Five miles away, the cavalry formation is like a wall.
Flags and corner flags of various colors fluttered in the wind, making a soft "swishing" sound.
The horse was wearing a material bag and eating fodder happily. The soldiers on the horse were all as if they were facing a powerful enemy, stretching their necks and tilting their ears, listening to the movements of Qingshui City.
There was a strange sound like muffled thunder, and smoke and dust floated in the air, like a cloud, covering half of the sky.
But the strange thing is that Xicheng, which is close to Hu Jun, is quiet and peaceful.
From time to time, fast horses will come from the east and rush to Volo's flag to report to him.
The more urgent reports, the weirder Volo's expression becomes.
I thought that if the Wei army sacrificed their thunder weapons, the rebels would be defeated and Qingshui City would be destroyed in a matter of seconds.
But who would have thought that Yuan Ji’s fight would be so impressive?
Although he is like a tortoise, huddled in the city without even daring to show his head, as long as he can guard against the various firearms of the Wei army, Yuan Ji will be defeated even though he is defeated.
What's more, it has been nearly two hours since the beginning, and Yuan Ji has not shown signs of defeat, so he should be able to hold on until dark.
And as long as you survive the first day, you will naturally be able to survive the second and third days...
The news is getting better and better every time, and it also arouses the generals under his command to be ready to take action: Isn't the so-called thunder from the sky impossible to break?
Murong Gao took advantage of the opportunity and came forward: "Sir, can you let the last general take the blame?"
Volo frowned: "How do you assign it?"
Volo knows very well whether Murong Gao is guilty or not.
Regardless of whether he was afraid of death or acted decisively, it was an indisputable fact that thousands of men were prevented from dying by the weapons of the Wei army.
Just because he was afraid of shaking the morale of the army, and to avoid shaking the morale of the army, and hearing "thunder" was like a tiger, Fuluo had no choice but to charge him with "fear of war".
Murong Gao naturally knew it well, and the reason why he asked for help was simply to avoid being known as "cowardly and incompetent" and to avenge his shame...
"The Wei army has been fighting fiercely for a long time, but has not made any achievements. It must be physically and mentally exhausted, and its morale is greatly reduced. If there is no accident, the Wei army will retreat in the afternoon... Therefore, the last general thought that after nightfall, if Yuan Ji could be sent to send troops to contain his front,
If the last general uses armor and cavalry to charge into the rear formation, he will definitely be able to break through the Wei army's camp..."
It’s not a bad idea.
After all, the Wei army came in a hurry and attacked the city as soon as they arrived, without having time to set up a stronghold. And based on what we have seen in the past few days, the Wei army just set up a stronghold, which is probably just a trench and a vehicle formation.
When the moon is dark and the wind is high, if you use armor and horses to charge at it, it may not be impossible to defeat it.
Volo pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Yuanji will not agree... Now he wants the Wei army to retreat, so why would he take such a dangerous plan?"
It’s not just Mototsugi either.
If he dared to take risks, Volo would not have retreated five miles behind the city.
This is a plan to run away if something goes wrong...
Seeing Fu Luo's refusal, Murong Gao was not disappointed and bowed respectfully: "General, I will obey your order!"
If Murong Gao was a brave person, he wouldn't have escaped so easily in the previous battle. It was just a pretense, trying to gain some fame...
"Report..."
A loud roar came from a distance. Volo suddenly raised his head and saw a fast horse galloping from the east, without even stopping, it headed straight for the handsome flag.
Since the start of the war between the Wei army and the army of Wei, they have reported on their horses more than a dozen times, but none of them were as urgent as this time. The generals surrounding the commander's banner suddenly felt a sudden, and they had a bad premonition.
"Sir, Qingshui City is broken!"
Just like a thunderbolt hitting his head, Volo's ears were roaring and his head was buzzing.
How is that possible?
Just a moment ago, someone came to report that the Wei army had used thunder weapons and rockets one after another, but Yuan Ji defended them all tightly.
And just a moment later, Qingshui City suddenly collapsed?
Murong Gao asked anxiously: "But there was a traitor in the city, and he cooperated with the Wei army to break down the city gate?"
"Sir, there are no internal thieves. Was Qingshui City attacked by the Wei army from the front?"
"Could it be that a thunder weapon was used to blow down the city wall?"
"No... The Wei army used fire. They first broke through the shield wall of the defenders, and then fired a hundred thunders, causing them to be defeated..."
Fire?
Volo woke up a little and bit the tip of his tongue hard. With the severe pain, a smell of blood spread in his mouth, and he finally calmed down for a while.
"We have just made several inquiries, and they all say that Yuan Ji's defenses are adequate. Even if the Wei army's rockets hit the shield wall, it would go out in a moment. How did it break through now? Is it possible that the water in the city has been exhausted?" p>
The scout brigade commander suddenly lowered his head: "Sir, even the last general doesn't know..."
Don’t know?
What's the use of you?
Volo drew out the long knife from his waist and seemed to be about to chop it off on the head.
Fortunately, the scout had a sharp eye and spoke quickly, and argued hurriedly: "Your Majesty, you are aware... The east city that the Wei army stormed was like a meteor, and the rockets were like rain. Even the last generals dared to charge, and the horses were afraid to move forward. Therefore, we only dared to fight between the north and south cities."
Downstream exploration...
All the previous reports were learned from Yuan Ji, who was placed on the city to give us messengers. But this time, the city must have been broken too quickly, causing chaos among the defenders on the city. Therefore, when the city was broken,
No message has been received.
However, the general was afraid that he would miss your master's plan, so he had no choice but to send all his troops to explore the east city. He lost more than a hundred horses before he could get a glimpse of the military situation... Your Majesty, it is really not our incompetence..."
Volo's eyes were red with anger, and the long knife in his hand tightened again and again, but he couldn't cut it down.
He knew that the Scout Brigade was telling the truth, but his helpless fear was as boundless as the ocean tide, and it seemed that only killing people could make him feel more at ease.
No one dared to dissuade him, including Murong Gao, who was accustomed to taking advantage of the situation and always pretending to be a good person.
After gritting his teeth for a long time, Fuluo let out a sudden breath, as if his air sac had been punctured by a needle. In the blink of an eye, his body became exhausted: "Back off!"
Murong Gao's second guard had suffered heavy losses and had been placed in the rear by Fulo. If he wanted to retreat, he would be the one to clear the way. He had no choice but to ask cautiously: "May I ask, sir, where to retreat to?"<
/p>
"Is it possible to return to Longgan (the border between Tuyuhun and the Northern Wei Dynasty)?"
Fuluo suddenly became angry and slashed down with a sharp knife. It was just the back of the knife, "Bypass Qin An and retreat directly to Chencang..."
Fuluo was so frightened that he did not even dare to go to Qianyuan to join Yuan Li. Instead, he chose to go directly to Chencang, intending to join forces with the more powerful southern army.
The more important reason is: after Chencang is Wudu Town, and as soon as you leave the town pass, you will reach the realm of Tuyuhun.
Fuluo actually planned that if he couldn't resist Li Chengzhi even if he joined forces with the Southern Army, he would have no choice but to escape back to his lair...
Murong Gao didn't even dare to show a trace of anger. He covered his helmet and responded urgently: "I will obey the order!"
Following a few shouts, dozens of riders were seen running out of the Hu formation, running wildly from northwest to southeast.
This is the advance messenger, sent to Qin'an, Liyuan, and even the Southern Army that has already formed troops in Chencang.
Later, the 20,000-strong army began to break out of camp.
The formation of more than 20,000 cavalry running in unison is so spectacular that there is no need for rangers to detect it. The infantry attacking the city wall and the cavalry patrolling below the city can all see the smoke dragon rising into the sky in the southwest.<
/p>
Hu Jun wants to escape...
……
Shi Che's city wall was burned black, with broken bricks and rocks everywhere, as well as horrific corpses.
As if he wanted to vent all the sullenness that had been pent up for a long time, Li Zhang went crazy and ordered the artillerymen to hurl thunder into the city non-stop.
I really don’t know how expensive firewood, rice, oil and salt are. This is all Huang Chengcheng’s money...
Li Song almost felt distressed to death, so he ran over and whipped Li Zhang several times.
Not long after, the smoke and dust had dissipated, and there were no more standing figures on the east wall.
The moat has been filled in, and like a herd of sheep being let out of the pen, two thousand white-armored soldiers pushed the ladders across the building and swarmed toward the city wall like crazy.
Diao Zheng and Li Daoyuan were sitting on the horse, watching the Jingzhou soldiers who climbed to the top of the city effortlessly without encountering a single arrow or falling stone in the whole process. They were both happy and sighing.
"Li Shixian is so blessed that he can achieve great achievements even while lying down?"
"Who told you and me that we couldn't give birth to a son as promising as Duke Li?"
Diao Zheng sighed enviously and pointed towards the city: "Mr. Yuan County, summon the tiger cavalry and prepare to enter the city!"
Yuan Zhi responded loudly and ordered the soldiers to beat the drum.
At this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly came from the south wing. A horseman galloped over: "Captain, the entire Hu army battalion is dispatched, and it seems that they are going to turn south!"
"Report to the Duke quickly!"
……
"Moving from northwest to southeast instead of directly to the west? It seems that Volo still hasn't given up..."
Li Chengzhi sighed quietly, "Now that my troops are stretched thin, I can only rely on him. Well, report it to Li Shao quickly and ask him to be on strict guard against it..."
Li Shixian was a little worried: "I just received urgent news. The Confederate Army has already broken through the Yu and Luoyu Passes. I believe that at the latest tomorrow, all 100,000 Confederate troops will enter the pass. Now plus more than 20,000 fine cavalry from Fuluo
, it can be said that it is like a tiger with added wings. But Brother Yuan Bo (Li Shao) has less than 20,000 soldiers, how can he survive the enemy?"
"Father, don't worry! Even if the Southern Army enters the pass, they will not dare to launch a general offensive in a short time. At least they must first conquer the remaining pass cities in the north of the Qinling Mountains, otherwise they will be attacked from both sides.
Furthermore, now that Fuluo is about to retreat, there is no need to leave too many troops on the western front and at the Longshan passes. At least 20,000 infantry can be sent to Mianyin. It is enough to help Shibo hold on. He only needs to hold on for a few days and wait.
After I conquer Qin'an and recover the entire territory of Qinzhou, I will march eastward and then fight to the death..."
This is the truth, and Li Shixian naturally understands it. But he is still a little uneasy: "I'm afraid that the southern thieves will make a desperate move and sink the boat. What if after uniting with Fu Luo soldiers, if the enemy army comes out to attack Brother Yuan Bo
, what should I do if I wait?"
This possibility cannot be ruled out.
Li Chengzhi pondered for a long time, then raised his head and looked eastward with a gloomy look: "No big deal, I don't want this Qinzhou anymore..."
Li Shixian was shocked.
Is Li Chengzhi going to fight to the death with the Southern Army?
He wanted to persuade him, but when he saw the look of determination on his son's face, he turned around and said, "Don't try to deceive me as a father. Tell the truth: How many firearms are left?"
"Father, don't worry, there are still many. Enough to kill the Confederate soldiers..."
That’s good!
Li Shixian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing that the father and son stopped talking, Li Rui ran a few steps in a pretense, stood under the watchtower and called loudly: "Lang Jun, Governor Diao invites you to enter the city?"
So fast?
Li Shixian's heart skipped a beat and he looked around.
I don't know when, but the flag of "Rebel Governor Li" has been planted on the city. Many Jingzhou soldiers are taking care of their wounds, extinguishing fires, tying up prisoners, and collecting weapons.
The city gates were already wide open, and the cavalry lined up in a long queue and rushed into the city.
But the strange thing is that no matter whether it is on the city or in the city, there is no sound of swords fighting or shouts of killing?
Li Chengzhi explained in a low voice: "Using firearms to attack a city has such advantages. The difficulty is that the city cannot be broken. As long as the city is broken, few defenders will fight to the death, just because they are scared out of their wits. Just like Li
Song conquered the city of Touman, and it took three hours of thunder bombardment to defeat it. However, after entering the city, it only took a few moments before and after, and the whole city was captured without any help..."
Li Shixian couldn't help but feel chills in his heart when he mentioned Li Song's victory over Touman City: After Touman City was defeated, Li Song captured nearly 100,000 people alive, but in the end no one survived?
It was then that he realized with horror: Why did Li Chengzhi make so many arrangements as if he was guarding against thieves when he sent Li Song to lead his troops to escape to the West Sea?
First it was Li Liang, Huangfu Rang, and then Li Chenghong and Li Chengxue?
As strength grows, ambitions will continue to expand and never end...
"I remember you said the day before yesterday that some of the prisoners captured this time will be sent to Daqi?"
"Father has a good memory!"
Li Chengzhi complimented casually as he went down to look at the building.
"Why don't you take this opportunity to keep Li Song in the capital with you? Let Li Liang and Huangfu help Chengxue guard Lingbei, what do you think?"
Li Chengzhi's heart moved, and he remembered what Li Shixian had said before, advising him to "take precautions and take measures gradually."
"What my father said is true. However, neither the eldest brother nor the third brother has ever fought in battle and has no experience in running an army. Li Liang and Huangfu, on the other hand, have little experience and training, and neither has the style of a general."
Compared with Li Song, he is quite lacking in firepower. Therefore, for the time being, Li Song is still the most useful..."
Li Shixian thought for a while and sighed helplessly.
This is what Li Chengzhi often said: if you develop too fast, all kinds of disadvantages will appear quickly.
The Li family is so big that they can't find anyone who can replace Li Song?
He can, just like Li Song back then, just find a chance to fake death and escape.
But Li Chengzhi will definitely not agree.
It's not a taboo, but it's too wasteful...
Li Shixian had an idea: "How about letting your uncle die suddenly?"
Li Chengzhi was a little confused.
Why didn’t you think of it?
When my uncle followed his grandfather to guard Wuwei, he fought many battles with Tuyuhun and Rouran, and he served as the mayor of the town. Whether it was military or political management, he was even better than Li Song...
Li Chengzhi was very moved: "It's OK, but I don't know how to persuade my uncle?"
After all, this is a rebellion, and you have to keep your head in your belt to make a living. Who would dare to agree to it if they didn’t eat the heart of a tiger and the courage of a tiger?
"Why do you need persuasion?"
Li Shixian couldn't help but sneered.
There is no better son than a father!
When Li Qi was summoned to the capital, the reason why he brought Li Shiliang instead of Li Shixian was because Li Qi knew very well that Li Shiliang would rebel before he even arrived in the capital...
Li Shixian said with full confidence: "Leave it to my father!"
Seeing that there were many retainers downstairs, the father and son had a tacit understanding. Without further words, they got on their horses and headed for the city gate.
Just outside the entrance is the Wengcheng. The ground was bombed with pits and scorch marks everywhere.
Men, women, old and young were all kneeling on the ground, all tied up with flowers. They should be the family members of the rebel leader.
When he saw the leader, Li Chengzhi was slightly stunned: Yuan Yi?