The smell of blood and desolation permeated the air. The cold wind howled outside the tent, mixed with the sound of running footsteps in the camp. Inside the tent, several Jurchen generals, led by Zong Wang, were discussing the war. Below, the fierce general Sai La, who led the army to attack the city, still had bloodstains on his body. Not long ago, he had personally led the elite troops to charge up the city walls, but the battle didn't last long before they were forced back by the swarming Wu dynasty reinforcements.
After a scout came to report the situation outside of Bianliang, the tent was silent for a moment. Zong Wang frowned at the front, and after a while, he waved his hand.
"If that's the case, the Wu dynasty has someone who can fight? Xia Village … Why were they defeated like that? "
His words were faintly filled with rage, and no one dared to respond. After a while, Mother Zha, who had just arrived from Motuo Hill, said, "In my opinion, it's possible that the Wu dynasty has gathered all the elites of the defeated army and wants to cut off their means of retreat and take a risk."
"The Wu dynasty's elites are only with their generals. Even if they can gather three hundred thousand defeated soldiers, how can they be used … But the general in the valley is said to be the son of the Wu dynasty's Right Minister. If you say so, it's not impossible." Zong Wang's face was gloomy as he looked at the battle map in the center of the tent. "Bianliang is defending to the death, forcing us to fight a quick battle, fortifying the walls and clearing the fields, cutting off our supply routes, and flooding the Yellow River. I've long felt that this was a scheme, and now it seems that I was right. And those firearms … "
When he received the letter earlier, he guessed that the person behind it had a great connection with the fortifying the walls and clearing the fields. Medicine Master Guo targeted the western army, but in secret, many clues about the fortifying the walls and clearing the fields should be connected to Xia Village. Of course, as the general, Zong Wang only had an impression of this matter. He didn't pay too much attention to it. But in the early morning of the twenty-fifth of September, when they defeated the two hundred thousand Wu dynasty troops, the Wu Rui Battalion had more than twenty large carriages explode, which made some of the generals attacking in this direction pay attention to it.
The Jurchens had originated from the wilderness, but in a short period of time, they had established a nation. This first batch of generals were not conservative, and they were especially sensitive to the various things on the battlefield. This included siege weapons and the firearms of the Wu dynasty. However, compared to most siege weapons, the firearms of the Wu dynasty were really flashy and impractical. Although there was an explosion that night, it didn't cause too many casualties on their side. Therefore, they didn't pursue the matter at that time. However, the one that appeared in Xia Village this time was different.
"Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren were defeated, and Medicine Master Guo must have known about it. This is his business, and he needs to break through this place. All I care about is Bianliang City! " As Zong Wang spoke, he slammed his fist on the table. "After attacking the city for several days, our army's casualties have already exceeded ten thousand. The casualties of the Wu dynasty are more than five times that of our army. Their battle prowess is so weak, but our army has still broken through the city's defenses several times. In the end, this city still can't be broken? Have you ever encountered something like this before!? "
Zong Wang's gaze was stern, and everyone had already lowered their heads. For them, the attack and defense in front of them were also incomprehensible. It wasn't that the Wu dynasty's army didn't have elites, but as Zong Wang said, most of their battle awareness and skills weren't that great. In the past few days, the Jurchens' elite troops and the siege machines had always been able to achieve results. In a head-on battle, even if the enemy mustered up their willpower, they were no match for the Jurchens' elite troops, not to mention that many of the Wu dynasty soldiers didn't have that kind of willpower. Once they were routed in a small area, the Jurchens killed them as if they were chopping melons and vegetables.
However, this kind of situation couldn't be expanded. On the battlefield, it wasn't the first time that the Jurchens had encountered a situation where the front line was routed and the rear troops fled like an avalanche. But this time, it was a small scale rout, and they were always suppressed in a small area.
On the city walls of Bianliang, after a small scale rout and massacre, the reinforcements of the Wu dynasty would swarm over. When they swarmed over, under the fierce attacks of the Jurchens, they would only be routed. However, the third and fourth troops would still swarm over, and the reinforcements from the rear would be like a vast ocean. In the end, it would actually create psychological pressure on the Jurchens.
What supported these people wasn't true bravery. They had never experienced this kind of high-intensity battle. Even though they were spurred on by their blood, when faced with blood and corpses, these people's reactions would slow down, their vision would narrow, and their heartbeats would speed up. In terms of pain tolerance, they were definitely not as good as the Jurchens' soldiers. For the true Jurchens, even if their stomachs were cut open or their legs cut off, they would still roar and stab the enemy. Ordinary small wounds wouldn't affect their fighting ability. But these people might be lying on the ground at the mercy of the enemy if they were stabbed once. Even in a head-on battle, five or six of them wouldn't be enough to exchange for the life of a single Jurchens soldier. This kind of defense shouldn't have been able to withstand a single blow.
But by now, the Jurchens had already lost more than five thousand people. Including the soldiers whose fighting ability had been affected by their injuries, the casualties had already exceeded ten thousand. In the city of Bianliang, who knew how many people had already died. Their city walls had been smashed in several places, and blood had been splashed over and over again before being roasted black by the flames. In the heavy snow, the soldiers on the city walls were cowardly and fearful. But as for when they would be able to break through this city, even the Jurchens before them weren't sure.
They would definitely be able to break through, but … did they really have to smash all of their soldiers in? Where was their bottom line? What exactly was it that pushed them to make such a desperate defense? It was really unimaginable just thinking about it. And at this time, the news of the battle in Xia Village was even more depressing.
"As the capital of a country, I admit that I had underestimated it before if I wanted to win a quick battle. However, the Wu dynasty used the residents of the city as their defending army. They might be brave for a while, but after a long time, the people in the city will definitely panic. When that time comes, I will flatten this city! Ten days without a sword! "
Bianliang City had a million residents. If they really wanted to exhaust the will of the people in the city in this kind of battle, the number of people killed on the city walls would probably be more than two hundred thousand. It could be imagined that at this stage, the army under his command would also suffer heavy casualties. But no matter what, this city in front of them had already become a place that had to be conquered! Zong Wang's fist pressed against the table. After a moment, he punched it and made a decision …
*****
Just when Zong Wang and the others were puzzled by the tenacity of this city, there were people in Bianliang City who were also surprised by the same thing. In fact, whether it was the people involved or not, no one had thought about the development of these days.
Zhou Zhe had already prepared to escape several times. News of the city's defense being broken came again and again, and the Female Zhenren being chased out also came again and again. He didn't pay attention to the city's defense anymore. Things in the world were just so strange. When he was mentally prepared for Bianliang to be conquered, sometimes he even felt strange and disappointed that the city was "defended again". But under the Female Zhenren's all-out attack, the city walls could actually hold for so long, which made people feel vaguely excited.
It turned out that the people in this city were so loyal. If it wasn't for the vast power of the king, how could the people's hearts be so useful?
In these two days, he saw some news of the people defending the city bravely and dying together with the Female Zhenren and the wolf. He also vaguely felt his blood boiling in his heart.
— It's not that we can't fight!
His current mentality could also be considered the mentality of many people in the city. At least in the propaganda in front of the public and in the battles over the past few days, everyone saw that the Female Zhenren wasn't really invincible. There were many brave people in the city who kept the Female Zhenren's army outside the city, and it seemed that there would be no exception in the future.
However, there was another news that came in the afternoon that made Zhou Zhe's mood more or less complicated.
He casually smashed the brush washer in front of the desk on the ground. But then he felt that he shouldn't do that. After all, it was more or less a good thing that came.
In Xia Village, Qin Shaoqian and the others had already been surrounded by the Victorious Army, but it seemed that … they had won a small battle.
Zhou Zhe felt that victory was still something to be happy about, but … the name Qin Shaoqian made him very uncomfortable.
Relying on the power of the Prime Minister's residence, he began to pull all the elite soldiers under his command. He was so brazen and had evil intentions!
The head eunuch, Du Chengxi, heard the sound of the brush washer smashing and rushed in. Zhou Zhe walked out from behind the desk, hands behind his back, and walked to the door of the study. The wind and snow were descending in the courtyard.
"Du Chengxi, war is fierce and dangerous. Only through adversity can a man's heart be known. Tell me, is the will of the people still on our side?"
He looked at the wind and snow for a while before speaking slowly. Du Chengxi hurried over and answered carefully, "Your Majesty, these few days, the generals and soldiers risked their lives and the subjects defended the city, killing the enemy bravely. This is the result of the hundreds of years of education of our Wu dynasty. Although the Barbarians are fierce for a time, they are ultimately not as civilized as our Wu dynasty. This servant heard the discussions of the ministers in the court. As long as we can survive this battle, our dynasty's rise is just around the corner. "
Zhou Zhe was silent for a moment. "I know all that you said. It's just that … do you think the will of the people is on my side, or with those old things … "
Du Chengxi opened his mouth and muttered for a moment, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler. The people in the city are so brave because Your Majesty is here. Otherwise, look at the other cities. Which one of them can withstand such a strong attack from the Female Zhenren? The ministers in the court are only acting on behalf of Your Majesty's wishes. "
"You're good with words," Zhou Zhe said. After a moment, he laughed. "But, what you said makes sense. Du Chengxi, if there's a chance, I want to go out for a walk. I want to go to the north and take a look at the city's defenses. "
"Your Majesty, the war outside is fierce and dangerous …"
"No need to say more." Zhou Zhe waved his hand. "I know what I'm doing. It's not today, so don't be noisy here. Maybe in a few days … They're fighting on the city walls. I can't rest easy with them. If possible, I just want to take a look and have a plan. "
He didn't want to talk more with the other party. He then waved his hand. "You may leave."
In the northeast of the city, in the heavy snow that had fallen, what Qin Siyuan saw was a different scene.
It was rows of corpses lined up on the square in front of him. The corpses were covered with cloth, and they stretched out from the front of his field of vision into the distance.
More than thirty thousand corpses were laid out on the square, and the number was still increasing.
Even on such a snowy day, the smell of blood and the smell of decay still lingered in the air. Qin Siyuan walked beside him with his walking stick. Monk Jueming followed beside him.
"Do you know how many Female Zhenren have died?"
"One-tenth? Or more? "
Qin Siyuan held the walking stick in his right hand and said through gritted teeth, "This is defending the city!"
"After all, they're not good at fighting." The monk's expression was calm. "A little bit of bravery can't beat the morale. It's good enough that they can go up."
The two of them stood in front of the corpses. After a while, Qin Siyuan said slowly, "Seven out of ten of the Female Zhenren's rations are gone. However, the remaining can still be used for twenty days to a month."
"Shao Qian and Liheng have done their best. If Xia Village can win, there might be a chance of survival."
"A chance of survival … Fortify the walls and clear the fields. Even if Female Zhenren can't win, she can still kill her way out for a few hundred miles. It's still a vast world …" Qin Siyuan walked forward. After a while, he said, "Monk, we can't wait here anymore."
Jueming followed. He wore a white monk's robe, and his face was still expressionless. The two of them had a deep relationship. The conversation at this time was not a discussion between a superior and a subordinate. There were many things that had to be done and done.
"… In these few days, the families of the dead outside all want to bring the corpses back. Their sons and husbands have already been sacrificed. They want to have a place to belong. There are more and more of them … "
"… Bring them back. Where should they be buried?"
"Sigh …"
"… We can't wait anymore … Let's burn them."
The wind and snow on this day were still calm.
In the valley of Xia Village, after the first victory, from morning till evening, the lively atmosphere in the valley did not calm down. This was also because after the defeat in the morning, the troops of Zhang and Liu outside did not dare to forcefully attack again.
Piles of bonfires were lit, and the smell of meat wafted out. Everyone was still talking about the battle in the morning. Some soldiers who killed the enemy bravely were recommended to tell their companions about their experiences. In the camp for the wounded soldiers, people came in and out. Familiar soldiers came to visit their companions and encouraged each other. They said to each other, "There's nothing great about a resentful army!"
"This battle was won rather easily. I'm afraid that they will be arrogant and impatient. " In the room, Ning Yi was cutting the roasted meat into pieces and distributing them to the plates at the side. Hong Ti took them out and distributed them to Qin Shaoqian and the other generals outside. Hong Ti did not participate in the battle today. She was clean and tidy. When she was beside Ning Yi, she did not seem to have any killing intent. She was a little unhappy that Ning Yi was a cook and she was his assistant. The reason was naturally that she felt that it did not match with Ning Yi's identity. However, Ning Yi did not mind.
"We've used up half of the stored meat this time."
"It's okay. After the battle, we can have a sumptuous meal. I'm afraid that many of them won't be able to eat it until the end. "
Ning Yi explained. After a while, he and Hong Ti carried the big plates out together. At this time, beside the big bonfire outside the room, many soldiers who killed the enemy today were invited over. Ning Yi carried the plates and distributed the meat one by one. "I roasted it! I roasted it! I have all of them! Everyone take one piece! Two pieces is fine too. Take more … Hey, you're injured, can you eat it? Forget it, take it quickly! "
Since the establishment of this camp in Xia Village, Ning Yi had always been a strict workaholic and an unfathomable strategist. At this time, he appeared to be very friendly. However, the soldiers beside the bonfire who had blood on their hands today did not dare to be too presumptuous. After a while, Yue Fei came up from below. "The defense of the camp is still fine. I've already told them to be alert. However, Zhang Linghui and the rest probably do not intend to attack today. "
"If they can't attack in the morning, it's meaningless to attack at night." Qin Shaoqian came from the side and reached out to take a piece of roasted meat. "Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren are also famous generals who have been on the battlefield for a long time. If they want to attack again, they must be well-prepared."
"Is one day enough?" Ning Yi passed the plate to Yue Fei. Yue Fei cupped his hands and took the piece with the least fat.
"We don't have enough equipment, but we definitely have enough for the attack."
"Then it's tomorrow." Ning Yi nodded.
"It must be tomorrow." Qin Shaoqian finished the meat, looked into the distance and sighed.
The wind and snow fell outside the valley. The fire spread along the slopes on both sides of the valley. Outside the camp, the soldiers on duty were still looking into the distance attentively. When the wind blew through the mountains and the snowfield, it felt cold. Outside the valley, there was still the continuous fire. Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren were still preparing for the attack.
The next day was the 2nd of December. In Bianliang City, the Nü Zhenren continued to launch attacks on the city's defenses. They slightly changed their attack strategy. Most of the time, they no longer focused on breaking the city, but on killing people. That night, the generals guarding the city found that the number of casualties had increased. More pressure than ever was still piling up on the city's defense line. At the moment when Bianliang was on the verge of collapse, the battle of Xia Village had just begun.
Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren continued to attack the Xia Village camp.
This time, they did not use a saturated large-scale attack. Instead, they mainly feigned attacks and flexible skirmishers. On the circular snowy slope surrounding the camp of Xia Village, a large number of charging troops continuously appeared and then quickly retreated. The real damage was caused by the large number of arrows, including the fire arrows that were shot in — In this kind of weather, the fire arrows would not easily ignite the surrounding and interior wood. Ning Yi and the others had already made fire prevention preparations. However, in this kind of weather and environment, once one was hit by the fire arrows, the arrow wounds and burns would cause an average person to quickly lose their ability to fight.
Of course, the casualties of both sides were not high. Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren had also shown their sharp side as generals. Although the charging soldiers retreated after advancing, they always maintained the posture of charging. On this day, they only launched real attacks on a few unimportant points of the camp defense, and then retreated. Since it was impossible to have a large-scale victory, the Xia Village side did not fire elm cannons. Both sides were testing each other's nerves and tenacity.
"It's nothing. Let them run here and there. We will wait for them to exhaust themselves. Let's see who can last longer!"
Carrying their shields, a few high-ranking generals of Xia Village ran amidst the arrows that were shot at them occasionally. They encouraged the people in charge of the barracks, "However, no one can let their guard down. Be prepared to fight them head-on at any time!"
On this night, although the casualties caused by the arrows were not high, the mental pressure accumulated among the soldiers of the Xia Village was not small. They already had a certain degree of subjective initiative. They were no longer muddling through. Correspondingly, they had a sense of responsibility towards the battlefield. Under such circumstances, everyone maintained a sense of tension. At night, because of the resentful army not charging, they generally consumed a lot of mental energy.
Of course, this was something they had to bear.
On the third of December, the situation was still the same. However, on this afternoon, when it was almost evening, the resentful army launched a frontal attack like a tide. After a few rounds of arrows that were no different from before, suddenly, the whistling sound of killing came from all over the mountains and plains! Under the gray sky, in an instant, the figures of people rushed out from the forest. They carried wooden ladders and raised their shields, surging towards the surrounding camp defense. In front of the camp, a few large carriages with thick shields were pushed by soldiers. They rolled towards the direction of the barricades and trenches in front of them.
Behind the crazily charging army, the big flags with the words "Ever-Victorious Army" and "Guo" fluttered in the wind, whistling in the wind. On the evening of the third day, Medicine Master Guo arrived!
The sound of killing shook the mountains. Arrows danced in the sky, and the front of the army stretched out. In the valley, countless people rushed to their positions amidst the shouting.
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