When Shen Qingzhi led his army to Nanxin City, Fu Liang arrived outside Suiyang City with 16,000 new soldiers and baggage, plus 18,000 people recruited from the slave laborers. At this time, Suiyang was besieged. The number of soldiers and horses is close to 60,000.
Summer grain has been collected. There are more than 800,000 shi of military grain in Meng County and Yu County. Together with the military grain shipped by Fu Liang, it is enough for the army for half a year. The siege equipment has been built and is only waiting for an order to launch the siege.
The cities surrounding Suiyang such as Mengxian, Yuxian, Gushu, Yanxian, Ningling, and Xiangyi were all captured by the Song army. In order to prevent the Suiyang defenders from breaking out and Yong's reinforcements arriving, Liu Yu conscripted 50,000 men to dig deep trenches around Suiyang City and built three long sieges to tightly trap Suiyang City. Suiyang had become Lonely city.
The long siege built outside the city has been around since the Warring States Period. The long siege is an earthen siege and is used to block the connection between inside and outside the city. "To lock the city, build a long siege outside the city where the arrows cannot reach. Outside the long siege, divide the generals and soldiers, set up camps on all sides, and garrison the fields to defend, cut off the way in and out, and divide the troops to determine their subordinates. We should collect taxes and grain from the towns to support the army."
At the top of Suiyang City, Wang Zhene and Prefect Xu Chong were patrolling the city. Looking at the fluttering flags outside the city and the heavy siege, Xu Chong said with concern: "General Wang, the Song Army has reinforcements arriving again. Suiyang The food in the city is only enough for a month, and I don’t know if it can be defended.”
Wang Zhene smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, Governor Xu. Your lord can't just sit back and watch Suiyang. After harvesting the summer grain, I estimate that the reinforcements sent by your lord are about to arrive. By then, as long as the road is opened and Suiyang is dangerous, there is no need to fear the Song army." .”
Xu Chong felt more at ease and said, "I think the Song army will attack the city in the next few days. General Wang should be more careful."
Wang Zhen smiled evilly and said: "Prefect Xu can leave the defense of the city to Yu. Prefect Xu only needs to appease the people and mobilize the young men to help defend the city."
Three miles east of Suiyang City, in the Song Army's camp, in the Chinese army's tent, Fu Liang reported to Liu Yu the situation in the capital. From Fu Liang's words, Liu Yu heard that Liu Muzhi disapproved of his pursuit of Jiuxi's position, and frowned slightly.
Xie Hui was paying attention to Liu Yu's expression, and he could see Liu Yu's tiny movements clearly. He had always been at odds with Liu Muzhi, and he was secretly happy.
When Fu Liang finished speaking, Liu Yu remained calm and simply asked a few questions about the situation of the Emperor and King Langya, and then asked: "How about reconciliation?"
Fu Liang hesitated for a moment and said: "Mr. Liu is still in good health and handles government affairs every day. It's just that I think his energy is not as good as before and his complexion is a little dark."
Liu Yu was away on an expedition, and the whole capital was managed by Liu Muzhi. If he had any shortcomings, the attack on Yong would end in vain if the rear was unstable. Liu Yu asked with concern: "Have you ever asked a medical officer to take a look?"
Fu Liang shook his head and said: "Mr. Liu thought nothing was wrong. Yu privately asked the medical officer about Mr. Liu's condition. The medical officer said that Mr. Liu was overworked and he only needs to rest for a period of time before he can recover."
Liu Yu was silent. The battle ahead was tense. Liu Muzhi had to take care of the baggage, military pay, recruitment and other matters. Liu Muzhi also had to control the government affairs of the DPRK and China. The stability of the rear was inseparable from him.
Xie Hui cupped his hands and said: "Liu Pushe is the lord's loyal minister and must not be missed. Since Liu Pushe is in poor health and his life is fragile, the lord must have a long-term plan. He might as well let Zong Wen (Xu Xianzhi) share more government affairs. .”
Liu Yu nodded and said: "Xuan Ming's words are reasonable. Zong Wenxiang is talented. He is originally Dao He's deputy. I will write to Dao He so that he doesn't have to work too hard. He might as well allocate more affairs to Zong Wen to take care of."
Standing up, Liu Yu said solemnly: "Ji You has brought reinforcements and baggage. We will start attacking the city tomorrow. We must capture Suiyang as soon as possible and march into Luoyang."
On July 15, the war drums were rumbling, and the Song army began to attack the city from the east and west. Hundreds of catapults lined up, and flying stones rained down on the city head. Suiyang City trembled in the rain of stones.
The loess peeled off from the outer walls, and the rammed earth at the top of the city was plowed into ditches by the flying rocks that remained unabated. Some stones passed over the city head and fell directly into the city, smashing the roofs of the houses near the city gate and causing the soil to fly.
After Shi Yu threw it for a quarter of an hour, the Song soldiers below the city began to build a moat bridge on the moat, and thirty-six wells began to approach the city wall.
The well is made of strong rough wood, in the shape of a square column, with wheels underneath to push it, and sixteen archers standing on the top. The well railing is more than three feet high and is level with the city head of Suiyang. It is possible to shoot arrows at the city wall and suppress the defenders at the city head from attacking the soldiers building trench bridges below the city.
Wang Zhen'e saw the well guard stopped dozens of steps away and fired arrows into the city. If it was not removed in time, it would affect the morale of the defenders. He immediately summoned archers to shoot at the archers on the well guard, but the arrows they shot were only rockets.
The rockets were burning on the well railing. Song soldiers were also on guard. Some people climbed up and put out the fire with wet felt blankets. Wang Zhen'e sneered slightly, pushed out the catapult he had prepared in advance, and threw the gunpowder can toward the well.
The gunpowder jar was smashed into pieces on the well railing, and the gunpowder spilled out. When it encountered the rocket, it immediately ignited with a "puff", and the entire well railing suddenly turned into a torch soaring into the sky. The archer standing at the top of the well had nowhere to escape, so he had to risk jumping from the top.
In a moment, more than a dozen Jinglans turned into burning torches. Liu Yu watched the battle from behind and hurriedly ordered the gongs to be sounded to recall Jinglans. Jinglan moved slowly and clumsily, and three more vehicles turned into torches during the retreat.
It was a bad start, and sixteen of the thirty-six Jinglan vehicles turned into blazing torches. Seeing the fear on the faces of the soldiers, Liu Yu had to temporarily order them to return to camp.
In the next three days, the Song Army built more than ten moat bridges on the moat of Suiyang City. City rush vehicles began to attack the city gate, and the crashes dug holes in the city wall. Aerial ladders were crossed over the moat bridges, and the Song Army began to climb city.
One hundred and fifty steps away, heavy crossbows fired at the city wall. The iron-tipped crossbow arrows penetrated deeply into the rammed earth wall. Dense "crossbow arrow ladders" were set up on the three-foot-high city wall, allowing Song soldiers to directly attack the city wall. Climbing up.
A wolf-tooth pat (made of elm locust wood, five feet long, four feet and five inches wide, and three inches thick) was placed on the city wall. Hundreds of wolf-tooth iron nails were used, all five inches long. The cloth was nailed to the pat, and the wood was three inches long. One-edged knives are embedded on all four sides, with four-corner nail rings, and ropes are used to twist the pulley. When the enemy attacks the city, they pull it up and shoot it down. The Song army under the city wall was unable to resist the Yaksha thunder, wooden thunder and other objects. They were pricked by the spikes and were bleeding all over. Soon the roots of the city wall were covered in blood.
The Yong army shot arrows and stones from their horses, and began to kill the Song army from a high position. As for the charging and crashing cars that rushed to the city, soon a gunpowder can was smashed down from the top of the city, a rocket was ignited, and the charging cars turned into a ball of fire. , the flames also burned the "Crossbow Ladder".
In three days, the Song army lost thousands of people. Liu Yu carefully observed the defense situation at the top of the city and saw that the rain of arrows and stones continued unabated. It seemed that the defense supplies in the city were well prepared.
In response to the wolf-tooth pats and other objects dropped from the top of the city, Liu Yu ordered his people to make a chariot and a wooden frame cart, and used wood and rawhide to build a barrier. When the wolf-tooth pats and other objects fell from the city head, they were blocked by the wooden frames. , to protect the soldiers under the city from being injured by rolling logs and arrows. Even if gunpowder is dropped from the city, the soldiers can escape.
On the city wall, Wang Zhenwei was very calm. He divided the more than 13,000 soldiers and horses in the city into three groups, and recruited 30,000 soldiers and horses in the city. Every day, one group of soldiers and horses were dispatched to defend the city, 10,000 servants were deployed to assist in the defense, and the other two groups were on standby for reinforcements. , one is resting in the camp.
As a result, the defenders in the city fought for three days. They were energetic and well-supplied. Wang Zhen'e asked people to announce that Yonggong had sent reinforcements, and the morale of the defenders was high.
Xu Chong brought officials to rescue the wounded and comfort the people every day, and took time to go to the city wall in the evening to discuss city defense matters with Wang Zhene. The city of Suiyang was relatively stable and the people were calm.
On July 18, the imperial edict for the reward was issued. Liu Yu had long known the contents of the edict, and the most desired gift of nine tins had been delayed.
The title of Prime Minister and the title of ten counties are actually just flashy. I am already a very powerful minister, so what is the use of Prime Minister? As for the ten counties, most of them are under the rule of Yang Anxuan. The life and death of the subordinate officials I assigned to the fiefdom are still unknown. If I can't consolidate these ten counties If you seize it, even if you seal twenty counties to yourself, it will be empty talk.
After sending away the angel who announced the decree, Liu Yu sat in the tent and was unhappy. He specially sent Fu Liang to Beijing to tell Liu Muzhi that Liu Muzhi had not acted according to his own wishes. Liu Yu knew that Liu Muzhi had concerns, but he should be loyal to the emperor. No matter what purpose Liu Muzhi had, he should not go against his will.
There was silence in the tent. Fu Liang opened his mouth several times but felt that he had nothing to say. He secretly blamed Liu Muzhi in his heart. He made his words so clear. Why did he still disobey Song Gong's wishes and do things poorly? How could he save him.
Xie Hui coughed slightly and said, "Both Yin Youqi, the Minister of the Ancestral Hall, and Dong Huai, the Minister of the Five Soldiers, are opposed to Duke Song's addition of Jiuxi. These two people are not of the same mind as Duke Song, and they should not stay in the position of Minister for a long time."
Liu Yu said in a deep voice: "Who can take over?"
Xie Hui said calmly: "If my lord is trustworthy, Yu is willing to return to the capital to take over the post of Minister of the Five Arms."
Liu Yu stroked his beard and thought for a while, then said: "You can't live without Xuan Ming for the time being. Let Xiu Yuan return to the capital to take over as the Minister of the Fifth Army. As for Yin Youqi, let him prepare for the imperial examination. The court will prepare for the opening of the imperial examination after June next year. Get the scholar and deal with him after Yu returns to the capital."
Xie Hui felt bitter in his heart. He didn't expect Song Gong to use Wang Hong. Wang Hong, Wang Xiuyuan, the governor of Jiangzhou, the eldest son of Situ Wang Xun, and the spokesperson of the Wang family in Langya. Liu Yu asked him to go to Jiankang in order to stabilize the family.
Wang Xie was shoulder to shoulder. Xie Hui originally wanted to take this opportunity to gain a foothold in the court and overpower the Wang family. After Liu Muzhi's death, he could naturally occupy the important position. Unexpectedly, the idea he came up with helped the Langya Wang family to take the first step, which was considered to be a cocoon.
A personal guard strode in and loudly reported: "Song Gong, Wang Prefect sent someone to send an urgent report."
Liu Yu took the letter, his face changed after reading it, and he was speechless for a long time.
Fu Liang asked in shock: "Song Gong, has there been a change in Jiangxia?"
Liu Yu had a gloomy face and said in a deep voice for a long time: "Jingguang was killed in battle, so sad and painful!"
Everyone's expression changed. Shen Tianzi was an important minister under Liu Yu. He was both civil and military. He had done many important things for Liu Yu, but he didn't expect to end up in Jiangxia.
Liu Yu continued: "Zhongde stated in the military report that Yang Anxuan recently recruited tens of thousands of troops and divided them into two groups. Jiangxia increased its troops by 20,000, and the reinforcements coming to Suiyang are probably more than 20,000."
Everyone was silent as they attacked the city and plundered the land, feeling the people's support for Yong Gong. Song Gong had difficulty recruiting troops under his rule, but Yang Anxuan easily recruited tens of thousands of troops. The outcome of this battle was really unpredictable.
If reinforcements from the Yong Army arrive, the siege of Suiyang may have to be lifted. If Suiyang cannot be captured, it will be the Yong Army's turn to counterattack after they have recovered.
Liu Yu thought that he was unsuccessful in seeking Jiuxi, and then received the news that Shen Tianzi had died in battle and that Yang Anxuan had recruited a large number of troops to counterattack. He suddenly stood up and said: "We will launch a large-scale attack tomorrow. We must capture Suiyang City before Yong's soldiers arrive."
