-deployed and approached Zhuozhou. On the third day after the army set off, a group of hundreds of cavalry went around to the rear of the army to harass the grain road. Fortunately, Gu Tingye had arrived early.
Being prepared, a part of the cavalry was detached to protect the safety of the grain road. With more troops and fewer troops, the cavalry of several hundred people was completely wiped out.
This victory also gave the army some confidence, but the British public and others who were familiar with the Liao's warfare did not relax their vigilance. Entering Zhuozhou, the Song army's supply line would become longer and longer, and Gu Tingye would not be able to separate too much.
There are many cavalry to protect the grain road, and the Liao cavalry is more familiar with the terrain. This time it was just a calculation without intention. It will be difficult to annihilate the opponent's cavalry next time.
Just as the British public expected, with the lengthening of the supply line, the three thousand cavalry sent by Gu Tingye could not cover everything. The team transporting supplies was harassed many times, and food was burned from time to time.
At the same time, the progress of the army was not ideal. More and more cavalry from the Liao Kingdom gathered along the way. These cavalry did not attack, but appeared in front of the soldiers of the Song Dynasty from time to time, which caused great psychological pressure on the soldiers of the Song Dynasty.
Gu Tingye tried many times to use his superior force to eat up these cavalry, but was outrun by the opponent. It was not that Gu Tingye did not want to chase, but that he could not catch up. The horses of the Liao Kingdom surpassed the Song Dynasty in both speed and endurance.
The opponent was so angry that Gu Tingye cursed loudly.
After a difficult march, they finally arrived at Zhuozhou City. At this time, the Liao cavalry outside the city had reached 20,000, and there were still 30,000 defenders in Zhuozhou City.
Many people think that the reason why the Song Dynasty was unable to regain the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun was because of its lack of combat effectiveness. In fact, the Song Dynasty already had extremely rich experience in using infantry to fight cavalry. Compared with any other dynasty, except for those who invented firearms,
Outside of the Ming Dynasty, in terms of infantry combat effectiveness, the Song Dynasty was actually not inferior to any other dynasty in history.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! It’s just that the problems faced by the Song Dynasty were more complicated than any previous Central Plains dynasty. Due to the "generosity" of the son emperor Shi Jingtang, the Song Dynasty lost everything at the beginning of its founding.
The loss of Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures also meant the loss of the supply of military horses.
At the same time, the terrain of Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures is complex and easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Song Dynasty army not only had to face the threat of Liao cavalry, but also attacked those strong cities in the north. The difficulty coefficient increased exponentially.
Throughout the history of China, the Central Plains Dynasty used solid passes as a defensive support to deal with the northern nomads, and then used cavalry to win. This is why the Central Plains Dynasty has been building the Great Wall since the Qin Dynasty.
However, what Zhao Yingce and others faced at this time was that the Liao Kingdom not only had far stronger cavalry than the Song Dynasty, but also occupied a well-defended city wall as a bunker.
If the Song army were to attack the city, they would not only have to face the condescending bows and arrows, rolling logs and rocks and other defensive weapons of the defenders, but they would also have to be constantly on guard against the cavalry traveling outside the city. This would undoubtedly be a huge psychological pressure.
However, the arrow had to be fired. On the third day after arriving at Zhuozhou City, Zhao Yingce issued the order to attack the city.
The British Army took the lead in attacking the south gate of Zhuozhou City.
Facing the Song army in Wuyang Wuyang, the defenders of Zhuozhou City behaved very calmly. Arrows rained down continuously. From time to time, some Song soldiers were shot and fell to the ground. Before the Song soldiers could get close to the city wall, the trap outside the city appeared.
The pit collapsed, and the spikes buried inside instantly took away hundreds of Song soldiers.
The British Duke's expression changed slightly but he did not adjust. The soldiers of the Song Army had already prepared a plan for this situation. A group of soldiers carried sacks and gradually filled the trap under the cover of shields. During this period, one of them fell to the ground and died after being hit by an arrow.
Those who were still alive lay on the ground wailing, and the city below Zhuozhou turned into a hell-like scene, with blood soaking the land and beacons lighting up the sky.
After the Song army sacrificed hundreds of people, they finally approached the city wall. The soldiers braved the rain of arrows falling from the sky to hang the ladders on the top of the city one by one.
"Bang the drum!"
Under the sound of majestic drums, the soldiers of Song Dynasty began to climb to the top of the city under the cover of the archers on the ground. These soldiers were strong and agile, using their hands and feet together, and they were very fast. However, as they gradually approached the top of the city, the top of the city fell.
The Liao defenders poured down basins of hot, smelly liquid.
"Ah~~~"
With screams one after another, the soldiers near the city head fell from the ladder, ranging from fractures to death on the spot. Those who were lucky enough to escape were forced back by the long spears of the defenders at the city head.
Zhao Yingce looked at the tragic battlefield and said to Britain with some excitement: "Why not use thunder and fire bombs?"
The British Duke shook his head and said: "It's not the time yet."
The British public and others have already seen how powerful the thunder and fire bombs are. This is the secret weapon of the Song Army. It is really a waste to use it on a battlefield of this level in Zhuozhou.
According to the established plan, the best use scenario for thunder and fire bombs is in Youzhou. As long as Youzhou is captured by surprise, with this foothold, the Song army can rely on the terrain to limit the mobility of the Liao cavalry.
Zhao Yingce also realized that he was a little impetuous. He wanted to prove himself with a victory too much.
At this moment, the Liao cavalry outside the city moved. The sound of horse hoofs made the whole ground rumble. The cavalry poured in like a roaring mountain and a tsunami. The visual and auditory shock was unimaginable to ordinary people.
Without Zhao Yingce's order, Gu Tingye's cavalry was also dispatched. In front of the two armies, the two strange troops were stirring together like two giant dragons. People were on their backs, their horses were tumbling, screams were heard, and the neighing of war horses was endless.
Gu Tingye is worthy of being born with divine power. On the ancient battlefield, any skills or tricks are nonsense. The key is to have a fast horse and strong strength. The iron gun in Gu Tingye's hand weighs thirty-six kilograms. He dances with great force, no matter it is
The Liao army's cavalry and generals were all doomed if they were knocked down, and there was no general that could be combined.
"kill!!!"
Gu Tingye's bravery also greatly stimulated the combat effectiveness of the Song Army's cavalry. In front of the two armies, it was a matter of life and death, especially for the cavalry. When they met on a narrow road, the brave would win. The Liao cavalry was the first to face each other, and the Liao cavalry actually fell into a disadvantage.
The commander-in-chief of the Liao Kingdom was horrified and immediately ordered the withdrawal. Gu Tingye led the cavalry in pursuit for a while, and then the difference in horse power soon became apparent. Seeing the Liao cavalry begin to bend their bows and shoot arrows, Gu Tingye immediately ordered to stop the pursuit and increase the distance.
"Wan Sheng! Great Song Dynasty Wan Sheng!"
The victory of the cavalry also greatly boosted the morale of the Song army. The soldiers who attacked the city climbed even more bravely, and for the first time someone climbed to the top of the city. A fierce fight started at the top of the city soon. From time to time, some people fell from the top of the city.
No one cared whether it was the Liao defenders or the Song soldiers who fell.
Both sides were furious. At this time, Zhao Yingce ordered: "Dong Cheng, I order you to lead five thousand soldiers to attack Xicheng!"
"The last general takes orders." Cheng Guogong, who was nearly sixty years old and had white beard and hair, was no less imposing than the young man. He personally led the team to the West City. With an order, two thousand soldiers swarmed towards the West City gate like locusts.
go.
For a time, the pressure on the Liao army to defend the city doubled, and the Liao army defenders had to invest more troops in defending the city. The two sides fought from early morning to sunset.
Looking at the setting sun, which was like blood, Zhao Yingce sighed and ordered: "Send the gold and withdraw the troops!"
In this battle, the Song army suffered losses of more than 3,000, and the Liao defenders also lost a thousand defenders. The Song soldiers originally climbed up the city several times, but in the end they were driven down by the Liao army.
It can be seen that the Liao army has learned a lot of experience in defending cities in these years of war with the Song Dynasty. This is a complex situation that the Central Plains dynasty has never encountered.
The soldiers could rest, but the generals could not. In the Chinese army's tent, Zhao Yingce summoned the generals overnight to summarize the first day's battle.
The British Duke's face was a little solemn: "Zhuozhou City is not a fortified city, but it is already so difficult to attack. I'm afraid Youzhou will be even more difficult to attack."
Duke Cheng Guo nodded with deep understanding.
Gu Tingye was also very depressed: "The Liao's army and horses far exceed ours in terms of endurance and explosive power. The longer we delay, the greater our disadvantage will be. We need to fight quickly to win."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhao Yingce suddenly looked outside the Chinese army tent and looked at the bright moon in the sky: "I don't know what the situation is like over there at the Marquis of Qin."
At this time, Qin Hao had already joined the Mingzhou navy, but he did not take immediate action. Instead, he searched for inland ships near the Bohai Sea.
The Mingzhou navy is a giant ship with five thousand materials, so it is naturally invincible on the sea.
However, if the draft is too deep inland, it will easily run aground, so it needs to be replaced by an inland carrier ship with two to three thousand materials.
Of course, just collecting small boats for civilian use is definitely not enough. Qin Hao's eyes are on the Bohai Port, which is the largest port for maritime merchants from various countries to trade with the Liao Kingdom. All materials and rare treasures shipped from the sea will be transported from
It was converted into inland ships and transported to various parts of the Liao Kingdom, and Qin Hao's purpose was to use these ships.
Qin Hao personally led a team disguised as a merchant ship, quietly entered the Bohai Port, blended into the city and waited until nightfall.
"Cui Zhi, you take two hundred people to the port to meet Cui Hao, and the rest will guard the city gate with me!"
Cui Zhi hesitated: "Master Hou, how about I lead people to guard the city gate?"
Qin Hao stared at him: "How dare you disobey military orders?"
"The general will not dare." Cui Zhi could only grit his teeth and leave, running quickly along the way. Only by responding to Cui Hao's Mingzhou navy early could he reduce the pressure on Qin Hao's side.
After Qin Hao and his party killed the city gate guards, they changed into the clothes of Liao soldiers, and the others took the corpse to a dark place and hid it.
While Qin Hao and his party were cleaning the blood stains on the ground, a drunken Liao officer came over and started talking in Khitan.
Qin Hao was also a little confused. He was proficient in many foreign languages, but he had never learned the Khitan language.
Seeing that he was about to defeat the gang, Qin Hao's hand was already on the handle of the knife, but he saw the Liao officer suddenly speaking in Chinese.
"Are you Han from the North?"
The Han people in the North are actually the Han people in the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. Although the Liao Kingdom has ruled the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun for many years, Khitan culture, including Khitan writing, was created through the evolution of Chinese characters.
In addition, after signing the Tanyuan Alliance with the Song Dynasty, the Liao people were also learning the culture of the Song Dynasty, so the people in the sixteen states of Yanyun were not forced to learn Khitan script and language.
In the political system of the Liao Kingdom, there is a clear hierarchy. The highest level is naturally the royal family surnamed Yelu, followed by the Xiao family, followed by the nobles of the Liao Kingdom and the leaders of various small tribes. The status of the Han people in the north is only lower than
Slaves are better.
However, the Liao State needed to govern the sixteen states of Yanyun, so it recruited a large number of northern Han people to join the army.
"Sir, the younger one is a Han from the North."
The Liao officer cursed in Khitan before wandering away.
Qin Hao winked at the guard and asked him to follow him quietly. If the other party was pretending to be drunk, he would send him on his way.
A quarter of an hour later, the guard came back: "Master Marquis, that man entered a brothel and has already fallen asleep."
Qin Hao nodded: "Continue to be vigilant."
"promise."
On the other side, Cui Zhi encountered trouble. Although the defenders guarding the port were caught off guard by the sneak attack at first, they quickly organized resistance and released flares.
Fortunately, Cui Hao also brought the Mingzhou navy to the port at this time. The two-pronged attack quickly killed the port defenders. The two of them had no time to exchange greetings and immediately led people towards the city gate.
At this time, Qin Hao was also caught in a bitter battle. The signal flare drew a beautiful arc in the silent sky, but for them, this was a fatal brilliance.
Soon, Liao troops went to the port to check the situation, and found that the city gate was wide open. They immediately became suspicious. Qin Hao stopped pretending, drew out his long knife and roared: "Kill!!!"
In an instant, a bloody fight broke out at the gate of the city. Qin Hao took the lead and rushed towards the leader of the Liao army. The leader did not take it seriously at first, but after seeing Qin Hao kill several soldiers in an instant like chopping melons and vegetables, he became timid.
, retreated into his own bodyguards, and kept shouting: "Kill him!"
The personal guards who were hiding nearby also attacked from behind at this time. In an instant, the Liao army was in chaos. The long knife in Qin Hao's hand had been cut and curled. He could no longer remember how many people he had killed. At this time, he was already red.
His eyes were fixed on the leader of the Liao army.
At this moment, Cui Zhi and Cui Hao arrived with their men. The original numerical advantage of the Liao army was instantly wiped out. The leader of the Liao army was frightened and tried to lead his guards to break out of the encirclement, but was stabbed from behind by Qin Hao.
Behead.
Qin Hao bent down, cut off the head of the Liao army leader, and shouted: "The enemy general is dead, put down your weapon, otherwise you will not be killed!"
Upon hearing that Qin Hao was shouting in Chinese, a soldier asked tremblingly: "Are you Han?"
"I am Marquis Jinghai of the Great Song Dynasty!"
One soldier dropped his spear, followed by the second, then the third...
Cui Zhi and Cui Hao looked at each other and couldn't help but look happy. They had won this battle!
