Zhang Fang decided not to attack Luoyang, but the war could not be stopped immediately.
With so many siege equipment built, it would be a shame not to throw them away.
It would be a waste of food not to consume so many defeated troops.
The latter is especially fatal. On the way back, I don't know if there is enough food to eat, and I will probably have to eat meat again. You can't just eat the meat in Guanzhong. I've eaten at Hongnong twice. How much meat can I find the third time?
It’s difficult! Let’s consume some people first.
On September 25th, Shao Xun was woken up in the middle of the night. Then he was dressed neatly and rushed to the Pingchang Gate Tower with the Silver Spear Army and the Chinese Army with a total of 1,200 soldiers who had come down from the Tai Chi Hall. .
On the horse path, there were shouts and screams everywhere, and the figures were indistinguishable.
"It's forbidden at night. If you run around and bump into each other, you will be shot without distinction between friend and foe." Shao Xun gave the order directly.
The crossbowman cocked the crossbow, and the archer nocked the arrow.
"Woo——" The horn sounded, and dense arrows were launched.
It was like a violent storm, covering most of the horse path in an instant.
Wherever the arrows passed, there was no one left standing.
The trumpet sounded over and over again.
The crossbowmen also stood on the horse path and fired at the city head, which was met with a series of screams.
"Dong dong..." The drum sounded.
The teaching team protected Shao Xun, taking the lead and rushing forward.
Several braziers at the top of the city were extinguished and the light was a little dim, but this only made the battle more eerie and ferocious.
"Bang!" Chen Yougen rushed to the front, like a furious-eyed King Kong, slashing across the opponent's face with a sword.
The others quickly followed, and under the dim yellow light, they engaged in bloody close combat with the enemy.
Shao Xun rushed to the city battlements first, chopped off the head of a person who had just come up, and then kicked another half-exposed enemy down to the bottom of the city.
There was a sound of breaking through the air behind him, and he turned sideways to avoid it.
"Dang!" The Huanshou sword hit the rammed earth city wall that was already as hard as iron, making a crisp sound.
Shao Xun struck down with his sword.
"Dang!" He was blocked by the iron armor.
However, the power of the heavy sword was so great that the enemy soldiers dropped their swords, their helmets were knocked to the ground, and their bodies could not stop stumbling back.
"My maid!" Shao Xun lost his temper, took two quick steps, grabbed the enemy soldier's hair, and pushed him into the brazier.
The enemy soldiers were struck dizzy by heavy swords. When they woke up, burning charcoal was already in front of them.
"Ah!" The screams were earth-shattering, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
Shao Xun held him down for a moment, then pushed him to the ground, then raised his foot and kicked the brazier towards the two enemy soldiers who had just climbed to the top of the city.
Hot charcoal flew in the air, making the enemy soldiers scream.
Under the moonlight, the heavy sword slashed continuously, and the sharp sword light slashed from left to right, and then from right to left. Wherever it passed, five or six enemy soldiers screamed and fell to the ground.
The soldiers of the training team imitated the same example, picked up the brazier and threw it into the enemy soldiers.
The archers followed, taking careful aim from a distance and shooting at valuable targets.
The battle is bloody and cruel, and extremely tests one's will.
The soldiers of the teaching team fell on the city wall one after another, using their bloody courage to wear away the attacking enemies bit by bit.
Flesh Mill, that's for sure. That night, I don’t know how many sacrifices were devoured.
After the Silver Spear Army followed up, the situation had completely stabilized.
They lined up in a neat array, fired their guns like dragons, and cleared away the few remaining enemies.
"Ah!" The last enemy general was forced into a corner, and dozens of spears were thrust out, nailing him to the wall.
The new recruits of the Silver Spear Army were too nervous, used too much force, and even lifted this person into the air.
Blood trickled down and formed a small pool at his feet.
"Bang!" After the spear was withdrawn, the body fell to the ground.
The enemy general opened his eyes wide and looked to the sky unwillingly.
The moon in Chang'an should also be so bright...
Shao Xun walked around the city with a heavy sword dripping with blood.
The enemy had stopped climbing up. Apparently they knew that reinforcements were coming to the city. This night attack to steal the city failed.
They didn't even have time to pack up their siege equipment, so they retreated hastily and disappeared into the night.
There was another sound of footsteps on the road.
The Chinese sergeants caught dozens of deserters and pushed them over.
Shao Xun snorted coldly and asked, "Where is Miao Yuan?"
"General Miao was injured and was sent back to the city." A moment later, a deserter said.
Shao Xun was silent for a while and then pulled him over.
The deserter didn't know why, but he saw the sword light slashing down like a sword, and his head flew up instantly.
"Abandoning the city and fleeing is a crime worthy of death. All of them will be beheaded." He ordered.
The deserters were in an uproar.
No matter what they thought, the soldiers of the Central Military Commission quickly slaughtered all these people with swords and guns.
The field was filled with a strong smell of blood, and even the Silver Spear soldiers who had just gone into battle and killed people were a little uncomfortable with it.
"Jin San, Lu Heigou!" Shao Xun shouted.
"Here." The two of them stepped forward in unison.
"Take people out of the city to pursue and kill, as long as the bull market is limited." Shao Xun ordered.
"promise."
"Do you know how to pursue me?"
"Multiple torches, many beating of war drums, running in single file, no more than three hundred steps." The two men replied as if they were endorsing each other.
Multiple torches are used to create the illusion that there are more people on your side.
The same goes for beating war drums multiple times, and they can even be placed in different directions to confuse the enemy.
These are night fighting tactics, especially effective when the enemy is retreating.
Run in a column, stop after three hundred steps to reorganize the formation, and then continue the pursuit.
This measure is to prevent encountering enemy reinforcements or counterattacks by the troops behind them.
Shao Xun laughed after hearing this. The student soldiers had really worked hard and memorized the skills they usually learned by heart.
Now is the time to put them into practice.
****
The Silver Spear Army who went out to pursue the city came back before dawn, with almost no casualties, but not many gains.
The enemy troops were running very fast, and it was difficult to tell where they were going in the darkness. In the end, only a few dozen unlucky stragglers—people who got separated because of poor eyesight—were killed.
Over the next few days, the enemy offensive gradually subsided.
Occasionally, a nervous attack occurs, but the number of people is not large.
On the 26th, the east city was attacked.
For a time, Wang Bing was in a hurry and allowed the enemy troops to rush to the top of the city. In the end, he relied on the 3,000 auxiliary soldiers reinforced by Shao Xun to rely on their numerical advantage to annihilate the enemies who broke through - those who attacked the East City. By the end of the day, more than 400 people had been killed and wounded in the defenders' front and rear.
If Dongcheng fails, attack Nancheng again on the 27th.
The new recruits of Miao Yuan wanted to escape, but they didn't dare.
Shao Xun personally led the reserve Silver Spear Army to press the battle, joined the battle at the critical moment, and finally repelled the enemy.
On the 28th, there was a small fight in Xicheng.
He Lun responded calmly and had many soldiers, preventing Zhang Fang from succeeding.
By this time, both sides understood that the Battle of Luoyang was over.
If you don't succeed at the beginning, the opportunity will be lost forever.
The Western Army's current attack is more like covering for a retreat or other actions.
Moreover, they no longer send out elite soldiers. Those who attack the city are either weak soldiers or defeated soldiers who are contained. Naturally, there will be no results. They are just giving death to the opponent, and even helping their new soldiers grow.
On the last day of September, thousands of Western cavalry gathered outside the city.
The infantry broke out of camp and walked away in an orderly manner.
Later, the cavalry also mounted their horses and disappeared into the distant sky.
The city of Luoyang burst into warm cheers on the spot.
It has been more than two months since the Sikong Northern Expedition began, with ups and downs and many twists and turns. Anyone who can still stand here at this time feels like they are surviving a disaster.
And all of this is inseparable from that man.
The golden-armored warrior stood on the tower, bathing in the setting sun and its brilliant glow.
He is the Dinghai Shenzhen who has been able to persist in Luoyang until now.
His prestige is no longer in doubt.
After withdrawing from the city, Shao Xun returned to Jinyong City. The first thing he did was to go to the princess's residence to report and ask for instructions.
When others saw it, they praised him.
Shao Sima was not only a great fighter, but also a very loyal man. Even though Sikong was away, he still asked the princess for instructions and reported everything.
The princess has also gained a lot of military morale recently.
She took the maids in the mansion and the female relatives of other families who lived in the house to sew the soldiers' uniforms and boost their morale.
Even twice, he personally cooked meals and took his servants to carry them to the top of the city to feed the troops - well, not everyone could eat them. After all, it was just such a small amount of food. It is said that Shao Sima and The officers of the teaching team shared the meal.
Her behavior was relatively rare at this time, so the effect was particularly good and it indeed played a role in boosting morale.
"Why did Zhang Fang leave now?" Concubine Pei asked softly through the window.
"I just heard that this guy may have stolen the tombs of the princes of the past dynasties, or even the imperial mausoleums." Shao Xun replied: "That's what he is like. If a thief doesn't escape and take something back, the soldiers will also complain. , I won’t go on an expedition next time.”
"It's really heartbreaking." Concubine Pei sighed.
Shao Xun was silent.
His eyes wandered over the blurred window paper, feeling as if Concubine Pei had changed into a new set of clothes.
I ask for instructions every day and change it every day. The style is still different and I wear it in different ways.
This is a game between adults, hazy and endlessly enjoyable.
But Shao Xun knew that Concubine Pei was sensible. Sikong was still here, so there was no way she could do anything.
Yes, the education of gentlemen and women at this time was indeed diverse, the constraints of ethics and education were greatly reduced, and the atmosphere was relatively open, but after all, there were still a small number of people like Sima Rui's mother who spread a lot of rosy news.
"I found what you are looking for. Write it on this square silk. Take it." The window opened, revealing Concubine Pei's angry face.
Shao Xun took the silk and read it roughly.
"Are the Huns worth your trouble?" Concubine Pei was a little puzzled: "If Zhang Fang retreats, Luoyang should be at peace, right?"
"It's just peace for a while." Shao Xun said: "Sima Ying is in full decline. If she is defeated, her next target will be Sima Yong. If we don't defeat this person, can Sikong An stay in Luoyang and issue orders?"
Sima Ying and Sima Yong are allies. After defeating Sima Ying, they must march into Guanzhong to fight against Sima Yong's forces.
Instead of completely wiping them out, Sima Yue would just pop the champagne at halftime and get drunk.
The battle still has to be fought, but Luoyang may indeed usher in a rare period of calm.
When Concubine Pei heard this, she rolled her eyes at Shao Xun and said, "You know Sikong better than I do."
Shao Xun smiled awkwardly and said vaguely: "Sikong has great ambitions, and of course he will wipe out the princes one by one."
While he was replying, he looked at Juan Xiu's handwriting on the silk.
Concubine Pei is indeed very talented in literature. She read through so many files and historical materials, and the final summary is very concise.
After Shao Xun read it, he already had a rough understanding.
To put it simply, in the past, the Xiongnu in the deep interior south of Wei Wu gradually became more powerful, and they were divided into five tribes to weaken their power.
Each department has a commander-in-chief, and the Wei people are selected as Sima to supervise. At the end of Wei Dynasty, he was changed from commander to captain.
The Zuobu Duwei commanded more than 10,000 people and lived in his hometown of Zishi County (today's south of Linfen City, Shanxi Province).
There are more than 6,000 captains in the right department, living in Qi County (now southeast of Qi County, Shanxi Province).
There were more than 3,000 southern captains living in Puzi County (today's Xi County, Shanxi Province).
There were more than 4,000 northern captains living in Xinxing County (today's Xinzhou, Shanxi).
There were more than 6,000 captains in the central region, living in Daling County (now northeast of Wenshui, Shanxi).
Regarding the Southern Xiongnu, Cao Cao's attitude has always been to drive them to serve as soldiers and fight against all forces.
He was also very vigilant, splitting the Xiongnu into five tribes was a move, and at the same time he continued to levy their population - "Call the powerful right people to the shogunate; when the powerful right people are exhausted, they will send out the powerful ones as a righteous obedience." ; And because the army went out for an expedition, I asked for my strength. After the officials and soldiers had gone, I moved their homes a little and sent them back and forth to Ye, with tens of thousands of people..."
Cao Cao's routine was to serve as officials for the upper echelons of the Xiongnu, with elite soldiers serving as "righteous followers" and ordinary herdsmen accompanying the army on expeditions. Not to mention, after the Huns became soldiers, they had to move away their families, tens of thousands of them.
The Huns who arrived in Yecheng were basically assimilated by the Han people. If you ask them now, most of them don’t know whether their ancestors are Huns or Han, so they will default to “Wei people”. Now they default to “Jin people”. Their language, clothing, and living habits have completely changed, and they have lost their own cultural characteristics. .
Cao Cao's operations reduced the population of the Southern Xiongnu to only a few hundred thousand at the end of the Wei Dynasty.
At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty, the Xiongnu from outside the Great Wall returned, and there were nineteen species before and after. There are only three times on the scale, once with "more than 20,000 people and 100,000 men and women", once with 29,300 people, and once with 11,500 people, and the rest are all around 1,000 people.
Therefore, the current five Southern Xiongnu tribes, excluding the population lost after the Jin Dynasty's war conscription - not only those who died in battle, but also those whose families were moved to the hinterland of the Western Jin Dynasty after they became soldiers - there are probably men, women, old and children. There are about four to five million people, including more than 100,000 adult men.
This power is quite big.
In the case of extreme conscription, theoretically all adult men must go into battle, which is hundreds of thousands of Huns soldiers.
Of course, for the sake of sustainability, fishing from the lake would generally not be so messy. Recruiting 50,000 people would be enough. Even if 50,000 people felt that it would affect their livelihood, it would be enough to send out 20,000 to 30,000 people, supplemented by hundreds of thousands of Han people to form the so-called "Hongnu army".
If the Luoyang Central Army is still there and has all the light, heavy, and armored cavalry formations, it can fight with it, and the probability of victory is still high.
But now, I won’t say anything!
Shao Xun collected the silk and said goodbye.
Luoyang ushered in peace? What doesn't exist is just a truce.
The next enemy will probably be the Huns.
Will Sikong send him into battle? Too likely.
Planning ahead is a must.
Before that, he had another important thing to do: a messenger came from Yecheng to inform the emperor's brother Sima Ying that he might send troops to escort the emperor back south in the near future, and ordered the generals left in Luoyang to welcome him.
