The main force of the Liao army approaches Zhuozhou
There was a dull rumbling sound between heaven and earth. It was not loud, but it seemed to come from the sky and the earth, and it could be heard in every corner.
On the field, the snow was dazzlingly white under the sun, and a large group of people and horses were slowly approaching this side.
In the fortresses outside Zhuozhou, people climbed up the walls and stared at the crowds approaching. Fires flickered on the fortresses, and the smoke was blown by the wind in the air like a swooping dragon.
It was a bright and clear day, and the Liao army came with so many people in a swagger. Zhuozhou was already prepared to meet the enemy. Behind the earthen forts, the elite infantry formed a square formation and gathered outside Zhuozhou City.
After a long time, the two armies were facing each other with a distance of more than a mile between them, and the speed of the Liao army's center slowed down.
Han Tong, the commander of the Zhuozhou Imperial Army, rode to the front on horseback, ordered a fortress to lower the drawbridge, and led his men into the earthen fort. He ignored the advice of his generals and personally climbed up a simple wooden arrow tower.
General Luo Yanhuan kindly advised: Marshal Han is the commander-in-chief of the entire army and should not take risks easily.
Han Tong stared and said loudly: If I die, the whole army will obey General Luo's orders.
Luo Yanhuan was stunned.
Standing on the arrow tower, the view is different from that on the ground. The horizon seems to have a slight arc. The weather is very good today. After the snow cleared, the sky was blue, the air was particularly fresh, and the view was extremely wide.
The Liao army seemed to be completely unafraid of being seen by the Zhou army. From what he could see, there were at least more than 100,000 soldiers. Han Tong was a professional military commander, and he could estimate the approximate strength of the troops based on the size of the crowd. The Liao army approached from all directions, and the scale was more than 100,000, which was very shocking. Han Tong had experienced a major battle with more than 100,000 soldiers, but it was rare to see 100,000 people put together.
Han Tong watched the movements of the Liao army intently, and his heart was very tense.
In this kind of situation, there are too many people and too much space, so both infantry and cavalry movements appear to be very slow; but just like a large ship that is difficult to turn around, once something moves, it is very difficult and troublesome to change it temporarily.
Han Tong observed for a while, but did not issue any military orders, and still let the main force of the infantry army gather outside the city to wait for the decisive battle at this time. The Zhou army was short of manpower. The Liao army's two wings were spread out very wide, and Han Tong believed that the Liao army would not only confront from the front.
As expected, the Liao army began to advance on both sides, and the two wings surrounded to the left and right.
The rumbling noise of the enemy soldiers was very obvious, and the sound of horse hooves in the distance suddenly intensified.
Han Tong gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and still ordered the main infantry to remain stationary behind him.
Several groups of Liao troops from the northwest were the first to approach the earthen forts. In front of a fort, the Zhou army soldiers stared at the scene in front of them. A large group of men, women, old and young were driven over, crying and shouting, carrying sacks and stones.
The Liao cavalrymen in the back were cracking their whips, and screams and cries could be heard from afar. A ragged woman was pushed to the front of the trench, and she looked down and turned around immediately, and many people around her turned around; but the crowd that was driven up from behind was pushing forward, and the crowd was getting denser and denser.
Someone dropped a sack, and the cavalrymen behind him couldn't help but break up and shoot arrows.
The crowd was in chaos. Many people fell into the ditch crying, and some were pushed to the ground and were trampled by the dense crowd, screaming.
At this time, two stone bombs flew into the air from the fortress. One exploded in the air, and the other fell into the Liao army's horse herd and exploded, and a group of people and horses fled in panic.
After a long time, the two trenches were filled with sand bags, stones and corpses. From time to time, there were human hands stretched out from the sand and stones, which was very scary.
The Liao army's catapults and ladders were coming up one after another. Stone bullets fell into the earthen fort like hail. The wooden piles on the earthen wall collapsed everywhere, and the houses where the soldiers lived were also banging and clanging, and the wooden boards and felts were in a mess.
The captain standing on the wall stared blankly at the scene outside the fort. Ladders were being pushed slowly approaching, infantrymen carrying wooden ladders, and Liao soldiers holding swords, shields, bows and arrows were spreading over.
Ah, a soldier was lying on the ground, screaming, struggling in the smashed soil. Many people on the wall were squatting on the ground, trembling.
The captain looked back and saw that the Zhou army infantry formation was motionless. There was no one coming to his side. He felt cold in his heart. How could he hold on to this situation
But there was no choice. Since the superiors had not issued an order to retreat, it would be too late to run now.
The leaders of each team shouted as they prepared for battle, and pointed at the men below the beacon tower, beating drums and preparing for battle.
The crossbowmen on the arrow tower fired the first arrow, and the people standing in front of the fort also took crossbows and shot arrows. The Liao army archers shot arrows at the city. For a moment, the sound of strings filled the air. The arrows clinked on the plate armor and helmets of the Zhou army. Occasionally, those who were unlucky had their leather armor pierced at the joints and screamed.
The Zhou army was in great confusion. Ten of the generals were dead. No one gave orders for a while. The people in front fired crossbows, and the people behind followed suit. Bang bang bang, even the bronze fire guns started to explode. At this time, the Liao army's sword and shield soldiers had rushed to the city, and many people fell down.
The ladder was placed on the earthen wall, and someone threw two flaming oil jars out in a panic, and then the ladder immediately caught fire and black smoke billowed. But more Liao soldiers took the wooden ladders and directly placed them on the earthen wall of the fortress, and the troops behind them swarmed in.
Seeing this, the captain shouted: Everyone should serve their country wholeheartedly and stop killing.
Soon, countless wooden ladders were placed on the earthen wall, and several other ladders also came up. The whole earthen fortress seemed to be covered with ants. Fires burst out in the snow, black smoke filled the air, and the shouting was deafening.
A Zhou soldier threw away his musket, pulled out a long spear from the rack behind him, and stabbed at a Liao soldier who had just climbed up the ladder. The Liao soldier hurriedly used his shield to block, but it was difficult to use the ladder to gain leverage, so he fell down and screamed. The second Liao soldier jumped up and jumped onto the wall. The Zhou soldier in front of him couldn't reach his spear, so he was stunned and was immediately chopped by the Liao soldier's sword. He screamed and covered his face. The Liao soldier took advantage of the situation and pushed him to the ground with his shield, and stabbed him down with his iron sword at his neck.
The Liao army attacked the walls from all sides, and the sound of killing and screaming were deafening. Many Zhou soldiers jumped down from the wall, and the fort was in chaos.
The captain was originally a general of the Imperial Guards. He killed two Liao soldiers on foot, and the people around him ran back to the fort. When he saw the Liao soldiers on both sides surrounding him, he didn't care about anything else and grabbed the wall with both hands, fell down, and then jumped to the ground.
The captain looked at the scene on the city wall. The surrounding area was filled with smoke and the sound of killing came from all directions. He couldn't help but look up and sigh. He remembered the scene when the Liao people drove the Han people to fill the ditch before, and knew that they would not survive. He saw a group of ten generals not far away, so he shouted: Bring the flag over, ask the survivors to gather together, and fight to the death.
Several generals shouted and a group of people gathered here. Those who were running around the wall were hacked to pieces by the Liao army's swords. All the soldiers gathered here, and before they could form a formation, the Liao army's soldiers came up to kill them.
There was a chaotic battle, and the Zhou army was immediately defeated by the Liao army. At this moment, the gate of the fort was opened, and a group of cavalry rushed in, first with a crackling sound of horse shooting, and then the horses rushed in. The captain knew that there was no way to go, so he shouted and raised his sword to rush back. With a bang, he was hit by a warhorse that could not dodge in time. The captain was hit and slid a long way in the snow. He lay on the ground and spit out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to stand up but failed. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the rest of his people were being chased by the cavalry. It was only a matter of time before the whole army was wiped out.
Han Tong looked at the crazy scene near and far, his face livid.
The Zhou cavalry nearby charged in and out of the fortresses, and the Liao army did not attack the fortresses on this side under the threat of the cavalry.
At this time, a general came on horseback and knelt down on the ground under the arrow tower and asked: "Why didn't Lord Han save me?"
Han Tong did not recognize this general, but judging from his clothes and armor, he should be a general of the local army. He said nothing.
Zhang Lingduo, a general of the Imperial Guards, said coldly: "You have no right to speak on the battlefield.
The general kowtowed and said: "Cut off my head, please, Lord Han, and send reinforcements to our brothers."
Han Tong stared and said: There are too few imperial guards. If we divide them now, once the Liao army breaks through the outer perimeter and tears a large gap, the imperial guards will be divided and surrounded.
The general looked up at the smoke in the distance, veins bulging in his temples, and gritted his teeth and said: Then why are we stationed in the fort? Is it just to die
Zhang Lingduo added: If you are not allowed to stay in the fort, the destruction will be even faster.
Han Tong glared at Zhang Lingduo angrily: The earthen fortification line is not for stubborn defense, but for both infantry and cavalry offense and defense. However, there are so few elite field troops in Zhuozhou, so it is impossible to fight.
The local army generals were still not convinced and said: Why didn't Lord Han tell his local army brothers to withdraw into the city earlier
Han Tongdao: Gu'an County has 50,000 elite imperial guards. If we are blocked into the city immediately, what use will it be
He took a deep breath and said coldly: Order all the forts to defend to the death
Get the order
After a while, a team of messengers with colorful pennants on their backs dispersed from the nearby horsemen and galloped out.
Han Tong could see that some earthen forts had been quickly captured, but some of the attacked fortresses were well organized and were still resisting. Many people would die, but the Liao army could not attack the fortifications without paying a price.
Han Tong was planning to wait until the Liao army's attack was almost over, then mobilize the imperial guards camp to concentrate in one direction, counterattack the lost fortress, and then counterattack back. There were still a large number of local soldiers stationed in the city to replenish the lost garrison troops.
Of course, this tactic cannot last too long, and the morale of the local army will quickly drop to the bottom. But Li Chuyun's cavalry brigade will not dawdle for too long.
Han Tong turned his head and looked to the east. If Li Chuyun reacted quickly, the vanguard would be able to reach Zhuozhou within half a day.