The morning light is clear, the sun has not yet risen, and there is still a bit of chill in the air. There is a looming layer of mist floating on the fields and canals. The woods are dark, and it is difficult to see through the mist - inside and outside.
forest.
But the fleet on the river can be clearly seen from the woods. Pei Xingyan's expression is solemn, and there is a kind of pressure that cannot be concealed in his eyes. He is very clear about the role of kerosene in war, especially against heavy armored infantry and heavy armor.
The weapon of the cavalry.
Because of this, the general manager paid special attention to it and sent him to perform this task. Otherwise, sending an ordinary general Ying Yanglang would be enough.
The canal is wide. Although it is possible to hit the ship with a crossbow, it is of little significance. As long as the enemy ship's channel is slightly deviated to the east, their mission will fail. Xiao Yannian whispered from the side: "General, we can use water ghosts to sneak into the water
Go to the bottom and sink the ship."
Pei Xingyan shook his head, "Although this strategy is possible, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Once discovered by the enemy, it will easily lead to the failure of the entire mission. It is not the best strategy."
Zhang Ju, a nearby scout, said: "Or we can release the ship from upstream and set fire to the enemy ship when it approaches."
Pei Xingyan thought for a while, but still rejected, "Set fire is a good way, but our ships may not be able to get close to the enemy ships, and this strategy is not very appropriate."
Xiao Yannian wanted to say more, but Pei Xingyan smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "No need to say any more, I have a solution. You take a dozen brothers to patrol the front. If Dou Jiande sends troops to meet the ship, you inform me immediately."
Xiao Yannian nodded, got up, took a dozen brothers and rode horses along the path towards the north.
Pei Xingyan stared at the fleet until the fleet disappeared from his sight, then he turned back and said to the officers and soldiers: "Rest for another half an hour, and then set off!"
…
Pei Xingyan was not in a hurry to catch up with the fleet, but led his army to follow him from a distance, never entering the sight of the fleet. The Yongji Canal was too wide, which was not conducive to his attack. If he attacked rashly and was alerted by the opponent, the opponent would be in danger.
As long as he parked the boat on the other side, there was nothing he could do.
A surprise attack is like a wild beast hunting its prey. It requires patience to find the best opportunity and then hit it.
As night gradually fell, the fleet entered Yingao County, which was still five or six miles away from Yingao County. However, the fleet was about to turn at a place called Sanli Bridge and would leave Yongji Canal and sail into
—A branch canal.
This branch canal was dug by Dou Jiande last year. It is called Yinle Canal and is about fifty miles long. It crosses the Zhang River and reaches Leshou County. The branch canal is about ten feet wide and is completely within the range of the arrow.
Both sides of the Yinle Canal are also endless plains, dotted with farmland, villages and woods. Countless irrigation ditches are led from the Yinle Canal. A huge bucket waterwheel stands beside the canal, driven by the wind, slowly moving
Rotating, the water from the Yinle Canal is introduced into the irrigation ditch, nourishing the fertile land on both sides.
The soldiers on the fleet all looked tired. After two days and two nights of sailing, the fleet will arrive in Leshou County tomorrow morning, and they can have a good sleep.
But many people are full of worries. A war is about to break out in Leshou County. Can they escape this disaster?
There are also many people who look up at the stars in the sky, looking for their own stars in the lonely and boring night to see if they are bright or dim.
At this moment, the fierce sound of horse hooves came from the distance, like a series of continuous thunder. This was the momentum caused by thousands of horses running.
The trackers on the shore stopped one after another and looked to the south in horror. Their feet, which had become dull and numb, could still clearly feel the vibration of the earth.
The soldiers on the ship also stood up one after another, Zhang Yin drew his sword, and looked around nervously. They didn't know whether this was their own cavalry, or an enemy army sneak attack at night.
Dense black spots appeared in a forest in the south, like a group of wandering elves or souls in the misty wilderness.
But they were not elves, nor souls, but groups of cavalry filled with murderous intent. They rushed at lightning speed, getting closer and closer, and the sound of dense horse hooves broke the quiet night.
"Dang! Dang! Dang!", a shrill alarm sounded from the bow of the ship. The soldiers on the ship panicked into a group, and many people even jumped into the water and swam to the other side. The trackers had already been scared to death and ran away. The fleet lost power and was anchored.
In the river channel.
In the dark night, an overwhelming amount of arrows were fired at the fleet. The cavalry groups came and went quickly, like a black storm. The fleet soldiers also fired back, but the three-mile-long fleet seriously distracted the defenders' ability to fight back. Their bows and arrows
It poses no threat to the cavalry on the shore.
Some people kept screaming that they had been hit by arrows and fell into the water. The frightened soldiers jumped into the water one after another and swam desperately to the other side to escape. At this moment, the situation changed. The arrows shot by the Sui cavalry turned into rockets - clusters of them.
Balls of fire shot from the shore and were as dense as exploding fireworks, flying all over the sky.
Ships were constantly being set on fire, and large ships were burning in the river channels. One of the ships suddenly burst into flames, and a large amount of kerosene poured out from the ship. The entire water surface turned into a sea of fire, killing dozens of people who had no time to escape.
The soldiers were swallowed up instantly.
Another ship also burned violently, with flames soaring into the sky. Most of the soldiers guarding the ship did not know what they were escorting. This terrifying fire scared everyone out of their wits and they jumped into the water to escape.
On the south bank, there were still countless rockets fired at the ships, and almost all the ships were set on fire. At this time, Xiao Yannian rushed over and shouted: "General Pei, the enemy's 20,000 reinforcements are already ten miles away."
Pei Xingyan's eyes were cold, as if he hadn't heard anything, and he kept ordering soldiers to shoot at the ships. Only when all the ships were set on fire did he loudly give the order: "Evacuate!"
The three thousand cavalrymen quickly turned their horses and ran into the darkness, disappearing without a trace in a moment.
A quarter of an hour later, a supporting army composed of 8,000 cavalry and 12,000 infantry, led by General Cao Zhan, finally arrived, but what they saw was a sea of fire on the river and a fleet of about three miles long.
It turned into a fire dragon, shocking everyone.
…
…
At dawn, the news that hundreds of warships were attacked and burned by the Sui army reached Dou Jiande's camp. This news made Dou Jiande furious, and ordered the captain responsible for escorting the ships to be pushed out and beheaded. All soldiers who escaped back were killed every day.
He was beaten with a hundred sticks, and Cao Zhan, who was slow to respond, was also given thirty lashes and demoted.
All morning, Dou Jiande was extremely agitated. Perhaps he would not be so annoyed if he had hundreds of ships of military equipment. The key was that two thousand barrels of kerosene were destroyed, which made him extremely heartbroken. This was after he repeatedly negotiated with Li Mi.
He planned to use the military resources he had just promised to deal with the Sui army's heavy armored cavalry, but unexpectedly they were destroyed.
The disastrous defeat in Zhuoxian County - the fall of Qilipo and the destruction of military supplies - the series of defeats made Dou Jiande's confidence begin to waver. He felt that it was difficult for him to win this battle. He began to realize that he had made a major strategic mistake.
The battlefield should not be placed in Leshou County, but should be withdrawn south to Bohai County, or enter Douzigang, and use the complex swamp terrain of Douzigang to confront the Sui army.
But what he was thinking about at the time was to fight for Hebei, and he did not want to give up the territory. He wanted to gather an army of 300,000 to defeat the Sui army in one fell swoop. He thought well, but the cruel reality told him that even if he gathered an army of 300,000, he would still not be able to defeat the Sui army.
The opponent of the Sui army.
Dou Jiande was pacing back and forth in the big tent with his hands behind his back. At this time, the voice of the mastermind Kong Desao came from the tent, "Your Majesty, can I come in if you are a humble official?"
"Come in!"
A glimmer of hope arose in Dou Jiande's heart. Maybe Kong Desao could give him some good advice. The curtain opened and Kong Desao walked in.
"My lord, are you still angry about the burning of the ship?"
Dou Jiande sighed, "I'm not angry because the ship was burned, I'm frustrated because of the consecutive defeats. To be honest, I almost have no confidence."
Kong Desshao stroked his beard and helped him with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists. In the past, when Chu and Han were fighting for hegemony, Liu Bang lost consecutive battles, and finally succeeded in the battle at Gaixia. What's more, Your Majesty has only been defeated twice. The main force is still there, so the battle
It’s not the prince’s character to get frustrated before the fight even starts!”
In fact, Dou Jiande's character was tenacious and tenacious, and he never gave up despite repeated setbacks, which enabled him to finally unify Hebei and become the final winner among the heroes of Hebei.
But this time he lost confidence because of his deep fear of Yang Yuanqing and the Sui army. Including the fact that Yang Yuanqing shot him an arrow near Yongji Canal, which also left a shadow in his heart.
Dou Jiande walked slowly to the sand table and stared blankly at the city of Leshou County. He planted a flag behind Qilipo and Qilipo, indicating that the Sui army was there.
He suddenly turned around and asked: "Sir, if I withdraw the battlefield to the south now, is it feasible?"
Kong Desao shook his head, "I understand the prince's desire to withdraw the battlefield to the south, but this is not realistic. It is not so easy for an army of 300,000 to retreat. Even if the army retreats, what will happen to the hundreds of thousands of stones of food? Without food, the army will
How long can we support it? There are 100,000 main soldiers of the Sui army so close to us, will they not pursue us?"
Kong Desao's series of questions hit Dou Jiande's core. He also knew that it was too late to withdraw, unless he escaped overnight and escaped across the Yellow River. He sighed, squatted down and held his head. The anxiety in his heart was driving him crazy.
Already.
Kong Desao pondered deeply and said, "Your Majesty, why can't we send an army to bypass the main force of the Sui army and directly attack Shanggu County, destroy the Sui army's support supplies, and then enter Hedong from Feihuxing to encircle Wei and save Zhao?"
Attack the Sui army’s home base!”
Dou Jiande's eyes slowly brightened. The main force of the Sui army was in Hebei, and Hedong was bound to be empty. Even if Taiyuan City could not be captured, they could still harass Hedong and force Yang Yuanqing to withdraw. Thinking of this, he stood up suddenly and said, "Sir, this plan is
Damiao, how could I not have thought of it?"
Kong Desao smiled slightly, "It's not that the prince didn't think of it, but we have too few cavalry, only 30,000 cavalry. We must have cavalry to perform this task, at least 20,000 cavalry. Does the prince dare to make this bet?"
Dou Jiande pondered for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and said: "I can't bear to bear the child, but I can't catch the wolf. I have 30,000 cavalry, so I'll take this bet."
"Come here, please order Gao Yaxian to come see me!"