Opposite the door is a stream of water, and clouds connect the wild geese to the Immortal's home.
Who understands the meaning of secluded people and is accustomed to looking at mountain birds and flowers?
——"Spring Scene" by Li Bai
…
After several strategies failed to succeed, Shi Siming no longer waited and decided to take the initiative to attack Heyang.
Shi Siming and the marching Sima gathered around the sand table to discuss the strategy of attacking Heyang City.
The so-called Heyang City is actually not one city, but consists of three cities, known as the "Three Cities of Heyang". They are North City, Zhongli City, and South City.
Beicheng is located on the north bank of the Yellow River, Zhongli City is located on a larger sandbank in the middle of the Yellow River, and Nancheng is located on the south bank of the Yellow River. The three cities are connected by floating bridges and echo each other to form a defense system.
Going south from the three cities of Heyang, you can approach Luoyang; going north, you can go straight to Shangdang and Taiyuan; marching northeast, you can advance to Yecheng and enter the land of Yanzhao.
Heyang's unique geographical location and city structure have been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and it is known as the first important transportation link between the north and the south.
…
In view of the unique city structure of Heyang City, Marching Sima suggested that if we want to attack Heyang, we must first destroy the pontoon bridge erected on the Yellow River.
Only by destroying the pontoon bridge can the connection between the three cities of Heyang be cut off, and the attacking party will not be trapped in a situation of being attacked from both sides.
Then he waited for the opportunity to send troops and defeated the Tang troops stationed in the three cities of Heyang one by one.
How to destroy a floating bridge?
After investigation, Yan Jun scouts reported that the two pontoon bridges in Heyang City were each tens of feet long, connecting the two ends of the Yellow River, and the bridge deck was laid on hundreds of small boat boards.
There are six or seventy groups of two pontoon bridges. The small boat boards under the bridge are connected with cables and fixed on the river surface with cables and iron anchors.
The shape of the pontoon is quite similar to the iron chains used by Cao Cao's navy to secure warships.
Marching Sima suggested that we should follow Zhou Yu's example in the Battle of Chibi and use fire attacks to burn these connected pontoon and boat boards.
Shi Siming believed this deeply and gave the order, and all the generals acted according to the plan.
A few days later, the Yan army and navy gathered and arrived in Heyang.
The Navy Ordnance Department quickly built a large number of "fire boats" the size of grasshopper boats, day and night. These fire boats were filled with sulfur, saltpeter and other flammable substances.
It was getting late that day, and the wind began to blow on the Yellow River. The wind made the surging Yellow River even more turbulent, setting off one wave after another of white-headed tides.
Hundreds of grasshopper boats were seen moving down the upper reaches of the Yellow River, followed closely by hundreds of large warships of the Yan army.
When the grasshopper boat was about to approach the pontoon, the Yan army sailors manning the boat ignited the saltpeter, pineapple, dried wormwood and other flammable materials stored in the boat, then turned it upside down and jumped into the rough waves.
The wind helped the fire, and the "fire boat" blazed with flames and drifted towards the pontoon.
…
According to the Yan army's fire attack strategy, once these "fire boats" are attached to the boat planks, they can quickly set the pontoon bridge on fire.
After the pontoon bridge burned down, hundreds of Yan army warships followed closely and swarmed up, able to surround Zhongli City on the sandbank.
Zhongli City is more like a camp than a city. Its city wall is only as high as a person, making it a veritable "Sheep and Horse City".
The Yan army's warships were much higher than the city walls of Zhongli City. Using the trebuchets, crossbows and other siege equipment set up on the warships, they could easily destroy the defenses of Zhongli City.
The Yan army that surrounded Zhongli City, the north city of Heyang, and the south city of Heyang could launch an attack together, leaving the Tang army in the three cities of Heyang in a dilemma of fighting independently and unable to divide their forces for rescue.
…
Zhongli City is Heyang's weak spot. Even the commanders of the Yan army can see it. If Li Guangbi can't see it yet, he is not Li Guangbi.
Prepare for a rainy day.
Li Guangbi had already made plans to deal with the enemy.
When the Yan army's navy arrived in Heyang, Li Guangbi guessed the Yan army's strategy to attack the city.
He ordered the Ordnance Department to rush through the night to make hundreds of hundred-foot-long poles. One end of the poles was fixed on the giant wood of the pontoon, and the other end was wrapped with felt and a giant hard iron fork.
…
as expected.
When the Yan Army's "fire boat" was about to approach the pontoon, the giant iron fork on the head of the long pole immediately forked the fire boat."
The "fire boat" seemed to be grasped by a huge iron hand, unable to move.
In the time of a stick of incense, the blazing "fire boat" was burned to ashes. It was swept up by the rapids and sank into the river, disappearing into ashes.
The pontoon is safe and sound.
Hundreds of large warships of the Yan Army and Navy followed, blocking the river. Most of the warships had no time to turn around, and were carried to the pontoon by the turbulent river water.
The giant iron fork on the long pole pierced the hull of the ship and still held the warship tightly.
The warship was like an insect caught in a spider's web. Although it kept struggling, it could not break free.
Seeing this, the soldiers of the Tang Army became highly morale.
Li Guangbi had already deployed trebuchets - stone trebuchets - on both sides of the pontoon bridge and the river, and used the trebuchets to throw huge rocks at the Yan army warships.
The warship was firmly held by the iron fork and could not move, so it could only be beaten passively.
Huge boulders falling from the sky fell on the deck, making big holes in the deck, splattering sawdust and debris.
The Yan army sailors who were unable to dodge were smashed into pieces, with their limbs and arms broken, and their flesh and blood flying everywhere.
A huge boulder hit the side of the ship and penetrated the belly of the ship.
The raging river water rushed into the cabin. The sailors who had no time to jump off the ship to escape were sealed in the cabin, trapped by the sinking warship, fell to the bottom of the river, and drowned alive.
…
Countless Yan army sailors abandoned their warships and jumped into the water, hoping to escape disaster by virtue of their water properties.
The Tang army's crossbowmen who were ambushing on both sides of the river fired thousands of arrows. The arrows were as dense as a pouring rain, pouring down on the Yan soldiers who were swimming to escape.
Bai Fu was ordered to lead a team of sharp archers to patrol near the pontoon. Whenever Yan soldiers emerged from the water, he would shoot them with an arrow.
Yan Bing's head is clearly visible like a gourd floating on the water. The archers are like shooting at a live target, their arrows are not missed, and they kill with one shot.
Soon, thousands of corpses of Yan soldiers floated on the river.
Attacked by fire, smashed by stones, and killed by arrows, for a time, the Yan soldiers on the warships and in the river were screaming in agony, as if they were ghosts on earth.
…
Until the end of the shooting, Bai Fu and Lynx couldn't bear to take action.
Bai Fu let out a long sigh, put away his bow and arrows, and said to the lynx: "Shooting the unarmed Yan soldiers is the same as massacring the common people. I really can't do it. Stop the troops!"
A captain next to him was very anxious and shouted at Bai Fu: "Disobeying the general's order will be punished by military law!"
The lynx'er glared angrily, took up his bow and arrow, pointed it at the captain, and said angrily: "Didn't you hear General Bai's order?! You can't help but make noises by the side!"
Bai Fu stepped forward and pressed down Lynx'er's bow and arrow to prevent the situation from escalating.
Bai Fu smiled calmly and said to the captain: "Capturing prisoners of war alive is more effective in deterring the rebels than shooting them. Follow my orders. If the commander blames them, I will carry them alone!"
The other archers had already had this intention, but they were afraid of Li Guangbi's military laws and did not dare to disobey the order. At this time, seeing Bai Fu taking the responsibility, everyone stopped in unison.
Bai Fu sent an order, and as long as the Yan soldiers dropped their weapons and made a surrender gesture, they would be let ashore and Tang soldiers would tie them up.
In order to avoid further troubles in the future, Bai Fu ordered his commander to report this strategy to Li Guangbi immediately, and attached three reasons why he stopped the troops and stopped the killing.
"Surrender without killing!"
The loud slogans of the Tang army echoed on both sides of the Yellow River, shattering the last resistance of the Yan army. The Yan army's morale collapsed, and they disarmed and surrendered.
For a time, both sides of the river were densely packed with kneeling Yan soldiers who took the initiative to surrender.
…
This fierce battle ended in less than half an hour.
Most of the Yan army's warships were sunk, leaving only a few warships far away from the pontoon.
As soon as the battle started, these Yan Army warships saw that the situation was not good, hurriedly turned around, and retreated in a hurry. Only then were they able to escape safely.
Shi Siming, who was watching the battle from a distance, saw that the situation was over and had no choice but to withdraw his troops.
The Yan army lost another battle.
Although Shi Siming was unwilling to do so, he had no choice but to plan the next battle.