The Grandmaster Strategist

Chapter 153: Soldiers leave Huguan

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Huguan is the main gate of the Northern Han Dynasty to guard the Taihang Baixing. It crosses the Baixing from Zhenzhou and enters the northern Han border. It is surrounded by mountains, and Huguan is the throat fortress. There are Baigu Mountain in the north and Shuanglong Mountain in the south. The two mountains are facing each other, and it is named after Hukou. After breaking through Huguan, Yong's army can drive straight in. This time, Yong's troops are divided into two groups. It is Jing Chi who is responsible for attacking Huguan. , coupled with the 40,000 Zhenzhou army, from March 14th, the attack on Huguan, the defender Liu Wanli is also a famous general, with 7,000 defenders persevering, the Yong army attacked for seven or eight days, but it was difficult Break the pot.

On the 21st of March, Jing Chice stood under the flag of the general, staring coldly at the city head that was almost stained with blood, and some chapped lips showed his inner anxiety, this time the military order was very clear, He must break through the Huguan, go through Shangdang to Qinyuan, join forces with His Royal Highness the King of Qi, and attack the main force of the Northern Han army from front to back. The Northern Han army is insufficient and can only defend a few fortresses. territory. But it has been eight days. Huguan is still standing under the attack of Yong Jun. Jing Chi's heart is burning like fire. It is very clear that the Zhenzhou army is attacking the city, and his cavalry is going to run thousands of miles. He must not lose too much in Huguan. He looked up at the sky. He said ruthlessly, "Retract the troops." Then he drove his horse back to the camp, and he had to find a way. At most, if he couldn't break through the city in two days, even if he charged himself, he would have to set foot on the city tower of Huguan.

On March 22, Lin Ya, the commander of the Zhenzhou army who was commanding the siege, stood on the three-zhang high platform commanding the battle, with a worried expression on his face. These days, the rushing carts, ballistas, ladders, and trebuchets have been destroyed. No matter how many times I went, Huguan City was in a mess, and the moat had already been filled in. Even the gate of the city was burnt to a pulp by the Yong army with tung oil, but the inside was blocked by the stone, brick and wood of the Northern Han army. If the city cannot be broken again, Afraid of delaying the military aircraft. It's a pity that Liu Wanli was ruthless. As soon as he learned that the Yong army was about to attack Huguan, he organized all the young and strong men in Huguan into a corps, assisted each other in the city, and used the method of sitting together to make those young men monitor each other, Dayong. Although there are some secret spies who have been lurking for a long time in Huguan, they have never had the opportunity to cooperate with the outside world to break through Huguan. If it were not for a few shrewd and capable people who took advantage of the opportunity of throwing the rolling wood and stone forest and left the wooden slips with military information, I am afraid that they would not know the city now. False. Even so, the Huguan city wall was strong, and there were mountains on both sides to protect each other. Liu Wanli established his own village on the two mountains, and the three supported each other. The Yong army suffered heavy losses, but could not succeed. Today, Lin Ya was ruthless and sent all his elite soldiers and generals to the top. Seeing a cloud ladder toppling in the fire, the blood of the brave soldiers in the army smeared the outer wall of Huguan, even if they had experienced hundreds of battles, Lin Ya is also provoked by the veins on his temples, full of anger.

Lin Ya was in command of the battle, and suddenly felt the wooden platform under his feet tremble. He couldn't help but look down. He saw Jing Chi's battle robe, Zuo Tan, with a shawl and a man-high war drum in both hands, walking up to the platform. Jing Chi stood up on the drum and shouted loudly, "Bring the drumsticks." A guard who came up behind Jingchi quickly handed two drumsticks wrapped in red silk to Jing Chi. Jing Chi shouted loudly, danced his drumstick, and struck the drum with force. After the battle of Zezhou, Jing Chi heard that Jiang Zhe was playing drums to help the Yong army win a big victory, so he pestered Jiang Zhe to learn how to play drums. Jiang Zhe had nothing to do, so he taught him for a few days. He has been on the battlefield for a long time, and he is also a military commander. Although the drum sound he hits is not so varied, it is more powerful and inspiring. When the Zhenzhou Army heard the blood-warming drumbeat and learned that it was Jing Chi who beat the drum, they were both excited and ashamed, and they all shouted: "I will be ordered to attack Huguan, so that General Jing will be attacked. Going to attack the Northern Han, but now we can't fight hard, let General Jing wait here, and now General Jing personally beats the drums for us. We will lose all the face of the Zhenzhou army." The Zhenzhou army encouraged each other, this round of siege was in full swing, and Huguan almost trembled with the sound of drums. bloody struggle.

Liu Wanli, who was standing on the top of the tower, was covered in dust, his eyes were full of ice and cold, and there was no reinforcements, because the main force of the Northern Han army was fighting hard against the Yong army Zezhou camp, and the rest of the troops were either in Jinyang or Daizhou. It is easy to transfer troops, but Daizhou, Liu Wanli groaned, when Lin Yuanting returned to surrender, he had an agreement with the Northern Han Lord that the Daizhou army would never leave the country. This may be because the First Lord did not want a powerful Daizhou army. Influenced the political situation of the Northern Han Dynasty, but Lin Yuanting agreed happily. He claimed that the Daizhou Army was to defend the homeland, not to fight with the same room. Therefore, over the years, the Daizhou Army has never gone beyond Daizhou, and of course out of Yanmen. Attacking barbarians doesn't count. Therefore, he had to rely on this army to defend Huguan, but for eight days, Liu Wanli knew very well that Huguan was almost collapsed, but the Yong army was still rambling. In this battle, he had lost without victory.

Liu Wanli's lieutenant came over, his lips were full of fire bubbles, and his voice was hoarse: "General, the enemy is coming up again, this time they pushed four cloud carts up, I am afraid it is inevitable."

Liu Wanli sighed lightly. The terrain of Huguan is narrow. Generally speaking, it is just right to use three cloud cars. If you use four, it will be too concentrated and the loss will be more severe, but on the contrary, the pressure on your side will also be great Some, a few days ago, Yong Jun had been attacking the city without any hassle, even using only two cloud carts at a time. He took a deep breath and said, "Attack with fire."

The lieutenant was ordered to go. In order to be able to defend for a few more days, Liu Wanli had already ordered to wait until the enemy approached before attacking. The Northern Han army collected the firewood into bundles, sprinkled it with oil, threw it on the cloud cart with a trebuchet, and then shot it with a rocket, and the cloud cart was immediately flaming with flames, so that the Yong army could not climb up to the top. Archery in the city. At this time, the Yong army under the city was different from usual. They did not try to climb on the cloud cart to shoot arrows, but pushed the cloud cart down with force. The four cloud carts were dumped on the city wall and built a slope. , the Zhenzhou army separated from left to right, and a cavalry of the Yong army of about 500 people ran up on their horses. Liu Wanli shouted loudly: "Archery, shoot arrows." At this time, the Northern Han army did not care about saving the arrows, and shot at the Yong Army iron cavalry. Going up to the gate tower, the horse's hoof with a big bowl stepped on the two Northern Han troops under their feet. The horse lance in the general's hand waved, and the blood collapsed. Then more and more Yong troops climbed the gate tower, and the Huguan was about to break. Four big characters appeared in Liu Wanli's heart. He was almost desperate, but the fierce blood of the Northern Han people almost burned him. After secretly passing down the military order, he commanded the defenders on the city to resist desperately for a moment, and then shouted loudly. He shouted: "Back up, back up, let them come up." At this moment, his face was stained with blood, like an evil spirit. Although the defenders at the head of the city were confused, they were shocked by him, and they all dodged subconsciously, and there were more than 400 left. Almost all the cavalry of the Yong Army climbed the Huguan City Tower, but when they were overjoyed, Liu Wanli shouted loudly, "Let the crossbow go."

The sound of the machine spring sounded one after another, and fifty or sixty black crossbow arrows shot into the Yong army. Almost every crossbow arrow penetrated the body of a group of war horses or a Yong army knight. The narrow city head made it impossible for the cavalry to disperse. After the retreating Northern Han army, more than 30 divine arm crossbows were revealed. This kind of crossbow was used to defend the city. Each crossbow arrow was four feet long. It could shoot two crossbow arrows at a time, but it required three soldiers to cooperate. Use, because this kind of crossbow is very powerful, it can penetrate iron armor within a hundred feet, so it is the most powerful treasury. Because it is easy to damage, Liu Wanli has been enduring not using it, hoping to take it by surprise at the most dangerous time. The upper hand, now is the time of life and death, so Liu Wanli will let the Yong Army's iron cavalry climb the city, and then secretly dispatch the crossbowmen. Now the crossbow is showing its mighty power, and after three rounds of shooting, Yong's army has suffered heavy casualties. At this time, the Northern Han army took the opportunity to encircle, poured the hot boiling oil from the cloud cart, and forced the Zhenzhou army to retreat. The cloud carriage was finally burnt out in the fire, so the tens of thousands of Yong Jun in the city could only watch the iron cavalry on the Huguan be surrounded and wiped out by the Northern Han army calmly. Suddenly, a hoarse and high-pitched voice sang loudly from the top of the city: "Fuck me, I wear rhinoceros armor, and the chariot is in the wrong hub, and the soldiers are short. Yu Xing, the left side is stunned and the right blade is injured. After two rounds of smog, the four horses are smashed, and the Yuqi is beating the drum. The sky is stunned—" As soon as he sang here, the singing suddenly stopped, and the Yong army in the city was all mourning.

Jing Chi threw down his drumstick, strode off the stage, took his own war horse, without wearing any armor, and rode his horse to the foot of the Huguan City, watching the tears rolling down the city, at this time the Zhenzhou army who was attacking the city bowed his head and slowly slowly After retreating, Jing Chi suddenly raised his head to the sky and sang aloud: "When the sky is full of rage, you will kill everything and abandon the wilderness. If you can't get in, you can't go back, and the road is too far in the plain. With a long sword and Qin Gong, the first body is far away. Xi’s heart is not punished. Sincerity is brave and martial, and in the end is strong, he can’t be bullied. When his body is dead, his spirit is his spirit, and his soul is determined to be a ghost.” Yong Jun was stunned at first, and then some soldiers sang along with him. Chuan ten, ten to a hundred, the singing became louder and louder, resounding through the sky, a tragic and generous atmosphere rose in the Yong army, the singing became louder and louder, and sang it over and over again, the Yong army was no longer discouraged and pessimistic about defeat. , the flame-like confidence and murderous aura condensed into an invincible spirit.

This song "National Sorrow" is a battle song that no one knows about. Both the Yong Army and the Northern Han Army are familiar with it. Even those who are illiterate can memorize it. Qi Yan, for a while, his expression turned pale. Seeing that Yong Jun was so strong, he was terrified when he thought of the result after the defeat. Liu Wanli stood at the gate and slapped his palm on the city wall, thinking, what a good Jing Chi, he actually used this method to boost morale after a defeat, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he whispered: "Bring my bow and arrow." The guards quickly handed over Liu Wanli's bronze bow. Liu Wanli is a master of horsemanship and archery. He can shoot a five-stone strong bow and take a person's life within five hundred steps. Therefore, he has been unable to go into battle in person for a long time. Now that he sees Jing Chi going into battle with bare arms, he has a murderous intention in his heart, especially fearing that others are not as good at archery, so he draws the bow himself.

Jing Chi sang a sing-along song, still not finished, pointed at the city head and shouted and scolded. The anger of the past few days made him want to swallow the Huguan Shou alive. At this moment, a faint phantom almost invisible to the naked eye appeared from the Huguan city head. He shot at Jing Chi. Jing Chi was one of the best generals in Yong's army, and his horsemanship and archery skills were rare. Although he didn't hear the sound of the bowstring or see the shadow of the arrow, he felt the kind of being attacked almost instantly. The horror staring at, almost turned his body subconsciously, his hands were empty, Ma Lan couldn't take it off in time, he could only reach out and grab it, the white feather arrow accidentally passed through his fingers and did not enter his chest. Jing Chi raised his head to face the sky, roaring furiously, his body like a hill fell off his horse, and the Yong army on the left and right roared, grabbed Jing Chi and retreated. .

Looking at the distant Yong Jun, Liu Wanli almost couldn't believe his eyes. The generals and guards around him shouted loudly, all of them excited. However, Liu Wanli suddenly felt a pain in his waist and couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking back to the beginning. The brave generals of the Northern Han Army can now only command the defense of the city and cannot charge into battle.

The lieutenant, leaning on a long sword, limped over and said ecstatically: "The general's divine arrow, that Jing Chi is the general of Yong's army, and when he was shot before the battle, not only did Yong's army become very weak, but also Yong's army lost his power. With the coach, it is useless to break the Huguan, maybe they will retreat tomorrow."

Liu Wanli smiled bitterly and said, "It would be the best, but if I were an enemy general and the siege was ineffective, and the commander was shot and wounded, even if the court would not be punished for it, it would also be humiliated, and I would definitely disregard the loss and break the barrier. I hope If we can atone for our sins, I am afraid that when Jing Chi is dead, Yong Jun will attack again, and now that our trump card has been known, I am afraid that the next day will only be a day." He spoke in a low voice. , after all, he didn't want to attack the excited soldiers, and the lieutenant's expression changed greatly when he heard it.

After holding up his body and settling down the soldiers, Liu Wanli returned to the mansion. His wife had long prepared soup and hot water, and helped him to lie down on the couch, and massaged him. After a long time, the old injury brought him The pain gradually subsided, and Liu Wanli fell asleep. At some point, Liu Wanli suddenly felt itchy sinuses, and he sneezed involuntarily. He regained consciousness and opened his eyes, only to see his five-year-old son, Liu Huai, holding a dry grass and inserting it into his nostrils. Liu Wanli couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, stretched out his hand to pick up his beloved son, and said, "Little naughty, why did you come to disturb daddy's sleep?" Liu Huai's eyes flashed, and he said in a milky voice, "Daddy has not been for a few days. Li Huaier." With a dissatisfied expression on his face.

Liu Wanli's heart was sour, and he felt a little guilty. He regretted that he should not have been soft-hearted a year ago, and asked his wife to bring the child here from Jinyang. At that time, only the Huguan was as stable as Mount Tai, who would have known that there would be today's critical situation, and now the enemy army is pressing the situation, It is only a matter of time to break the barrier, but I am the main general. If I secretly send my wife and only son away, I am afraid that the soldiers and civilians in the city will lose their courage to resist. , I am afraid that he will slaughter the city for revenge, I am afraid that his wife and beloved son will die here tragically. Thinking of this, Liu Wanli couldn't help but tremble slightly, hugging Aiko tightly, but he couldn't say a word.

At this time, Mrs. Liu walked in with the soup and medicine. Seeing Liu Wanli's state of mind, how could the husband and wife not understand his thoughts for many years, she put down the medicine bowl, walked to the couch, knelt down and said, "Mr. Yan, but now the situation is like this, Xianggong has to be prepared, concubine and Xianggong have been married for twelve years, life and death are related, and they are related to each other. If there is any damage, the concubine is under the Jiuquan, and there is no shame in seeing the ancestors. I beg the minister to send Huai'er back to the countryside and hand it over to the elder brother of the concubine. The elder brother is a commoner, the future In case, if the situation changes, Huaier will not be affected."

Liu Wanli's heart was in severe pain, how could he not take pity on his beloved son, thinking that he joined the army as a young man, and he and his newlywed wife only went on the battlefield for three days, and finally he was blessed by God, so he could survive. His parents were all taken care of by his wife. It was not until he returned home from a serious injury six years ago that Huaier was born, and his parents did not leave any regrets before they died. Then he was sent to Huguan to guard. At that time, when the battle between Dayong and Northern Han was tense, Huguan was shocked overnight, and he naturally did not dare to pick up his family. Unexpectedly, the family is reunited now, but the enemy is onslaught, and the situation in Huguan is precarious. However, if he sends his beloved son away, I am afraid that it will affect the defense. Liu Wanli finally avoided his wife's pleading gaze and whispered: "Madam, don't worry, General Yong was shot and wounded by me today, and we can definitely wait for reinforcements. "Speaking of this, I sighed in my heart, where are the reinforcements now? Mrs. Liu was also in tears. She was not an ordinary country woman. She had read poetry and books, had a little knowledge of scriptures and history, and supported the family all the year round. How could she not understand her husband's insincere words.

When Liu Wanli and his wife were heartbroken, the maid hurried in to report: "General, the lieutenant is asking to see you."

Liu Wanli immediately woke up, handed his beloved son to his wife, and said, "Go ahead, I will consider this matter." Madam Liu was overjoyed, nodded repeatedly, and hurriedly walked into the back hall with Liu Huai in her arms. Before leaving, he didn't forget to instruct him, "Master, don't forget to take the medicine."

After sending his wife away and ordering the lieutenant to come in, Liu Wanli picked up the bowl of soup that was already a little cold, and drank it slowly, thinking about what would happen when the lieutenant came? Looking outside through the window, it's not even dusk yet. Today's war is over at noon. Now everything about defending the city should be corrected. He is already familiar with defending the city. How to deal with it should not be necessary. He asked for instructions, and he knew that his old injury had recurred. How could he bother him at this time

The young lieutenant hurried into the room, and when he saw Liu Wanli, he said excitedly, "General, there will be a plan at the end to solve the critical situation at Huguan."

Liu Wanli's heart moved, but he didn't show any sign, not even the hand holding the medicine bowl trembled, and said lightly: "Let's talk, the situation is so dangerous now, even if there is only one point of hope, you can't give up easily. "

The lieutenant said excitedly: "When the last general was rectifying the defense, he sent the most capable scouts in Guanzhong to investigate the situation of the enemy camp. Although the enemy concealed Jing Chi's injury, the army in the camp was uneasy, and all the military doctors He was on standby in the central army tent, and all the generals were also waiting in the central army. It can be seen that Jing Chi was seriously injured, and even if he did not die, he would have to shed a layer of skin. The general thought, now that Yong Jun's morale has been demolished, and he is not very prepared for us, They despised us because we have never been out to meet the enemy these days. They will think that if we select more than 2,000 elite soldiers tonight, take advantage of the night to penetrate into the enemy's tent, set fire to the camp, burn down the enemy's baggage, and kill the enemy. They were caught off guard. If there is another chance to kill a few important generals, then Yong Jun will not be able to act as a director. It is also difficult to supply food through Baixing. They will definitely retreat. Fly to the counties, let them recruit Ding Yong to come to help defend Huguan, and then Huguan will be able to defend."

After all, Liu Wanli has fought for many years. He was first happy, and then worried. Although the Yong army commander Jing Chi was injured, the Zhenzhou army commander was thoughtful and might not have thought of the possibility of robbing the camp. Besides, the Yong army was strong and strong, and he counterattacked this time. may not really be able to achieve the goal. But his eyes flickered, and he had already seen the piece of dry grass left by his beloved son on the bed, and his heart suddenly felt a pain. If this continues, when Yong Jun stabilizes his position, the pot gate will be broken. If he agrees with this strategy, If it is possible to force the Yong army to retreat, then it is worth taking some risks. And according to Liu Wanli's years of experience in the battlefield, this strategy has a five-point chance, and now there is only one or two points. Putting down the medicine bowl, Liu Wanli said solemnly, "You go to the army to recruit 1,500 warriors who dare to die, no more. I will lead the army to make a sneak attack tonight."

The lieutenant said quickly: "Sir, your old injury has recurred, how can you lead the army to attack the camp? Let the last general lead the army."

Liu Wanli was about to object, when the familiar pain came from his waist, he couldn't help frowning, and could only say: "Then I'll leave it to you, the life and death of our army will be fought tonight."

The young lieutenant bowed down and said, "Don't worry, General, if something goes wrong, the last general is willing to sacrifice himself and never steal his life."

An ominous premonition surged in Liu Wanli's heart, and he wanted to speak out to stop it, but thinking of the current situation, he thought that it would not work, and he would only die a few days earlier, and now he can no longer hesitate. He stretched out his hand to pick up the lieutenant, looked at this young man who had been fighting with him for many years, his eyes flashed with grief, that is, he succeeded in stealing the battalion. When this incident happened, I have never hated the sky so much for being so ruthless. I would rather be a dog of peace than a chaotic person. Liu Wanli suddenly had a wicked thought. If the world can be unified, then the Northern Han Dynasty will perish, then it seems that there is no such thing. What's the matter? When this idea came up, Liu Wanli subconsciously avoided the eyes of the lieutenant, and secretly thought in his heart, no matter what, it is natural to sacrifice himself to receive the kindness of the king. If the unification of Dayong is really unstoppable, then let himself become Dayong Blood sacrifice under the iron hoof.

That night, when the moonlight was dim, Vice Admiral Huguan, with his carefully selected daring warriors, looked from afar at the Yong Army camp, where tigers and dragons were cradling under the moonlight. Lekou and cotton-clothed hoofs, although there were many people, they didn't make a sound. The lieutenant waved his hand, and more than a hundred people bowed to him and disappeared into the night. These more than a hundred people were all wearing black night clothes and carrying single swords. They all brought fire things and were ready to set fire to the Yongjun camp, but as soon as the fire started, the lieutenant would lead the army into the Yongjun camp. Kill him alone.

The Yong Jun camp in the distance was silent. Except for the soldiers who were in charge of the night guard, there were hardly any figures in sight. It seemed that all Yong Jun were in a deep sleep. They must have been exhausted by the great changes during the day. The lieutenant was also uneasy in his heart. After all, in this battle, he was all good soldiers from Huguan. If he failed to steal the camp, it would be doomed.

Not long after, fire suddenly erupted in Yong's army camp, and chaotic and noisy voices sounded. When the fire was extinguished, people could be seen running around. The lieutenant was overjoyed. Yong Jun's main camp, following the road destroyed by the scouts who sneaked into the camp and set fire to it, he first rushed into the Yong Jun's rear camp, with flames on both sides. Throwing it on the tent that had not yet caught fire, the five hundred cavalry followed him and rushed into the middle of Yong's army, while the other infantrymen were killing people and setting fires everywhere. I don't want to delay, if I want to rush into the central army, I hope to kill a few generals of the Yong army. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Dayong's military camp became a sea of fire. He laughed and stabbed a Yong army who was desperately coming to intercept him. He said loudly: "Kill, kill a river of blood!" They all shouted loudly to kill, and they rushed into the army of Yong Jun, the big tent with the flag of the general with the word "Jing" hanging.