The sun was shining brightly. Xiao Siwen stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the continuous earthen walls and fences hundreds of steps away. The huge Zhou army infantry square in front of the city tower seemed like a sea of people that could flood Youzhou City at any time. The tall ladders and towers seemed like buildings built outside the city.
The whole city was covered with fog, a sign of dust in the air. The Zhou army had lined up, and although the scene was quiet for the time being, the atmosphere was already tense when seeing the prepared troops and horses.
The city was not completely surrounded, and a wide gap was left at the east gate. However, Xiao Siwen had already found out that the main force of the Zhou army was divided into two parts, one on the west bank of the Wenyu River east of Youzhou City, and the other in the camp north of the city. As soon as they ran out, they would be besieged by the Zhou army cavalry.
The purpose of leaving a hole in the city was to give the defenders a way out and break their determination to hold out. Xiao Siwen saw through it at a glance and was a little angry: Did Guo the blacksmith look down on him so much that he thought he would escape from the east gate and fall into the trap
At this moment, there was a loud bang.
The huge cannon roared like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, breaking the silence between heaven and earth. It was as if the drums of war were beating before a war.
Xiao Siwen felt the brick floor beneath his feet tremble, and a puff of white smoke rose into the air in the distance. Xiao Siwen subconsciously raised his head, and indeed saw a round stone coming from the air. A moment later, Xiao Siwen even saw with his own eyes the stone rolling rapidly in the air, and faintly heard the whistling of strong wind.
"Your Majesty, we have to retreat," Abudi urged hastily.
Xiao Siwen drew his sword and turned to leave. The flags on the walls also shook their heads anxiously, and teams of soldiers holding their weapons ran down the wall to the ramp.
On the Danzhou city wall, defending general Tao Bin stood there and silently watched the Liao cavalry moving slowly on the road.
The surrounding Han soldiers and Khitan officials were also watching. Wang Bin glanced at the Khitans standing in the distance and whispered to a general beside him: "Hurry up and send someone to see the Emperor of the Great Zhou. The reinforcements from Shangjing are coming. They are entering from the north gate. There are a large number of elite cavalry from the palace tent. Once we find out the specific number of troops and horses, we will send someone to report."
The general clasped his fists and said: Yes.
Tao Bin looked calm and composed. After a while, he saw the Khitan characters on the flag clearly and thought to himself: Yelu Xiu'ge's troops might be the vanguard of the Liao army.
At this time, a group of cavalrymen rushed to the city, raised their heads and pointed their whips upwards, and shouted in Khitan: "The Liao Dynasty's Zhou Guogong Yelu Xiu'ge's army is marching south, and the food and grass are ready, but why don't you open the city gates?"
Tao Bin immediately ordered the city gate to be opened and quickly walked down the city wall to greet them.
As soon as the first batch of Liao cavalry entered, they immediately drove away the Han soldiers on the gate and took control of the gate. After a while, Yelu Xiuguo, surrounded by large flags, rode into the city in a grand manner. His angular face was fierce, and his stern face made people even more awed.
The Khitan soldiers on both sides of the city gate put their hands on their chests and bowed to Yelu Xiu'ge who was slowly walking in from the middle of the road, but they did not need to speak.
Han general Tao Bin led his troops to kneel on one knee, clasped their fists and bowed respectfully:
Yelu Xiu'ge stopped his horse in front of Tao Bin and looked down at him. Tao Bin did not look up, but he could feel Yelu Xiu'ge's gaze from the corner of his eye. Suddenly, a huge pressure came over his head. He calmed down, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, without moving.
Could it be that the secret surrender to the Great Zhou was exposed
Yelu Xiuguo deliberately stood in front of him. Tao Bin was already feeling guilty, and immediately thought of the secret. He felt a chill in his heart, and his heart was in his throat.
Yelu Xiuguo stood for a while and said: The food and fodder are ready.
"Reporting to the commander, I have received the official document and have done my best to prepare food and fodder." Tao Bin spoke loudly in Khitan, his voice very steady.
You stand up and talk. Yelu Xiuguo's tone slowed down a little.
Tao Bin bowed, stood up, and felt a little relieved.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Yelu Xiuguo suddenly asked: Have you surrendered to Zhou
Tao Bin was startled and looked at Yelu Xiu'ge's face. Yelu Xiu'ge also squinted his eyes and stared at him. Tao Bin said: If I wanted to surrender, why would I stay here and wait for the Marshal and the Liao warriors to arrive
Yelu Xiuge was silent for a moment, then asked: How much food and fodder do you have
It can provide food for 10,000 men for five days, Tao Bin said.
Yelu Xiu'ge's face suddenly changed: Tanzhou is such a big place, but there is only this much
Tao Bin calmed down and said: Marshal, several months ago, the Liao army of more than 100,000 people had already emptied the treasury. I took great pains to gather these grains.
Yelu Xiuge said coldly: This is all in just a few months
Tao Bin said: The time for collecting grain in summer and autumn has not yet arrived, and the people have been suffering from hunger and cold due to the war since last year, so it is really impossible to collect grain.
The fool Yelu Xiu'ge cursed angrily, took a deep breath, and said coldly, the official position was conferred on you by the Liao Dynasty, not a favor given to you by the Han people.
Tao Bin said hurriedly: The Marshal is talking about
Yelu Xiu'ge rode away, and the Khitan general behind him glared at Tao Bin coldly.
The Liao army of 30,000 entered the northern city of Danzhou. Yelu Xiuguo pointed to a nearby area of houses and designated it as a military camp. The cavalrymen rushed into the streets with a few men, beating gongs and drums and shouting: Everyone leave within half an hour, otherwise you will be killed.
When the people fled, many of my daughters were captured. However, the Liao army did not touch the families of the Han generals and officials in Danzhou.
Yelu Xiu'ge walked into the central military headquarters and summoned the Khitan officials from Danzhou to inquire about military intelligence.
The Khitan official replied: Youzhou is surrounded on three sides, only the east city has a gap, but there are cavalry activities. This morning, the artillery of the Zhou army camp fired, and the siege has just begun. There may be more than 100,000 infantry gathered under the city of Youzhou. The cavalry is divided into two camps, one on the west bank of the Wenyu River, and the other in the north of Youzhou City.
Yelu Xiuguo sneered: "More than 100,000 infantrymen are only useful to Youzhou City. They are just cavalry to us. There are more than 50,000 cavalrymen at most. If you want to keep me, you still need a little more."
Although Yelu Xiuguo was fierce and unpopular, his tone and momentum immediately encouraged the generals. The generals said: "The commander is a Khitan hero, a tiger on the grassland."
Yelu Xiu'ge picked up a few pieces of charcoal and put them next to the fire, and drew a few times with a branch. Don't worry about the infantry surrounding Youzhou. If Xiao Siwen can't hold on for a month or two, then this war can't be fought. No wonder we are on top of the river. It's just right to rob the Zhou people of their food for the army, so as to avoid forcing those nagging and stupid Han generals; at the same time, it is also to cut off the firewood of the Zhou army in Youzhou. No matter how many people there are, they can't attack the city without food.
Everyone listened seriously and no one objected.
Yelu Xiuguo decided on the tactics simply and clearly. He had a high prestige and was violent and strong. Most people did not dare to oppose him. Therefore, his orders on the battlefield were very clear and effective. Apart from other things, his angry expression could frighten people.
A tribal military noble said: The commander-in-chief only said a few words, but he grasped the key points everywhere. His knowledge of military tactics makes us admire him very much.
Yelu Xiu'ge didn't take this kind of flattery seriously and snorted coldly with his face raised.
The noble was not depressed, as if he had guessed that although Yelu Xiuguo snorted, he must be very pleased in his heart. The noble seemed to sincerely admire Yelu Xiuguo and continued: "The Marshal is worthy of being the first tiger general of the Liao Dynasty. I firmly believe that if there is a battle that the Marshal cannot win, then even the gods cannot win it. Now the Liao Dynasty is weak, and it is really at a disadvantage in Hebei. It is a situation where the few are fighting against the many."
Yelu Xiuguo said: "Even if the Khitans are few in number, they are still tigers and wolves. Even if the southerners are many in number, they are still Han people. I want you to see this for yourself."
The generals' eyes widened and they gradually became excited. Their wild eyes reflected the light from the fire and sparkled in the dark night, looking like a pack of wolves.
Yelu Xiu'ge calmly picked up the wooden stick and pointed at the ground. The Han cavalry were deployed at these two places for two purposes. They wanted to ambush and besiege Xiao Siwen's defenders when they escaped; and to protect the infantry besieging Youzhou City and cut off the harassment of the Liao army's retreat to the north.
We will first seize the opportunity to plunder the grain ships on the Juma River. The army will cross the Juma River from the west, avoid the Zhou cavalry, drive south, kill all the Zhou people, and rob all the grain ships. Then we will wait for an opportunity to return north.
A general said nervously: "We are deep into the Juma River, and we are surrounded by the cities of the Zhou army.
I have already said that the only threat to us is the two Zhou cavalry. These cities are just for show. What use is there? Yelu Xiuguo said coldly, with no fear on his face. The Zhou army has only more than 50,000 cavalry, less than twice as many as I have. Unless they can surround us from all sides at the same time, they can't keep the Liao cavalry.
Yelu Xiuguo was very sure about this. If the Zhou cavalry united to block the attack, he would change direction and let them chase behind; as long as the Zhou army divided its troops, he could either keep moving and break out of the encirclement or find the weakest link to defeat them one by one. The Liao army was an elite cavalry that was good at fighting, and it was impossible for the Zhou army to divide its troops and approach them at the same time.
Yelu Xiuguo estimated based on his experience that the Liao army would suddenly drive southward and approach the Juma River before the Zhou army could react. After all, it takes time for military information to be transmitted; the Zhou cavalry also needs to gather and prepare before setting out. By the time the Liao army robbed the grain road and chose a way back, it might be too hasty for the Zhou cavalry to temporarily encircle them.
The main force of Zhou army's infantry was besieging Youzhou. The distance to threaten them from other places was too short. If they were deployed too far away, it would be like giving heads to the cavalry.
Yelu Xiuguo observed the flags across from the door fluttering weakly from time to time, and said: If there is no wind tomorrow, we can attack. If there is no wind or the wind direction is wrong, the ships will move more slowly, and they will be like turtles in a jar on those rivers.
The general is wise and all the generals bow to him.
Yelu Xiuguo said: "We asked the Zhou people to retreat last year. We should ask them to take the same route this time."