At the top of the Tongguan city wall, it has entered the summer and the weather has gradually become hot; the smoky sun has scorched the garrisoned river soldiers, and they unanimously uncovered some of the laces of their armor, took off their hoods and worked hard to fan them. In the wind, or curl up in the shade of a limited building.
However, Guo Shan, who was covering his body with sweat, made Wang Chongying's observation, but he was so full of coldness that he couldn't feel the heat. Because the Taiping Army's fortress under Tongguan City expanded further with the increase in troops, but the team that transported grain and grass materials from afar did not stop for a day.
To be honest, Wang Chongying, who had seen these Taiping army combat methods as a friendly army, really didn't want to stand on their hostile side; after all, in the several battles that shocked the world before, whether it was Cui Anqian’s Dai Beixiong soldiers. , Or Zheng Tian’s Western Army Jianrui, are inevitably defeated.
However, the conditions put forward by the other party were too harsh and greedy. It takes no effort to take away the essentials of the Hangu Road, including Tongguan, and also attach the two major Wangzhou states of Shaan and Guo (now Lingbao County and Sanmenxia City, Henan Province) on both sides of the Yellow River as additional heads. It's just too deceiving.
Couldn't they be able to protect their foundations in the gate like the Yellow King, and just accept them as vassals and pay tribute to them, and give them more salt, rice, money, and silk? Don’t you know that once the two states are lost, it is equivalent to cutting off the flesh of the knees in River Town and digging the foundation of his observant’s body
Therefore, Wang Chongying really cannot compromise or give in. Instead, he can only hope to rely on the urban high clearance insurance to make him retreat, or after he has suffered enough setbacks, can he be used as the basis for renegotiation and negotiation and obtain a better one. Favorable conditions.
For example, on the basis of preserving the land of the two states, Tongguan and Hangu Roads should be opened for traffic, and the extremely rich wealth, salt, rice, and children's population can be used as compensation; so that the dignity and position between the two can be preserved;
Therefore, apart from the initial deterrence of arrows and the expulsion of the approaching Taiping Army's thread, he never ordered a proactive attack, and tried to avoid more conflicts with it, just to leave enough room for follow-up negotiations.
However, it was obvious that the other party could not appreciate and understand his painstaking efforts. Instead, he no longer accepted the negotiation request in the city, and with the increasing camp and support, it fully demonstrated the determination and attitude to win.
Therefore, just listening to the sound of the various repaired equipment under the city day and night is enough to make Wang Chongying really worried and hard to sleep at night.
We must know that Tongguan is known as "the world is dangerous". Its land lies on the Qinling Mountains in the south and the river in the north. It controls the traffic between east and west. It is not only the east gate of Guanzhong, but also the key point between Henan, Hedong and Guannei. Therefore, it has been a military strategist in the past. Weighted.
The site was moved and expanded along with the continuous rushing and cutting of the river, and finally extended outwards and added to a building, spanning several long walls and deep ditch from east to west, and across the large city block between the big river and Tongshui from north to south.
Only since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Tongguan has always been operated as a barrier and gateway within the pass. Therefore, the main defensive function and trend of Tongguan are always the result and product of the emphasis on the east and the light on the west.
Therefore, in Guancheng near Taoyuansai in the east, not only the high walls built of earth and stone are thick, but the Luzhai Juma horizontal fences are scattered outside the Guancheng, and there are even several wide, large, continuous deep moats as artificial partitions;
Therefore, Du Fu, a poet of the previous dynasty, left in his "Tongguan Officials": "The iron is inferior to a big city, but a small city is more than ten thousand feet." Nevertheless, in the Anshi Rebellion, because the emperor forced Ge Shuhan to take the initiative to fight, and ushered in a tragic defeat in Tongguan.
Therefore, after the court quelled the Anshi Rebellion, it spared no effort to re-repair the dangerous points of Tongguan, and further prevented and contained the threats from the Kanto region, which became more and more rebellious.
In contrast, the city defense of Xiguan, located in Huazhou (now Huayin County, Shaanxi) half and half away from Dongguan City, would appear to be much inferior. Not only is the terrain in front of the pass flat, there are only rammed-earth walls about two feet high, which are more often used to guard against salt lords and private traders who climb mountain paths and narrow paths.
Therefore, the army of Huangchao was able to enter the pass; it was because the garrison headed by General Zhang Chengfan, led by the left Shence General Zhang Chengfan in the Guannei, had exhausted their food under the consecutive days of attack; then they drove the defeated soldiers of the Taining Army Jiedu Zikerang and rushed in. The "forbidden pit" valley road of the abandoned Hantong Pass on the side of the pass was filled with a smooth road, and Tongguan came to an end under the attack of the east and west.
The process of regaining Tongguan was much simpler for Guo Ziyi, a famous general in the earlier counter-attack. He just divided his forces from west to east and went down to Xiguan City, and then gathered his momentum to attack Dongguan City, and easily defeated and expelled the rebels in the pass led by An Shouzhong.
Therefore, in this situation, although Wang Chongying made a vow and insisted on his ambition, he was not sure about it in his heart. For this reason, he concentrated the eight thousand soldiers in the two prefectures under the command of the Shaanxi Government and the government, all the 8,000 soldiers that could be recruited and used in this Guancheng, and moved the civilians to create countless weapons.
They also sent people to excavate the valleys that Tongshui flooded the west of Hantong Guan, and at the same time filled the narrow part of the "forbidden pit" valley road with rocks, just to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Then, regardless of face and figure, Wang Chongrong eagerly asked for help toward the river in Jiedu, who was just north of Taiyuan Mansion.
At least compared to the weak Shaanguo Jingwei, Wang Chongrong, who was sitting in perfect Hezhong Mansion and the land of five states amidst the continuous wars, dispatched nearly 50,000 troops twice to attack and seize by the fake The Shatuo people of the clan occupied the Hedong hinterland of Jiuchao.
As long as this brother can lead the army to arrive in time, he will be on the east bank of the big river with a commanding attitude, and he will be on the front line of the Hequ from Shouyang Mountain in Puzhou to Fenglingdu; and the force of resistance to Tongguan on the south bank will form a corresponding mutual response and harmony. The force of squeezing; even the Taiping army in the pass should be a little jealous, right
Whenever he thought of this, he couldn't help but look at the opposite bank of the Yellow River on the back, as if an army from the river would arrive at the next moment. And Wang Qian, the eldest son who accompanied him by the defense of Shanzhou, seemed to be rampant to his anxious mood, and he couldn't help speaking in a broad voice:
"My lord, please be relieved. As soon as my uncle responds, he will naturally come soon. On the contrary, adults must take care of your body! If this is not a concern, does it mean that the people in the customs will be worried and uneasy..."
After such persuasion, Wang Chongying put aside his full stomach for the time being, and returned to his residence in Guancheng. Naturally, a group of concubines surrounded him and removed his sweaty outer armor, revealing a dark body covered with scars that was fairly fine but not much wasteful.
Another concubine brought the silver basin soaked with fragrant water, and wiped his body carefully with a fine white folded cloth; some people used a wooden plate to offer the products from the Guozhou area, and then he spent time in the well water. , And cut open the seasonal melons and fruits, and sent them to Wang Chongying's mouth with seal flower silver sticks. . .
As a result, Wang Chongying was filled with impatience and frustration due to worry about the enemy's situation in the city, and slowly relieved some of it for the time being. And began to look at the graceful limbs of these concubines' light dresses.
Some of them were born in official households, some were daughters of public officials, and there was even a niece of a former prime minister, Wang Duo, who was also a typical daughter of five surnames and seven hopes. In a sense, he would also like to thank the Daqi Xinchao headed by Huang Chao.
Otherwise, the original ancestors were only salt masters, and it was not until the last two generations that they became the family of dental schools. In the early years, the Wang brothers, who were still in the army and sweated for life and death, had the opportunity to get close to the daughters of these famous families. Fangze, even as the concubine's family members who are screaming and drinking.
It's just that Wang Chongying, who is nearly forty to fifty years old and still very resilient, began to enjoy the service from the concubines, and after gradually entering the state, a shout from outside suddenly caused his nature to fly out of the sky. Up.
"My enlightenment, there is an urgent report from Shanzhou. A group of people was found at the Kipshishan outpost, just because it was set on fire all the way to the east entrance of Hangu.
But the eldest son Wang Gan hissed:
"God damned Zhuge old man, his Heyang army's plan to join the party is not enough yet, is it possible that he wants to take advantage of the fire to rob!"
The next moment Wang Chongying, shirtless, couldn't help pushing the tent and roaring:
"My son is instructed to lead you with a thousand light soldiers and quickly return to Shanxian County (Shaanzhou Office). You must try your best to block the Heyang soldiers on the north bank of Dayang Bridge..."
However, after dispatching this support army, Wang Chongying did not have any interest in having fun. Instead, he put on his armor again and came to Xiguan City, repeating the daily routine of patrolling the city and the Taiping camp before Jianshiguan, and lashing and fighting on the spot. Reprimanding a number of soldiers who were obviously slack and close to each other immediately caused the city's atmosphere to rise.
However, this state of majesty and integrity has not lasted long. The soldiers at the north corner of Chengguan close to the big river above the observation platform, they once again rang the bell and shouted:
"The boat... the boat."
"On the river... there are boats..."
"On the river... a lot of boats..."
Not long afterwards, without any deliberate guidance, Wang Chongying also saw the many large and small river boats coming from the northwest to the upstream direction; just like this, slowly heading towards Tongguan in the rushing river.
"Could it be that these thief army envoys have to cross the barrier and detour to attack?"
Among them, a military academy murmured to himself:
"Bastard stuff!"
Then he was screamed and screamed by Wang Chongying with a whip on his face, and then cursed with angrily and angrily on his face:
"For no reason, the army's mind, the two banks of this river are filled with steep walls and rocks that are slippery and impossible to climb for more than a hundred miles. Apart from Fenglingdu (Guan), where else can I go ashore..."
"Hurry up and push the crossbows, stone cannons, and throwing poles up to the city with me. As long as the enemy ship dares to come closer, it will sink.
Not long after Wang Chongying issued the order, he saw that the approaching river boats suddenly dropped anchors on the river, seeming to be deterred by the reaction of the city.
However, it didn't take long for the river boats that had stopped a hundred steps away to sway one after another, and there was a faint thunderous roar as the water splashed and swayed. (End of this chapter)