The wind blows and the frozen mud cracks by the seaside, and the dead tung leaves fall off and the branches break.
The flute sounds but no one is seen, the red flag goes straight up to the snow of Tianshan Mountain.
——"Joining the Army" Chen Yu (Tang Dynasty)
…
A few days ago, Tian Shengong received news that Deputy Marshal of the Jianghuai Army and General Bai Fu, the Eighth Route Army Envoy, were about to arrive in Guangling.
He asked his confidant general Chen Wei to discuss the matter.
Tian Shengong said: "General Bai is the commander-in-chief appointed by the imperial court to counter the rebellion, to command the eight channels of Jianghuai and control the armies.
As soon as he comes, he will definitely hold Pinglu Army accountable for deploying troops without the imperial decree. The gold, silver, jade and silk we looted in Chuzhou and Yangzhou will also fall into his hands.
In this way, our hard work has been in vain, and we will probably be charged with "unauthorized mobilization of troops".
Thinking of this, I can't sleep at night."
Chen Wei blinked his mung bean bastard eyes and said in greeting: "General, what's so difficult about this?
The reason for this troop transfer is that Xing Yanen, the supervisor of the army, asked you for help, so you should turn to him. Xing Yanen is your Majesty's most trusted eunuch. When he is sent out to supervise the army, every move he makes represents the holy will."
Tian Shengong pondered for a moment and said: "It makes sense to follow the urgent need and send troops south to resist Liu Zhan. But what about the gold and silk we looted? Bai Fu will definitely know what we have done as soon as he enters Guangling City."
Chen Wei's eyes kept turning, and he said: "General, it's better than this. You lead three thousand elites to Shouzhou, saying that you are welcoming Deng Jingshan, the governor of Huainan East Road, and Xing Yan'en, the military supervisor, back to Guangling.
At the same time, we brought all the gold and silk we looted and gave him half of it when we met Xing Yanen. Since ancient times, there are all eunuchs who are greedy for money. After he took the money, he was on the same boat as us, and naturally he protected us in every way.
Xing Yanen is a popular figure in front of the emperor. Is it possible that he would dare to hold the military supervisor appointed by His Majesty to account even after he was restored?
After you leave, Mo will lead two thousand Pinglu troops and Liu Zhan's troops to defend Guangling City.
After Bai Fu arrived at Guangling City, the last general said, "General Tian is not in the city, and I have an order from the general not to open the city," and turned Bai Fu outside Guangling City.
The walls of Guangling City are high and thick. Even if Bai Fu gets angry and wants to attack the city, An Beiting camp will not be able to defeat it for a while. They do not have enough food and water supplies, so they will definitely go south to Runzhou, Shengzhou and other places.
By the time the rebellion was put down and Bai Fu returned to Guangling City, Guangling City was already in the hands of Deng Jingshan, the governor of Huainan East Road, and Xing Yanen, the military supervisor.
When Chuzhou and Yangzhou were plundered, it’s hard to say which army was responsible.”
Tian Shengong was overjoyed when he heard this. He patted Chen Wei on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Weizi, you are my general's sleeping dragon and phoenix chick!"
Chen Wei smiled evilly, feeling very proud.
The two acted according to their plan. Tian Shen led his troops to Shouzhou, while Chen Wei garrisoned Guangling City.
…
Bai Fu sent a message to Chen Wei to come to the military camp to meet him. Chen Wei felt guilty and did not dare to attend the Hongmen Banquet.
After thinking about this, Chen Wei decided to disobey the order. He was fiery and would do what he said. He immediately summoned the generals and organized the soldiers of the three armies to strengthen the defense of the city.
The three armies were quickly assembled, with everyone wearing helmets and swords unsheathed. On Guangling City, flags were fluttering, and swords and halberds were everywhere.
After hearing the news, Bai Fu smiled instead of being angry. He had long wanted to kill this man as a warning to others. Chen Wei's move was exactly what he wanted.
Bai Fu led the army and arrived outside Guangling City in a mighty manner and set up camp. A large flag with the word "白" fluttering in the wind among the tens of thousands of troops was particularly conspicuous.
An's troops from the Beiting camp jumped out and ran straight to the city tower. It was none other than the heroic general Tang Huan.
Tang Huan shouted: "Deputy Marshal Jianghuai Soldiers and Horses, General Bai, the Eighth Route Camping Envoy, are here. Quickly open the city to welcome us!"
Chen Wei leaned half of his body from the top of the city and said slowly: "General Tian is not in the city. The war in the Jianghuai River is tense now, and it is difficult to distinguish between friends and foes. The last general will not dare to attack the city under the orders of General Tian. I hope the general will forgive me."
Tang Huan shouted: "Yes, the war in the Jianghuai River is tense now, it is difficult to distinguish between friends and foes, and the Anxi Army is ordered to hunt down thieves.
My commander-in-chief has spoken beforehand. If the city is still not opened after the three tongs and drums are sounded, it will be regarded as treason and traitors and will be shot without mercy!"
After Tang Huan finished speaking, he stopped talking nonsense, turned the horse's head, and galloped back to the camp.
Chen Wei snorted coldly and said to the generals on the left and right: "Kill without mercy?! That's such a big tone. Let me see how the Anxi Army can kill without mercy?"
The generals on the left and right laughed and disagreed. No one took the Northwestern Court Army seriously. The Anxi cavalry might be invincible in the field, but the walls of Guangling were high and strong. What could their cavalry do to the Pinglu Army?
"Dong dong dong", after the sound of the drum, the soldiers in Anbeiting immediately assembled the siege equipment, including trebuchets, ladders, rams and other powerful siege equipment.
These siege equipment were all weapons improved by Ma Daifeng and others in the secret base. They were so powerful that even the Ordnance Supervisor of the Tang Dynasty War Department did not have samples.
Chen Wei stood on the city tower and looked at the neat and solemn appearance of Anbeiting's army. Hundreds of trebuchets were like black and yellow man-eating beasts, staring eagerly, ready to attack.
Chen Wei's calves felt a little weak. He didn't expect that Bai Fu had already prepared to attack the city, and he didn't expect him to open the city to welcome him.
Chen Wei suddenly regretted why he had jumped out to take advantage of him and let his boss Tian Shengong escape unscathed.
It is said that if a person is rejuvenated, he will be punished.
If he wins, he can keep the Anxi army out of the city, guard Guangling's property and return it to Tian Shen Gong, and he will bear the blame for offending the eight governors. If he loses, Bai Fu is ruthless and will probably not show mercy.
"Dong dong dong", the three-way drum sound ended.
The vast world suddenly fell into silence, except for the sound of the hunting wind when the mountain breeze blew the flags. The occasional neighing of war horses made the empty battlefield seem even more silent.
The herald waved the flag, and under the pull of hundreds of mules and horses, nearly a hundred crossbow chariots slowly drove out of the queue. Each chariot was loaded with super crossbow arrows-"Three Bows and Eight Oxen Giant Crossbows"
.
"Prepare the trebuchet. Once the crossbow chariot comes into range, fire immediately!" Chen Wei ordered.
What surprised Chen Wei was that after walking a few steps, these nearly a hundred crossbow chariots stopped, put down their pedals, and entered the firing state.
The mules and horses pulling the cart became the labor force to load the crossbow string, turning clockwise, working together to winch the winch, quickly opening the crossbow string, and buckling it on the machine teeth. The loader installed the crossbow arrows, and the crossbow shooter aimed at each and every one on the city.
specific goals.
Chen Wei was confused and said to the generals on the left and right: "This crossbow must be 200 to 300 steps away from us. From such a long distance, can this crossbow hit the top of the city?"
The general said: "I heard that the 'three-bow and eight-oxen giant crossbow' newly developed by the Ordnance Supervisor of the Ministry of War can shoot such a distance. However, it has not been assembled for the Pinglu Army, so I don't know how powerful it is yet."
Before the two of them finished speaking, the battlefield situation had changed.
Bai Fu gave an order, and the crossbowman raised his sledgehammer high and struck the trigger with all his strength. Hundreds of eight-oxen giant crossbows roared in unison and fired furiously at the sky.
"Swish swish"
"One shot, three swords and arrows" were shot out, like a white streak across the sky. The sound of breaking through the air was deafening. It drew a perfect arc and swooped down to the tower against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.
"Rumble"
The trebuchets, carts loaded with rolling logs and stones, hand axes, yakshas, maces and other defensive equipment that were waiting on the tower were destroyed one by one by the "one gun, three swords and arrows" as thick as javelins.
The Eight-Niu Giant Crossbow not only aimed at city defense equipment, but also at people.
Twenty or thirty "one gun, three swords and arrows" roared towards Chen Wei and other major generals.
Due to lack of preparation, the generals had no time to evacuate from the tower, and panicked. You pushed me, I squeezed you, and suddenly you became a mess.
"Shield defense!" Chen Wei's soldier captain reacted and picked up his shield to block Chen Wei.
"boom",
"One Gun, Three Swords and Arrows" The huge three-edged blood-letting iron arrowhead smashed the shield into powder, and shot the three soldiers behind the shield into meat skewers.
The giant arrow remained unabated, piercing through the body of the soldier captain, and pinned Chen Wei, who was protecting him behind him, to the main gate of the city tower.
"Oh! It hurts me so much!"
Chen Wei screamed and fainted.
When Chen Wei closed his eyelids for the last time, he saw that all the generals around him had been pierced through the bright light armor by the iron arrows of the three-edged bloodletting blade, or had been brushed by the sword-shaped tail feathers on their arms. They fell into a pool of blood one after another, either dead or dead.
hurt.
…
The Anxi Army launched only one attack and killed dozens of main generals of the Pinglu Army.
What a shocking combat power this is!
The rest of the soldiers were stunned on the spot, their morale shaken.
"Why don't you just surrender?!" Bai Fu pointed at the tower and shouted sharply.
Bai Fu's thunderous roar was deafening. The Pinglu army on the tower felt a thunder blast in their ears and was frightened out of their wits.
I don't know who dropped his weapon first, but the other soldiers followed suit and surrendered one after another. Thousands of soldiers took off their helmets, discarded their swords and guns, opened the city gate, lay down on the roadside, and begged for mercy.
…
The main generals of the Pinglu Army who were injured but not dead were tied up with five flowers and brought to the front of Bai Fuma one by one.
"General, what should we do with them?" asked Hu Luchong, the leader of the forward camp.
"Show your heads to the public!" Bai Fu said with a cold tone: "Give their heads to Tian Shengong. Tell him that if he dares to play tricks on me again, I will make the heads of his Pinglu army into a Jingguan!"