Youtunwei captured the Xuanwu Gate. The soldiers climbed up the city wall and entered the city to open the city gate. Countless soldiers and horses poured in. The defenders suffered heavy casualties. Except for those who lost their combat effectiveness and were treated in the barracks, the rest were either captured. , or flee and go straight to the direction of Ganlu Hall and Wude Hall.
The officers and soldiers of Youtun Guard quickly controlled the city gates, city towers, and various barracks, hiding caves, and warehouses in the city. After clearing them one by one, a small number of troops were left to defend the city. The rest, under the command of Gao Kan, took a short rest and then entered the Taiji Palace. , went straight to Wude Hall.
Fang Jun also moved the headquarters from the Youtunwei barracks to the Xuanwumen tower.
This is the reason why he refused to use gunpowder to blow up Xuanwu Gate before. Now that the city is complete and the fortifications are complete, only two thousand soldiers and horses can defend Xuanwu Gate. Even if another army dares to attack Xuanwu Gate after being eaten by leopards. , he can definitely hold on for a moment and a half, giving Gao Kan enough time to copy Li Daozong's retreat.
As long as the Xuanwu Gate is impregnable, even if the King of Jin enters Chang'an City, the confrontation can be guaranteed...
*****
Li Zhi was dressed in a military uniform and a helmet, riding astride a war horse. Behind him, Yuchi Gong was leading his soldiers to launch a tidal wave of offensive towards Chunming Gate. Countless soldiers crossed the filled moat and rushed to the bottom of the city, setting up a stand. He climbed up the ladder while holding the arrows and rolling logs on his head. Even though the man in front of him was hit by arrows and fell from time to time, he showed no fear and gritted his teeth to win the merit of climbing first.
In front of Li Zhi, tens of thousands of Zuowuwei soldiers formed a neat formation and slowly approached the circle with flags flying.
On both sides, the Xue, Liu, and Zheng coalition forces have arrived outside Anhua Gate along the Qingming Canal, and a group of six troops from the East Palace are waiting by the Qujiang Pool...
Enemy forces from all sides are watching eagerly, and the war is about to break out.
Compared with the previous panic, Li Zhi, who was determined to fight his last, calmed down. All the fear and hesitation disappeared, and he was even slightly excited to face the siege from three sides.
Although he grew up in a deep palace and was favored by Emperor Taizong and Empress Wende, he was by no means a waste of "why not eat minced meat". When he was young, he was proficient in bow and horse and quick in writing. Now he finally has the opportunity to lead an army to a decisive victory on the battlefield. , and also aroused the desire to win in my heart.
So what if he's not the eldest son?
So what if he wasn't canonized as a prince?
Throughout the ages, there have been countless people who have rebelled and taken the throne. As long as they are decisive in killing and possess both civil and military skills, how can they not dominate the world and dominate China? !
The supreme position belongs to those who are destined to win it!
Pressing the hilt of the horizontal sword at his waist, Li Zhi asked the captain next to him: "How is the fighting situation on Duke E's side?"
"The defenders of Chunming Gate resisted tenaciously, and the Duke of E made slow progress. However, the defenders were insufficient in strength. They would inevitably lose sight of one thing during the fierce attack. It was expected that the city would be broken soon. However, the Xue, Liu, and Zheng coalition forces reached Anhua Gate along the Qingming Canal, causing Anhua Gate to be destroyed. The defense of Huamen has been strengthened, so Duke E can only attack Chunmingmen and Qixiamen."
"The Sixth Leader of the East Palace didn't support Qixiamen?"
"Stand still for now, there is no sign of supporting Qixiamen."
Li Zhi nodded and frowned. He knew that since the Sixth Army of the East Palace on the banks of Qujiang Pool had stood still, they obviously planned to concentrate their forces to attack Yuanqiu, hoping to defeat his Chinese army in one fell swoop.
As long as Yuchi Gong defeats the 100,000-strong army before he breaks the city, the crisis at Chunming Gate will naturally be lifted, and all the troops under his command will disperse in one fell swoop...
Now it depends on whether he can persist until Yuchi Gong captures Mingde Gate.
In the distance, the rumble of war drums resounded throughout the countryside. Li Zhi turned around and saw that the drums were coming from the direction of Qujiang Pond.
"Your Highness, Donggong Liu on the banks of Qujiang Pool has led his entire army to attack our army!"
"The enemy's forward two thousand light cavalry have rushed to the flank of our army and were blocked by our army's crossbows!"
"The general in front of me asks for instructions, do you want to go to battle?"
…
Battle reports came in like snowflakes. Li Zhi sat on his horse and said calmly: "Instruct all the troops to strictly observe the formation and not to go out without permission. Our task is not to defeat the enemy, but to hold the position. As long as we can hold it until the Duke of E The moment the Chunming Gate was captured, everyone made a great contribution. After the war, they will be rewarded without hesitation! But if anyone leaves the camp without authorization and causes defeat, which in turn affects the morale of the army, don't blame me for not caring about our kindness. Severe punishment under military law!”
The troops he currently has under his command are said to be one hundred thousand, which is not much different in fact, but they are basically all hastily recruited private armies of powerful clans, and are no different from a ragtag group of soldiers. If such a force can rely on its superior strength to form a defensive formation, it will be vulnerable if it dares to leave the camp to fight against the elite imperial army. He must use the most stringent orders to restrain the troops.
Cui Xin gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Tell everyone that as long as this battle is won, slaves will be deregistered immediately. Each civilian family will have three acres of land. Soldiers will be rewarded with ten coins, and their children will be educated in the clan!"
He also risked his life. The Shandong family had a hundred thousand troops here. Even if they were injured and destroyed, there would only be fifty or sixty thousand people left in the end. Fulfilling his current promise would be enough to make the Shandong family want to give up. Return blood.
But the cause and effect is easy to understand. If this battle is won, the Shandong family will leap from the dragon gate and enter the center. It is very likely to replicate the past when the Guanlong clan dominated the world. No matter how big the sacrifice is, it will be worth it.
If this battle is defeated, the Shandong family will almost disappear even if it is not wiped out. What is the use of having more money when life and death are at stake?
"Here!"
The captain heard clearly and immediately rode to various places to convey the orders of King Jin and Cui Xin, which immediately triggered a burst of cheers from the army.
Although most people were forced to come here, and they were unwilling to die in battle. They just muddle along and retreat when danger comes, but after all, their roots are in Shandong, and many of them are even slaves of Shandong families. They also understand that one will be prosperous and one will suffer. The principle of mutual loss.
Now that Cui Xin is receiving such a huge reward, how can he not be extremely excited?
All it takes is one victory to get a chance to advance in class, which in ordinary times you might not be able to wait for several lifetimes...
The morale of the whole army was high and they stood firm to face the siege from three sides.
The battle first started in the east in the direction of Qujiangchi, but Li Zhi continued to send scouts to pay close attention to Zuowuwei's position due to the south. He always had a glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping that Cheng Yaojin had not surrendered to the emperor wholeheartedly, and that there would be three more at the critical moment. With two minds and two minds, as long as Zuo Wuwei doesn't attack with all his strength, Cheng Yaojin will be a big flaw in the entire deadlock.
Yuchi Gong stood under the Chunming Gate, personally supervising the battle and commanding his soldiers to attack the city gate. The situation still had no room for improvement. Either he would capture Chunming Gate this morning and lead the army into the city to approach the Taiji Palace, or he would be besieged under the Chunming Gate and besieged from all sides. They were all enemies, and eventually died of exhaustion and fighting...
Therefore, he constantly urged the soldiers to launch waves of fierce attacks without mercy on the troops. Tens of thousands of elite right guards were divided into several troops, waiting under the city to take turns to go into battle. The defenders had little chance to breathe.
Such tactics were naturally effective. The weak defenders suffered heavy casualties in the face of a sudden and violent attack. Although they still defended the city, they were gradually weakened. There were loopholes in the strict defense, and rebels attacked the city from time to time. , although each time the gap can be filled in time to repel the rebels, in the long run it will be difficult to take care of the end, and the city will be broken sooner or later.
In the distance, several soldiers supported a scout and rushed towards him. They stopped in front of Li Zhi and said, "Your Highness, this is a scout from Xuanwu Gate. He was intercepted and killed on the road and escaped with his life. I have important news to report." .”
Li Zhi saw his scout covered in blood and wounded in many places on horseback. His face was pale and shaky, so he quickly asked: "What is the situation outside Xuanwu Gate?"
Yin Qinzhou's left guard attacked the right guard through the Wei River with great force and advanced towards Xuanwu Gate. Not only was it possible to defeat Fang Jun and open the most strategic door to the north of Taiji Palace, but it was also a spark that hoped to conquer the entire Guanzhong. Forming a prairie fire potential.
But Fang Jun is by no means a loser. Even if he needs to divide his troops to attack Xuanwumen, he can still fight against the left guard. The outcome is extremely unpredictable.
But now that he is surrounded by such a heavy siege, it is extremely difficult for the news from the Xuanwu Gate to be conveyed. This scout must be one of the countless people who want to break through the enemy's blockade and survive...
The scout gasped for breath, and said urgently, regardless of his injuries: "The right guard listed dozens of artillery pieces, and when the left guard charged, they hit them head-on. The entire area north of Xuanwu Gate was plowed by artillery. The guards suffered heavy losses and were immediately defeated. Yin Qinzhou and Ying Guogong had already led the remaining troops to retreat to the north bank of the Wei River and stationed themselves on the spot to gather the remaining troops. Fang Jun, after defeating the left guard, joined forces to attack Xuanwu Gate. Xuanwu Gate fell quickly... …”
The word "artillery" rang out in Li Zhi's mind like a thunderclap. The "boom" made his eyes black. His body was swaying and he almost fell off the horse.
What he fears most is not Li Jing, who is unparalleled in military strategy, nor Li Ji, who is the best in the current dynasty, nor Fang Jun, who is brave enough to conquer all three armies, but firearms!
To this day, is there anyone in the Tang Dynasty who does not know the power of firearms to destroy heaven and earth?
Everyone knows that when faced with the power of firearms, flesh and blood can only be broken into pieces and the entire army is destroyed...
However, after repeated inquiries and inquiries, the answer he got was that the foundry bureau's production capacity was insufficient to equip an army, and whether it was Youtunwei or Donggong Liuli, after many battles, the ordnance was severely damaged, and the previous equipment The firearms and stored projectiles have long been exhausted.
But where did these dozens of artillery pieces come from?
Obviously, everyone was deceived by Fang Jun. The foundry bureau's production capacity was by no means as scarce as claimed. At least it was enough to equip the Youtun Guards.
Will the Donggong Liuli in front of him be equipped with a sufficient number of firearms?
Li Zhi felt cold all over his body and hurriedly ordered: "Send an order to the Duke of E to capture Chunming Gate immediately at any cost, otherwise you will definitely die if you are too late!"
