Sun Tzu's Art of War said, "Soldiers are unpredictable, just as water is unpredictable."
The situation on the battlefield was complex and ever-changing. Although there were certain ways to deal with it, it was only a general pattern. It was actually not easy to flexibly apply the pattern to the details. Low-ranked generals usually only knew how to form a formation. When infantry encountered cavalry, they would use dense spears. When archers shot arrows, they would raise their shields. Middle-ranked generals could understand why these things needed to be done. They understood most of the changes and also understood why such changes occurred. From this, they could understand under what circumstances infantry could clash with cavalry, and how to use spears to fight dense archers …
It was like the growth of humans. When they were young, they would always pursue a certain principle in the world. They thought that if they understood a principle or a meaningful sentence, they would be able to find a direction in life. But in reality, human growth did not appear in this way. You could find countless sentences that seemed reasonable. In fact, every sentence had a meaning opposite to it that was equally meaningful.
Then, people would start to see what kind of past they had experienced when they said the sentence, what kind of environment they existed in. When people could finally empathize with them and understand why their predecessors said the sentence, then wisdom would truly be passed on. When the learner could finally understand the core of many people's thinking and could make comparisons and draw inferences, he might just have the ability to think independently. He would no longer be able to read a few books and only be able to use famous sayings to show off …
That was the logic.
Most of the time, the old rules still had power. Especially in the battlefields of this era, there was often a huge difference in strength and morale between the two sides. Many battlefields were basically one-sided. If there was a little bit of restraint between the different types of troops, it would often be a very good situation.
Most of the things in the world were mediocre. Just like in the future, there were many people who only knew how to recite famous sayings and chicken soup for the soul. In fact, even those who did not know how to recite famous sayings and chicken soup for the soul could still live, and even feel that their lives were not bad. But above that, people who put in ten times the effort with a clear goal and direction, absorbing and referring to the wisdom of others, and finally forming their own logic system could deal with all kinds of novel situations. And to be honest, those who could truly stand at the top of society, except for the second generation, would definitely have a complete logic system of their own. There was no exception.
Back in the battle of the White Tide River, all he needed to do was to be familiar with the art of war. In this battle of the Xia Village, from a certain perspective, what was being tested was wisdom.
Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren were still able to organize a long-range attack after the elm cannons' blockade, the archers' harvest, and the heavy cavalry's crushing. This proved that their ability as generals was still there. However, that was all they could do. If they were to continue fighting like this, their ten thousand people would not be enough to defeat the Xia Village. This was especially so when they were under the threat of artillery fire and heavy cavalry. They were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, and their fighting spirit might not be at its peak. Once they clashed head-on, they might all be buried here.
It was only because Medicine Master Guo had arrived so quickly that the situation had changed. On the third day of the twelfth month, his sudden attack truly displayed the qualities of a famous general. In a short period of time, he recognized the limitations of firearms and used fire arrows as a form of suppression. Then, he allowed the charging soldiers to widen the distance between each other. Only when they reached the bottom of the wooden wall did he launch a strong attack. If one round of attacks did not work, he immediately retreated. In a short period of time, it really caused the side of Xia Village to be somewhat clumsy and flustered.
However, no one's wisdom in war was specially used to deal with things that were outside of common sense. When the defending army of the Xia Village made adjustments to the placement and firing of the elm cannons, the firing of the cannons, especially when the resentful army was in a state of siege, had a strong impact on the opponent's fighting spirit. Even under the suppression of the fire arrows, the numerous strong attacks under Medicine Master Guo's command were still forcefully dispersed by the timely firing of the elm cannons of the Xia Village.
Then, he changed his strategy and began to make a large-scale breakthrough on the east side of the city wall. The direction he chose was the area where 800 people were killed.
Initially, in order to lure the attacking army to choose this area as a breakthrough point, the defense of this area of the camp wall was slightly weaker. However, with the gathering of thirty thousand soldiers, Medicine Master Guo no longer had to consider the threat of the hundred heavy cavalry. This area became the real breakthrough point.
On the afternoon of the fourth day of the twelfth month, a large number of soldiers from the Ever-Victorious Army stepped on the heads and corpses of their comrades and began to attack. The surrounding walls of the camp also began to suffer rounds after rounds of fire arrows. The defending army of the Xia Village also used bows and arrows to retaliate. In the evening, when the attack was at its most intense, the side door of the camp wall suddenly opened and over a hundred heavy cavalry lined up neatly. After a while, over twenty elm cannons were fired at the same time from the south side of the camp wall. A large number of arrows coordinated with them and launched a counterattack against the attacking army. The heavy cavalry only made a feint and not long after, they closed the door and retreated.
From then on, both sides continued to fight with their wits and courage. The fighting power of the soldiers from the Ever-Victorious Army was indeed higher than that of the defending army of the Xia Village. Furthermore, there were as many as thirty-six thousand of them. This was a huge advantage. However, in terms of changes in the art of war, they were affected by the north side. Medicine Master Guo's strength in battle was mainly in solidity and not in versatility.
On the side of the Xia Village, due to the flourishing literary style of the Wu dynasty, all kinds of military books were rampant on the battlefield. These military books were often not useless. Once one understood them, one could always understand the thinking systems of some wise men. Although Qin Shaoqian was rough, in reality, he was considered to be born a Confucian general. He was influenced by his father and was familiar with a large number of military books. He did not adhere to conventions when it came to battle tactics. However, in the past, no matter what kind of flexible battle tactics he used, the soldiers under him could not be used. It was all nonsense. This time in the Xia Village, the situation was quite different.
A large number of soldiers that could be used replaced the once empty and bloated Wu Rui Battalion system. In the solid defense arrangements, there was flexible support from the elm cannons. Although the individual strength of the soldiers was slightly inferior to that of the soldiers of the Resentment Army, for the first time in this battlefield, he still displayed all that he had learned in his life. Time and time again, he counterattacked, supported, predicted the situation of the battlefield, and used strategies. This made the defense of the Xia Village like an impenetrable iron prison. When Medicine Master Guo pounced on him, he did indeed have his teeth broken.
It was similar to how Medicine Master Guo felt when he fought against Zong Wang at the White Tide River. He was able to let go of his hands and feet on the battlefield and fight to his heart's content with the heroes of the world. Especially under the premise that his hands and feet were bound in the past and had never been loosened, after a few battles, Qin Shaoqian was indescribably carefree. However, in such a battle situation, the hearts of both sides were also accumulating a great deal of pressure.
The situation in the capital city was like an egg in danger. Under the situation where the war in Bianliang continued, the battle of Xia Village, which was sudden to many people, would definitely have a huge impact on the situation in the capital city. And even if this battle seemed tragic from the beginning, if it were to end, it would definitely not end with one side fighting to the last soldier.
After all, Medicine Master Guo was a surrendered general. The strength of the Resentment Army was his foundation. He acted decisively and went all out against the attack of the Xia Village. This was the way of a general. However, there would definitely be a psychological expectation of battle damage, which he could not bear. For Qin Shaoqian, Ning Yi, and the others, what they were waiting for was this psychological expectation. On this battlefield, once Medicine Master Guo's troops were defeated, no matter how valiant Zong Wang was, he might have to retreat and sue for peace.
And on the side of Medicine Master Guo, the defending troops of the Xia Village were much stronger than many of the troops of the Wu dynasty. However, they were still the troops of the Wu dynasty after all. This army would also have a psychological expectation of battle damage. Once the intensity of the battle really exceeded the limit, the army would definitely collapse. Once the collapse occurred, chaos would begin, and what Xia Village would face would be a massacre and crushing.
Both sides seemed to be waiting for the other side to collapse.
But this time, both sides seemed to be unimaginably tenacious.
On the fifth day of the twelfth month, the first Elm Cannon exploded on the battlefield. Guo Yaoshi then launched a series of attacks on a larger scale. He had enough troops, so he could use more of them to push the limits of the Elm Cannon. And because of this sudden accident, Xia Village could only reduce the use of the elm cannon. In an instant, the battle began to lean towards the side of the Resentment Army.
On the sixth of December, the Resentment Army broke through the camp walls for the first time. Yue Fei led the elite troops into the battle. At the same time, over a hundred heavy cavalry dismounted from their horses. With the advantage of iron armor, they began to massacre the Jurchen soldiers who broke through the defense of the camp.
On the seventh of December, Ning Yi and the others had already begun to run on the battlefield …
At this time, the defense system of the Xia Village was basically divided into five sections. According to the usual practice of the Wu dynasty, it was the main gate of the first, second, third, fourth, and middle sections. Liu Chengzong led over two thousand people in the first section of the camp wall. The general in charge of the second section of the camp wall was called Pang Liu 'an. He led three thousand five hundred people. Mao Yishan and his superior, Xu Lingming, were also in this section of the camp wall. Li Yi led two thousand people in the middle section. In addition, He Zhicheng led three thousand people and Sun Ye led two thousand people in charge of the third and fourth sections.
By the eighth of December, the casualty rate of these thirteen thousand people had already reached twenty to thirty percent. This was especially so for the east side of the wall that He Zhicheng was in charge of. Due to the fierce attack, on the eighth of December, the number of people who had died or were seriously injured and had withdrawn from the battle might have already exceeded a third. This was also the reason why Ning Yi complained after the camp wall was broken through. At this time, the reserve troops and fresh troops had basically all been thrown into the battle. On the southeast side, the remaining forces that could be squeezed out from the battle had almost all gathered here.
There were also some things that could not be accurately estimated. However, on the side of Ning Yi and the others, they more or less had some guesses. At this time, the casualties of the Resentment Army had also reached close to twenty percent. Over six thousand people were either dead or seriously injured. At this time, they could no longer participate in the battle. One could imagine Medicine Master Guo's pain. However, it was still hard to know how much he was willing to pay for this victory.
"What other tricks do you have? Use them …"
At the edge of the battlefield, Medicine Master Guo subconsciously muttered this sentence as he watched the fierce battle in the distance. In the battle circle inside the camp wall, Ning Yi listened to the earth-shattering battle cries. He looked at a figure on the watchtower in the distance and finally gritted his teeth. "It's enough." He took out the fireworks token from his bosom.
At this time, Hong Ti had already charged forward. An arrow passed through the crowd and shot towards Ning Yi. Then, a figure came over and knocked into Ning Yi's side …
With a whoosh, Guo Yaoshi, Zhang Linghui, and the others saw a pillar of light rise into the sky. Their scalps went numb. Zhang Linghui immediately said, "Let them retreat!"
Medicine Master Guo waved his hand. "Archers, press forward! Cavalry, press forward! Attack and support … "
He did not give the order to retreat, but of course, it was too late. Just outside the breach in the camp wall, there was a sudden tremor from the ground. Heat waves and light surged through the ground, as if the soil was boiling. It was more than ten feet wide and several feet long. At this time, it was already crowded with people rushing inside.
The explosion sent blood, soil, and limbs flying into the sky, forming a shrill curtain like a screen. Caltrops and pieces of flesh flew in all directions. This was the effect of three rows of landmines outside the breach exploding at the same time. They had been quietly buried underground for several days. Ning Yi and the others had been worried that their fuses might fail, but fortunately, their research on firearms had paid off.
The sudden explosion caused twenty to thirty casualties on the battlefield, but most importantly, it blocked the way of retreat for the attackers who had entered the defensive circle. When the huge explosion spread out, the nearly two hundred soldiers who had rushed into the breach looked back. The soil and blood that was kicked up was like a high curtain, cutting off their connection with their companions.
Even if it was only for a moment, the psychological pressure caused was enough.
Medicine Master Guo watched all this from afar, his face trembling. Zhang Linghui was already dumbfounded.
"Kill them …" Inside the camp wall, half of Ning Yi's body was stained with blood. With a ferocious expression, he supported a soldier whose body was also stained with blood. He raised his saber and shouted, "Kill them, kill them, kill them …"
Under the sky, the saber light and the blood wave rushed over …
*****
In Bianliang City, it was already close to dusk. This afternoon, due to the timing of the first attack, the Female Enlightened Being was stopped and did not launch another attack. For the defenders of Bianliang City, this was the time to clean up the battlefield.
Several regular troops were still defending on the wall. Some soldiers who had been ordered to go up the wall and carry the corpses away. Occasionally, someone would talk or shout. Other than that, the screams were the mainstream on the wall. These screams were made by the wounded. Not everyone could bear the pain.
Crying could hide in a place where no one was around.
The Cooks Camp in charge of logistics had already carried porridge and steamed buns. Some went to the top of the wall, and some began to distribute them in fixed places. The carts carrying the corpses were parked at the edge of the wall. They came and went as carefully as possible.
Not far from the wall, on one side of the camp for wounded soldiers, a platform had been set up and torches were lit. Many soldiers had gathered here. Many of them were wounded, and some looked tired with steamed buns and porridge in their hands. They found a place to sit down nearby.
Although it was wartime and many things near the wall were under control, the situation here was slightly more relaxed. Perhaps it was also approved by the high-ranking military officials. As an ordinary person, if they could really walk in here, the situation would be chaotic and noisy. At this moment, several figures walked over here. Because they were wearing the uniforms of the military generals' guards, and they did not do anything out of line, no one stopped them.
The leader walked steadily, with a firm face and a dignified manner. As he walked, he looked around, nodded occasionally, or whispered a few words to the people accompanying him.
If there was a high-ranking military official who recognized him here, his first reaction would be to kneel down.
"Du Chengxi, I know you are worried, but put away your thoughts. These days, the Female Enlightened Masters have been attacking the city until nightfall. I … I thought about it carefully before coming. I just want to take a look. Look, those wounded soldiers … I don't want to publicize it. I just want to take a look and know what is going on."
The person who had quietly disguised himself was Emperor Jing Han, Zhou Zhe. With his control of power, if he was determined to come, Du Chengxi would not be able to stop him. In a sense, Zhou Zhe came to see the battlefield and did not want to publicize it. In his heart, he wanted to remember the heroic figures of these people. Although he usually lived like a prince, he did not feel uncomfortable when he smelled blood and saw all kinds of bloody scenes. At most, he would frown occasionally.
As someone who stood at the top, his mood would not be frightened by a little blood. Even if it was the first time he had seen such a serious scene, it was still the quality of an emperor.
"But … what is the platform set up near the camp for wounded soldiers? Is it a show? "
"This servant thinks that one of the officials wants to speak, but it doesn't seem like it …" Du Chengxi looked. "This servant will go ask."
Du Chengxi jogged forward, while Zhou Zhe walked straight to the crowd. At this time, the crowd was still noisy. After a while, Du Chengxi ran back and found Zhou Zhe and the others in the crowd.
"Young … Young Master Long, the girls from Fanlou want to give them a performance to repay their hard work. I think Miss Shishi and the others are among them …"
"Performance? What a joke. "Zhou Zhe frowned and said in a low voice," The war is dangerous, and they want to find prostitutes to perform by the city walls? Who decided on this … "
He did not expect to see such a thing when he came here. At this time, someone struck a gong on the platform, and the crowd quieted down. Someone shouted, "Stop arguing! Stop arguing! Miss Shishi is here! "
"Should we let Miss Shishi rest …"
"Stop arguing …"
Zhou Zhe put his hands behind his back and frowned again. "Let Miss Shishi rest, she can't be receiving guests …" As the platform was simple, it was easy for someone to go up. Zhou Zhe saw that the person who walked up was a plain-looking girl dressed in ordinary clothes. She seemed to have just finished something, and her hair was a little messy. Her clothes were simple, and it looked like she had just changed into them. She was carrying a guzheng. The girl put down the guzheng and bowed.
"Greetings, brothers. I am Li Shishi. I just finished my work and ran over. I may be a little tired, please forgive me. I have already washed my face." The girl smiled, and the crowd laughed … Her voice was nice, but the girls from Fanlou would not greet others like this.
Zhou Zhe walked forward. He was dressed in military uniform, so no one dared to stop him. The girl said, "Actually, I don't really know what everyone wants to see. I wanted to do somersaults, but I don't have any energy left. Hmm, I won't talk nonsense. Let me play the guzheng for everyone first."
"It's obviously a zither. "But the sound of the guzheng suits the atmosphere of the battlefield. I want to hear what she has to say … What a farce."
The girl sat down on the wooden platform. She first turned to look to the side, then sighed and put down her fingers.
The first sound rang out. Zhou Zhe raised his head slightly and pursed his lips.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
