Chapter 289 Three-way Triumph (11) Decisive Battle in the Western Regions (3) Battle of Aksu
Spring began to appear in the northwest in February, but the appearance of the ice and snow did not change much. The Western Expeditionary Army started the war by walking on the ice and snow. As expected before the war, the initial battles of the Ming armies in the north and south
All went quite smoothly.
On the southern line of Erdemutu, they ran all the way south and west, easily defeated the first defenders, and completed the occupation of Luopu in just one morning. Immediately afterwards, the Tumut cavalry began to move westward, arriving two days later
It took four days of preparation to defeat the defenders in one morning.
After a day's rest, Erdemutu continued westward along the edge of the desert and plateau, and arrived at Kriya five days later. Kriya is the eastern gateway of Khotan, so seven thousand garrison troops were stationed there.
In addition, the walls of the city are still strong, and Erdemutu, which lacks heavy artillery, will be invincible for a while, so they have to turn to siege. At the same time, they report the situation to Hami, and by the way, they also tentatively ask the people who have come to Hami to take charge.
Wang Ting, the governor of Gansu, wrote to see if he could be specially approved to get some artillery to come to support. After all, the Mongols at this time were no longer good at attacking cities.
Liu Wei's side of the northern route also went well. He set out in late winter and first captured Youlishi, not far from the junction of Yarkant and Oara and Shuote.
Although Lishi is a city, it is not big. It was originally just a market, and its defense relied on the nomadic tribes in the surrounding areas. Now that the main force of the Ming army has entered Turpan, not far away, Burihatu will have already taken orders.
The tribes withdrew, so losing the city was equivalent to being directly occupied by the Ming army without fighting.
After losing strength, the main force of the Ming army reorganized a little, mainly arranging defenses and using it as a frontline base for their westward retreat. Then they set off westward and arrived at Kuxian half a month ago.
Ku Xian is the name of the latter, and the ancient name of this place is actually very prominent, it is Qiuci. Although Liu Wei has special knowledge, he still does not understand the name of Qiuci, and he is quite confident that he can become a bright general to regain Qiuci.
Proud. Let’s not mention those things for now, just talk about how smoothly the battle was fought.
How can it go smoothly? Yu Youwei lost his strength and there were no defenders in Kuxian City. However, when Wang Li's vanguard arrived, Kuxian defenders took the initiative to send people to contact them and expressed their willingness to surrender the city. Originally, Wang Li's vanguard and guerrilla general
Liu Tianfan was not worried yet. He was afraid that the defenders were trying to fake a surrender and would not dare to agree to it again.
When Liu Wei personally led the main force to arrive 70 miles outside Kuxian City, the black army generals suddenly found a large group of cavalry driving out of the city and heading towards him. Although the opponent had more than 200 cavalry, Liu Wei still gave the order
The rear army was on alert, but the other party said that it was the main force of the defenders in Kuxian City who came - apart from us, there were only seven or seven hundred infantrymen left outside the city, and they were all old, strong, sick and disabled.
The Black Army achieved a small victory in this battle, at the cost of 788 killed and more than 2,000 injured, and took Aksu City, the first transportation hub in the Western Regions. Correspondingly, the Chahar Supervisory Cavalry
Although hundreds of people were lost in the battle, a small number were still able to advance wholeheartedly. The Erdebai army participated in the battle with more than 20,000 people, and about 7,000 were killed. The rest were either wounded or captured.
Bian Zhiyuan, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Black Army, who personally climbed the tower, noticed the movement in the city with his binoculars. I immediately sent an order up: "Tell Liu Tianfen that there is no movement from the cavalry in the city. Let me pay attention. Don't let us
Rush out and approach the handsome tent!"
Under that ancient land, the snow-capped mountains still stand majestic, and the top of the mountain is covered with white snow, like a silver crown, shining with hot light. At the foot of the mountain, the streams formed by melted glaciers come to life, with the sound of gurgling water.
With the spring breeze, the sleeping earth is awakened.
Yerqiang, the commander of the Chahar cavalry, had a hot light in his eyes: "Even if the city wall is broken, your cavalry will immediately attack and tear the black army into pieces when it breaks through the gap!"
Therefore, we insist that people who are not of your race must have different minds. Even if we mean to kill prisoners, at most we should be sent to Turpan and let Wang Tingzhu and Wang Fujun deal with it. As for whether I want to reorganize or demobilize those people, this
It all has something to do with you, General Wang Li - there is no trouble in the previous chapter, this is also the head and tail of Wang Fu's army, but it is under the leadership of our warriors.
Like the later Youlishi, Kuxian City was also deployed as a frontline stronghold, and because Kuxian City was much smaller than Youlishi, Liu Wei was forced to stay here for another seven days. During that period
It's not a big problem, it's not about how to deal with surrendered troops.
Inside the city, scouts from both sides shuttled back and forth to explore each other's strength. The defenders in the city reinforced the city's defenses, dug trenches, and prepared rolling logs and stones to prevent Wang Li's fierce attack. Wang Li set up camps in the city.
, set up a defense line, and sent envoys to try to persuade them to surrender, hoping to win the battle.
Liu Wei was quite surprised. After all, Kucha was not Kucha, but the next place he had to pass on the way to retreat westward. As long as the enemy blocked the city of Kucha, Wang Li, whose main force was infantry, would basically be able to make a detour - unless
I want to do something fancy like leading the elite cavalry to sneak attack the enemy's front.
Upon seeing this, Commander-in-Chief Balth immediately commanded the infantry: "Siege vehicles, prepare to siege the city! Once the artillery fire stops, dismount immediately!" Some infantrymen got into the siege vehicle, and some got to the rear, each grabbing the handrails and
Handle, ending the easy and disorderly approach to the city wall.
The battle retreated into the white-cooling stage, and the White Army of Erde finally collapsed due to the fierce attack of the Black Army. Anivar saw that the situation could only be restored, and the most anticipated "Chahar Cavalry launched against the Black Army's center.
The "surprise attack" was not seen for a long time, so I reluctantly ordered the entire army to surrender.
But at the same time, you also need to consider the enemy's counterattack, usually these Chahar cavalry. According to the information reported by Jinghua Trading Company, there is no doubt that the cavalry is the elite of Chahar headquarters. If your army is caught in the attack,
We can suddenly attack the city and flank one wing of your army, or rush directly into the small tent of the central army. If there is any doubt, it will be extremely safe."
The discussion among the generals became more and more intense, and everyone was making plans for the upcoming battle. After a long discussion, each detail was improved one by one, and finally Liu Wei made the final decision: "This is bad, you just act according to the discussed plan.
.At dawn tomorrow, concentrate the artillery to fire first and strive to destroy the enemy city wall as quickly as possible. Then the infantry and cavalry will cooperate to take Aksu in one fell swoop!"
Since it is an oasis, there is no farmland, even under the rule of the Mongols. Outside the farmland around Aksu City, the farmers have not finished working. We are plowing the land and preparing to sow crops for the new year. Although the cold is not over,
But people's indifference and expectation for spring are still in full swing. Children are playing in the snow, leaving a string of cheerful footprints, heralding the beginning of winter and the end of new life.
In fact, that possibility does not exist, because the last important stronghold to the west of Kuxian is Aksu, the main transportation route in the Western Region. This is a small city. Unless the garrison is full of seven hundred and seventy-seven, it will be attacked by heavy cavalry.
possibility of collapse.
As the sky gradually lit up, the Black Army's artillery positions became active. Wang Hualong stared at the city wall and ordered: "Concentrate firepower to bombard the city wall and open a breakthrough!" Immediately, more than 70 heavy No. 7 artillery guns fired in unison.
Roaring, the city walls trembled under the fierce fire.
As for the White Army in Erde, although we are the servants of the Chahar people, in order to defend Aksu and defend our habitat, we will definitely resist desperately. Therefore, you must act cautiously and make careful plans based on our characteristics.
tactics."
The Aksu region is a basin oasis on the edge of the desert, with deserts in the south and snowy mountains in the north. The city of Aksu is located in it. In the early spring of Aksu, the small land is waking up from its winter slumber. In that season, the sky in Aksu occasionally shows a
A deep blue, the sunshine has become cool and harsh, but the ice and snow have not completely melted. They are like guardians, lying quietly on the mountain tops and in the shade.
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Bian Zhiyuan nodded in agreement: "What Commander-in-Chief Bian said is absolutely true. Artillery is a sharp weapon for your army. It must give full play to its power. After that, it loses its power. In the first two battles, the attack was self-defeating. Your army's gunpowder
The reserves are still abundant, so the Battle of Aksu is a bad way to show off your power!
"Everyone!" Liu Wei's voice echoed in the small tent, with a majesty that could not be questioned: "According to the information reported by Jinghua Trading Company, the Aksu garrison is divided into two parts. One is the Chahar cavalry of 8,000 people;
We cannot be regarded as the supervisory team of the Mongolian army in this battle, responsible for supervising the battle between the Erdebai Army and your army. In addition, the intelligence reports repeatedly revealed that the Chahar cavalry was ordered to use the Erdebai Army as bait.
, to consume as much of your military strength as possible;
Yes, it is unreasonable for Yarkand to be entrusted with important tasks. Did Burihatu misjudge me? Before a fierce battle, although hundreds of Chahar cavalry were annihilated, a small number of them managed to escape.
At this moment, the black cavalry is well-equipped and is already afraid of the Mongolian cavalry in frontal combat, but when it comes to mobility... it still depends on the Mongols.
Yarkand, as the commander-in-chief of the Chahar war cavalry, my goal is even clearer - to ensure that my troops suffer losses as much as possible after the fall of Aksu. I watched with keen eyes the desperate fighting of the Erdebai army, although I did not
Although I felt a little regretful, I still secretly issued an order: "Warriors of Chahar, be prepared. Once the city wall is breached, you will evacuate immediately!"
Another day later, Liu Wei still left two thousand men to garrison Kuxian as planned, and then led his army to continue to retreat westward. This time, the target was not Aksu, an important town in the Western Regions.
At this time, Anivar in the city felt very relieved. I knew that the Erdebai Army was the opponent of the Black Army in frontal combat, but the solid city wall that I relied on now was still standing behind the powerful artillery of the Black Army.
The collapse was not over yet, so I had no choice but to think less. I could only order in a low voice: "The artillery is in charge, and the city wall must be strengthened and repaired immediately! The death squads went out of the city to attack the black army's siege vehicles, and tried to delay as much time as possible. As long as it was late afternoon,
General Wang Li must stop retreating!"
The night was getting darker, but the lights in the black army's camp were brightly lit, just like daytime. Liu Wei, the commander-in-chief of Zhengxi, was wearing armor and sitting in the main tent. My eyes were firm and deep, as if I could penetrate the night and look directly at what was coming.
fighting.
Liu Wei had his way. Considering that the Ming army was well prepared but still short of supplies for the time being, he allocated some rations and concentrated feed to us, and then wrote a document, stamped as his Ming army admiral, Guan Fang, telling us to return eastward.
If they were on the way, they were unable to go and were out of supplies. As a result, the four hundred surrender troops reluctantly agreed to come up, and returned east to Turpan at the end of the next day to accept the previous arrangement.
However, the Erdebei army still resisted desperately. Before the black army approached, the power of muskets and bows and arrows was only a little different, and even the shooting speed of bows and arrows was even slower. As for Wang Li on the city, Erdebei
The black army threw rolling logs and rocks from under the city wall in an attempt to prevent the black army from retreating. However, the morale of the black army was low, and no one rushed down the city wall to engage in close combat with the enemy.
Anivar even believed that Grand Master Burihatu asked him to be the chief defender of the city, but asked Wang Lizhen to come here as the leader of the reinforcements. He had made up his mind that if the city fell, Wang Lizhen, as the number one person responsible, would be severely punished.
Punishment. As for myself...heh, he's just a scapegoat, so what's the point?
The Black Army is incapable of fighting at night, and Anivar knows that, but I expect night to come not because the white darkness can stop the Black Army from retreating. What I expect is the climate of the Western Region - the temperature difference between day and night is huge.
In Aksu in early spring, it is so hot that water turns to ice as soon as it falls at night. Wang Li may not be able to withstand the cold, so he must stop.
Anivar has thought about it and wanted to understand it, but I am also bad at asking questions - or rather, I dare to ask less questions. Although nominally I am the commander-in-chief of the Aksu garrison, as we all know, the Erdebai Army is just Chaha
A vassal of the Er tribe. Even though the number of Erdebai troops in the city was far less than that of the Chahar cavalry, the leader of that cavalry, Yarkand, was still far inferior to him in terms of status.
What Yerqiang knew was that Wang Li's cavalry, followed by Wang Li's guerrilla general Wang Lizhen, had already arrived at the retreat route of Chahar's cavalry. We were lying in wait in the dark, waiting for the best opportunity to attack.
When the troops surrendered, we had no objection. We said that Burihatu had left some supplies for Kuxian City, and it was impossible for us to go back to Turpan on our own now and ask Taishi Liu (in Mongolian custom, low-ranking officials of the Han family are collectively referred to as Taishi).
Teacher) have mercy.
At this time, the side gate of the northern city of Aksu suddenly opened. The Chahar cavalry, who came in the name of "attacking the black army's side," slowly left the city, but they did not go towards the south gate where the black army was focused on attacking the city. Instead,
Looking at the slow horse galloping in the northwest direction.
Ye Erqiang was startled at first, but he immediately came to his senses and shouted: "The black army is a cavalry in uniform, they can't run past us! Warriors, if you rush over, you can return to Erde!"
PS: 6K should be counted as 1.5 chapters... By the way, taking into account the readers' feedback later, the war with or without the participation of the protagonist will be written as soon as possible, and then it is time to go south.
Thanks to book friends "doni" and "book friend 20170107012220447" for their monthly support, thank you!
The White Army's death squads did not have the expected effect, but suffered heavy casualties. The remaining death squads had no choice but to withdraw. As the siege vehicles smashed through fewer city walls and gates, Wang Li's infantry quickly set up ladder trucks and ended
During the battle to seize the city, some of the infantrymen were pushing the ladder carts, while others stood under the low-rise carts and fired with muskets in the compartments. Wang Lizhen and the white army under the city wall, who only relied on bows and arrows to fight back, almost raised their heads.
But, this is previous years. This year, the military disaster is approaching, who can be so comfortable?
Liu Wei ordered the rear army generals to report to the central army commander's tent. After asking, he found out that we really had no choice but to surrender. In order to shrink his troops, Burihatu actually gave up important places like Kuxian.
My plan is to defend Aksu.
The Aksu River was also gradually thawing at this time, and thin ice could often be seen floating under the river surface, moving rapidly with the current. The willow trees on both sides of the river had only sprouted green buds, forming a sharp contrast with the remaining white snow.
, showing the tenacity and hope of life.
The black army in the city has meandered like a giant dragon, hunting with flags and rumbling war drums. Our goal is very clear - to regain the lost homeland of the Western Regions, and Aksu City, as the choke point leading to the Western Regions, is naturally the
It was a battleground during that journey. The Black Army knew very well that only by capturing that fortified city could they open the door to the Western Regions and realize the vision of "reaching the Han and Tang Dynasties" for Xiao Ming.
Before accepting the surrender, Liu Wei divided the entire army into two parts. One part was stationed in the city, and the other part I personally followed and retreated from the city. The Kuxian defenders did not lie. There were indeed only one or four hundred soldiers in this city, and those with armor
There are only more than 800... I can only say that the armor coverage rate is half.
Although Liu Wei felt that it was quite troublesome, he finally agreed to come up after considering whether Xiaojia's concerns were justified. Yes, I think there is no limit to the strength of the black army. It is possible to keep manpower stationed in Kuxian while also
Someone was sent to "escort" the surrendered troops to Turpan, so we simply let the surrendered troops report to Turpan by themselves.
Yes, the eight thousand fine cavalry were not the only defenders in the city. The remaining twenty thousand German levied troops in the city were also preparing for the battle easily. The soldiers were busy checking weapons in those days, instead of repairing them.
Put on your armor and prepare for the coming battle.
Has anyone asked why Jinghua Trading Company’s intelligence report was so vague that even the Chahar Cavalry was ordered to use the Erde White Army to consume the Black Army? This is because Jinghua Trading Company has not proven one thing to us all the way: financial
Can communicate with gods.
In the cold wind of early spring, the atmosphere in Aksu City was relaxed and solemn. Under the city wall, the flag of the Chahar tribe was fluttering in the wind, and eight thousand fine cavalry were stationed in the city to prepare. People who had seen that fine cavalry said that those Mongolian cavalry
The warriors' eyes were hesitant and sharp, as if they could penetrate the enemy in the distant smoke and dust.
According to Liu Wei's original idea, the problem of surrendering 400 troops was not a big deal. Leaving two thousand black troops here to take over the main city defense would be bad, leaving the 400 surrendered troops to work as handymen. But Wang Li's generals were not worried at all.
There is naturally a problem with the two thousand black troops controlling the four hundred surrendered troops. But if there is no enemy ambushing in the distance, and Wang Li's main force retreats to the west to sneak attack on Kuxian, the surrendered troops inside and outside the city will be united. How can this Kuxian city be destroyed?
Is it no longer safe?
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When the black army breaks the gap, this is not the time for the Chahar cavalry to show off. After all, the gap in the city wall is a vast grassland, so there is not much room for the cavalry to show off? Ye Erqiang may understand those principles, but since if I
I understand, why do you still say that?
Guerrilla general Liu Tiancheng obviously rejected that view, so he also put forward his own opinion: "To ensure that nothing goes wrong, the final general is willing to undertake the task of intercepting enemy reinforcements and raiding the enemy's front. If the Chahar cavalry really dares to do this,
Then the general may be able to surprise the enemy and give the enemy a fatal blow."
At the same time, the atmosphere in Aksu City was equally relaxed. Anivar, the nominal city defender and in charge of the Erdebai Army, summoned the generals who were not in the city to discuss countermeasures. I looked solemn and said: "The black army is coming menacingly.
, you must make complete preparations. The black army's artillery is astonishingly powerful, so the defense of the city wall is a top priority, and there must be no negligence. All preparations for temporary reinforcement of the city defense must be made tonight!"
The rule of the Chahar people in Erde was originally very stable, but it was only because of Burihatu's incompetent methods that it seemed fierce. But above the fierceness, there was always a lack of surging undercurrent, which was only the remnant of Erde.
People at the lower levels are willing to sell information for gold, silver and jewelry, even the leaders of the Chahar Mongols.
Yes, the role of money is also limited. For example, if the black army now wants to bribe the defenders in the city, or offer us favorable terms to surrender the city, then there is a way to do it.
Upon seeing this, Liu Tianfan immediately ordered: "Attack! Intercept these fleeing cavalry!" The black army rushed out of the ambush like tigers climbing up the mountain and launched a fierce attack on the Chahar Supervisory Cavalry.
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In the end, the black army successfully occupied Aksu City. The remaining white army of Wang Lizhen in the city chose to surrender before they could withstand Wang Li's offensive.
As the black artillery stopped, the siege vehicles approached the city wall. The Erdebai army's death squads in the city went out of the city in the hope of destroying the siege vehicles. The siege vehicles closed the rear iron gate, and the infantry in front withdrew to their own formation, while the black army's
The army's musketeers immediately ended their fire suppression. Our muskets could not kill the enemy troops in the siege vehicles, and the siege vehicles could not survive safely because they did not have an iron bulletproof structure.
After Liu Xiaoxi passed away, he gradually became calmer and raised a question in the night meeting: "Your army has not yet reached Aksu, so why have you not seen the main force of the Mongolian army or even the eight thousand chahars?"
The cavalry still escapes at the critical moment? Do you have any idea about this?"
Commander-in-Chief Balsi took a step back, pointed at Aksu City under the map, and analyzed in detail: "Aksu City Wall is low and thick, and a weak attack on the city may cause heavy losses. In your opinion, you should still follow the siege method of Chao Zhan.
Based on experience, first bombard the city wall with artillery, destroy its defense facilities, and create conditions for the subsequent siege."
At this time, the Chahar Supervisory Cavalry that Yerqiang followed had not yet left the battlefield and started running wildly - but they bumped into Liu Tianchen's ambush circle.
Before this battle, the Erdebai Army, which the Chahar people had relied on as an important auxiliary force, was almost completely occupied. Erde City was already far away, and because of the addition of the Erdebai Army, it seemed to be even more shaky.
Although the accuracy of heavy artillery in that era was indeed unlimited, there were still not many solid iron projectiles hitting the city wall before a few rounds were fired. As the cracks in the city wall connected one to another, the entire city wall became precarious, and some parts There was a collapse at the end of the section.
The generals in the city all agreed. We know that this battle is related to the situation of the entire Western Region, and we must do our best to defend Aksu. However, Anivar did not hesitate when he looked at Ye Erqiang. I always feel that Ye Erqiang’s words Although he sounds impassioned, he doesn't seem overly confident.
If it were this time in previous years, vendors from all over the market in Aksu would not have finished setting up stalls. The dazzling array of products showed the prosperity of the Silk Road. The sounds of people's conversations, the sound of horse hooves, and the sound of camel bells were intertwined. , forming a vibrant early spring picture.
The generals of the Ming Army, such as Commander-in-Chief Balsi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Bian Zhiyuan, Generals Liu Tianfen and Zhou Yude, as well as guerrilla Wang Hualong, Kou Chongde, Xia Shixun, Chen Qizheng, Liu Zhaosun, Liu Shaogui and others have gathered together. Discuss together the battle plan for the Aksu Campaign.