Boyan continued: "When the Southern Dynasty army entered the Shifo Temple area, our army immediately dispatched and besieged it from all directions. As long as we can attack all the way, we can give full play to the speed advantage of our cavalry army and attack the artillery camp directly. The musketeers of the Southern Dynasty engaged in close combat with our army. Generals, according to Boyan's estimation, the Southern Dynasty's attack on Dengzhou only bombarded the south gate and did not besiege it. The reason is that its firearms can only have the greatest effect if they are used intensively. Therefore, our army only needs to adopt a multi-channel attack method to disrupt their firearms pattern."
Ah Shu nodded and asked: "General Shi, in your opinion, if the Southern Dynasty army lost their firearms, would our cavalry have an advantage in the field battle?"
Shi Yuqi said: "Commander, there should be no doubt about this. It is said that even the emperor of the Southern Dynasty once said that in mobile warfare, they are inferior to the cavalry of our dynasty."
"Mobile warfare." Boyan said thoughtfully. "This word is used very well. General Shi, you are familiar with the Southern Dynasties. Do you think this method is feasible?"
"If we can surround the Song army within a certain area and use archers to fight firearms, we may be able to fight. However, the Southern Dynasty army also has nearly 100,000 people. Although the artillery battalion moves slowly, its use of throwing bombs is very simple. Therefore, it is also It is not an easy task. The general believes that the multi-pronged attack mentioned by General Boyan is a feasible method. If the Song army can be cut into two sections, and then the superior forces can be concentrated to attack one section first, there may be a better chance of winning."
Ali Hague asked: "General Shi, how can our army be divided into two parts?"
Shi Yuqi said: "Form a death squad, led by the Cavalry Shield Army. Attack from both wings and force a breakthrough."
Ah Shu said: "General Shi's method also has merit. Generals, just speak freely. No matter whether it has any effect or not, you can raise it."
About an hour later, the generals of the Yuan army still could not agree on the details of the attack. Although various methods had their merits, there was always one problem that could not be overcome. That was how to break through the Song army's firearm array.
Ali Hague was a little irritable. He couldn't help but patted the table and said: "Commander, the final general is willing to lead the death squad to attack the enemy."
"Wait a minute." Ah Shu stared at the table in front of Ali Hague and suddenly said without thinking. "Table. Table."
"What does table mean?" Ali Hague said without knowing what was going on. He also looked at the table in front of him.
"The shield is too small. Even the shield of the Divine Force cannot protect many people. I just thought about it. Is it possible to use a table instead of a shield?"
Boyan reacted very quickly. He smiled and said: "Commander, it is completely feasible. Just cover the table with a layer of iron sheet and then cover it with a wet quilt. According to Boyan's judgment, the musket cannot penetrate Even if you encounter a fire bomb, you can be mostly fine just by hiding under the table. Of course, except for the artillery. General Shi, you brought a musket this time. We will know after a try. If this method works, then The cavalry takes the big shield first, and the infantry takes this kind of table first. It should be able to greatly slow down the damage caused by muskets to our army."
Shi Yuqi said: "You can give it a try. The general also thinks that it is difficult for a musket to penetrate."
"Okay then. Take action immediately. Akhan."
"The end will be here."
"Go and call all the outstanding craftsmen from Nanyang to the Commander's Mansion. I believe that even the cavalry can use the modified table."
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief. I will obey the order."
Regardless of whether it was effective or not, a method that seemed feasible was finally found. This made all the Yuan army generals very angry. Half an hour later, all the outstanding craftsmen from Nanyang City and the Yuan Dynasty's middle route army came to Shuai Shuai. The martial arts training ground in the mansion.
Shi Yuqi personally raised the gun and fired one shot at targets five meters away, ten meters away, and twenty meters away. After test firing, it was found that the gun could not penetrate the processed tabletop ten meters away, even at a distance of five meters. The effect of the musket was not great at a distance. Although it barely penetrated the table, it did not damage the objects placed behind the table.
Ah Shu said loudly: "Okay. General Arakhan. You will be responsible for supervising it. Make it immediately."
"Yes. Marshal."
The city wall near the south gate of Dengzhou City almost completely collapsed under the repeated bombardment of fifty-five artillery pieces. I raised my telescope and looked north through the intervals of artillery smoke. There was no one on the city wall.
"They all ran away."
After receiving my instructions, Lu Wenhuan gave the order. As the vanguard, the soldiers of the Second Cavalry and the Zhongshun Army, led by Wu Songhan and Meng Tianxiang, immediately rushed towards the city gate. They did not encounter any resistance. When the cavalry of the Second Cavalry After rushing into the city gate with the Zhongshun Army, they found that all the defenders in the city had evacuated.
About a quarter of an hour later, a scout came to report. The city defenders had already retreated from the north and east gates of Dengzhou City when I was bombarded by artillery.
Although Dengzhou City is not big, it has been an important military base in southern Henan for more than a hundred years. Since it belonged to the Jin Kingdom in 1141, Dengzhou has become the bridgehead of the long-term confrontation between the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Kingdom. After the Mongols destroyed the Jin Dynasty, it became the Mongolian The forefront of the southern invasion.
From the outside, the city walls of Dengzhou City look similar. But when you enter, you will find that the city is in a state of depression.
I walked around the city and saw that all the houses were closed and there was no one around. There was no lively scene of being "liberated" at all. "Generals, is this Dengzhou City empty?"
Jiang Wanzai said: "Probably not. When Duanping entered Luo, our army also recaptured Dengzhou. The scene at that time was the same as today. All the people in the city were hiding in their houses. No one dared to go out."
"Is this why the people of Dengzhou are willing to accept the bullying of the Mongols but do not welcome our army?" My thinking may still be stuck in the movies and TV shows of later generations. Once the People's Liberation Army invades, there will be uprisings everywhere. People holding red flags and chanting slogans.
Jiang Wanzai smiled and said: "Your Majesty, this is not true. Dengzhou City has experienced many wars. Whether it is the Song Army, the Jin people in the past, or the Mongols now, the people in the city are wary. In From their point of view, no matter who comes, they are always the ones who suffer."
Speaking of this, Jiang Wanzai shook his head, his expression became a little gloomy and said: "Your Majesty, I once heard my colleagues in Dengzhou say that when our army passed through Dengzhou and headed for Bianjing, some people in the city were still Those who are willing to provide all kinds of help are all Han people after all. However, when our army retreated and came to Dengzhou again, our officers and soldiers robbed everywhere because they had no food. Alas..."
I sighed, thought for a while and said, "Let's continue to publicize the policies related to our army."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Lu Wenhuan said. "The General held a special meeting on this last night. Anyone who disturbs the people will be dealt with according to military regulations. After entering the city, the General has sent people to post notices to calm the people everywhere."
"Well, generals, do you know anyone in the city?"
Wang Anjie, deputy commander of the Central Route Army, said: "Your Majesty, the general's ancestral home is Dengzhou. The Wang family has the surname of Dengzhou. There must be many Wang family members in the city. But the general has never been to Dengzhou before, and has never seen these. A person of my own clan.”
"General Wang, do you know where your people live?"
"The late general once heard from my late father that the Wang Family Ancestral Hall is located in the northeast of Dengzhou City, next to Huazhou Academy."
"Huazhou Academy. I know. During the Qingli period of our reign, Fan Zhongyan, who was then the magistrate of Dengzhou, built a lecture hall in an academy. There is a Jiangnan-style garden on the east side of the academy. It is called Baihuazhou. There is a Lanxiu Pavilion in it. "Chunfeng Pavilion, etc. Therefore, the academy got its name."
Wang Anjie said: "Your Majesty is very knowledgeable. The last general is from Dengzhou. But I don't know his origin."
I chuckled and said, "General Wang, go to your ancestral hall to visit."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After a while, Huazhou Academy came into view.
It was very different from what I imagined. This famous academy in the Northern Song Dynasty was dilapidated. When I walked closer, I saw a stone tablet in front of the academy door. On it was engraved a poem written by Huang Tingjian himself. This poem was written in It's written in cursive script. But I can't quite read the handwriting on it.
Gongsun Xiaochen said: "Your Majesty, I have learned cursive script at the end of the year. What is written on it is: 'Fan Gong planted a bamboo pavilion by the water. He wandered to visit a guest star. The divine principles should not be extinguished from now on. The grass and trees are still green for a hundred years.'"
"Although the grass and trees are green for a hundred years, this place of study has been abandoned." I sighed. "Huazhou Academy has been ups and downs for a hundred years. It has witnessed the rise and fall of our dynasty. I should learn from it."
"Brother, do you want to go in and have a look?"
I shook my head and said, "No need. When this place regains its glory during the Wen Zhenggong (Fan Zhongyan) period, I will come here again when I have free time."
After passing Huazhou Academy and walking forward for more than ten meters, I saw a simple ancestral hall with a closed door.
"It should be right here." Wang Anjie said.
"General Wang, go in and see if there is anyone inside."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wang Anjie walked to the door. He knocked "bang, bang, bang" for a long time. Then the door opened a small crack. A head poked out from inside. He whispered: "Jun, what's wrong, Lord Jun?"
"Old man, don't be afraid. My late father, Wang Jian, is here on Wang'an Festival. I'm here to pay homage to my ancestors."
"Wang Jian, Wang Zhongzhuang."
"It's my late father." Wang Anjie said as he handed a jade pendant to the old man who opened the door.
Wang Jian was a native of Pengqiao, Dengzhou. He first joined the Zhongshun Army. Later, he followed Meng Gong and fought in the north and south. He knew Hezhou (today's Chongqing). In the sixth year of Baoyou (1258), the Mongolian Khan Meng Ge personally supervised the battle at the foot of Hezhou City. Wang Jian ordered people to fire cannons and severely wounded him. The next day, he made two 30-pound fresh fish from the pond into pancakes and threw them to the Mongolian army below the city. He also wrote to Meng Ge, "I will attack the city for another ten years. The city will also be destroyed." "Not available". After Meng Ge read it, he burst out in pain. Soon he died under Diaoyu City. In the fifth year of Jingding (1264), Wang Jian passed away. He was given the posthumous title of "Zhongzhuang".
"An Jie. Not bad. An Zisheng. The jade pendant is also good. It is the token of my Wang family in Dengzhou." The old man looked at the front and continued. "An Jie. Are you the Song Army?"