Chapter 193: Filling the Trench
This disastrous defeat made She Chongming understand: It turns out that the Han army's siege tactics did make sense - the previous series of victories were not due to how powerful their own soldiers were, but because their opponents were too weak. The powerful enemy and the tidal wave of attacks were frightening at first! If you encounter an opponent like Sun Jie, with this style of play, no matter how many warriors you have, you won't be able to die!
Okay, let's do it the way the Han soldiers did. The first type of large-scale killing weapon will be completed soon. According to She Chongming's expectation, the second type of large-scale killing weapon will probably not be used. However, out of caution, it is still being manufactured intensively - the investment in these two large-scale killing weapons is huge. The traditional tactics of the Han soldiers are needed to pave the way.
Previously, cities such as Neijiang and Jianzhou were all attacked in one fell swoop, and a lot of armor and other equipment were seized from the arsenal; the cart was also easy to make, and a wide and thick wooden board was erected in front of a flat wooden wheel cart for transporting supplies... …Let’s fill the entire road first.
On the top of the city, Zhu Xieyuan saw armored Yi soldiers pushing two to three hundred carts approaching. Each cart was packed high with earth and rocks - obviously their goal was to fill trenches. Then he turned to look at Sun Jie. Lord Zhu not only liked this young general from the bottom of his heart, but was also full of confidence: before, defeating Baoning in a battle and chasing Zhang Thief for hundreds of miles were just rumors. In this rush to aid Chengdu Prefecture, Sun Jie's troops set a record of marching an average of sixty miles a day - you know, in this era, those who can march thirty miles a day for more than five days can be regarded as the first-class powerful army of the Ming Dynasty. Not to mention this, he also took Xindu with him! Then, a water attack drowned the extravagant thieves who had worked hard for seven or eight days to pieces without even using a single soldier. This was followed by a fire attack, allowing me to see with my own eyes Prime Minister Zhuge burning the vine armored soldiers. The scene reappears! At this moment, if Sun Jie casually said that he could use earth attack to defeat the thieves, even though he didn't know how to do it, Lord Zhu would smile patiently and wait to see how he showed off his magical power. Zhu Xieyuan smiled and cast a hopeful glance at his disciple (giving him a name was a disguised form of establishing this relationship, and both parties knew it tacitly), fully expecting to see the familiar smile on his face... Nothing When I thought about it, I saw the solemn expression on Sun Jie's face.
Zhu Xieyuan's heart sank and he asked, "Guodong, is there something wrong?"
Sun Jie did not answer immediately, but first looked at Lao Shun beside him. Zhu Xieyuan noticed that the latter's chubby face also showed deep worry in his narrow eyes. Then Sun Jie replied: "Sir, the thieves are filling in the trenches. This is a normal way of fighting. The boy* is not too worried. After the defeat the day before yesterday, it is expected that the thieves will no longer dare to use rattan armor, so this time they all Wearing our army's armor. However, the weight of the armor is on the shoulders and crotch. Please see, sir, they are not used to it yet. Their movements are very stiff, especially the lower body, and their steps are very laborious. Don't bother with it now, wait a moment. When we get to the trench and throw bags of earth and rocks, there will always be holes. The trench is deep and wide, and it will take more than half a day to fill it. In this day, a strong bow and a powerful crossbow can kill and injure many thieves."
"But...if the trenches are filled up by thieves, and so many thieves rush over to attack the city, can Guodong be sure?" Zhu Xieyuan asked hurriedly.
"It doesn't matter, sir." Sun Jie explained patiently and respectfully, "Even for our army, it is not that easy to climb the wall. With the protection of the wall stacks, it is difficult for ordinary men to smash a stone down. It can kill and injure elite veterans who have been in the army for ten years, so unless it is absolutely necessary, I will never let the boys fight like this. It is a pity to waste the brave warriors trapped under the wall in vain. The thieves will always leave hundreds of lives when filling the trenches. If we attack the city again, there will be at least a thousand casualties." Having said this, he looked outside the city again for a while, calculated in his mind, and said firmly, "Well, a thousand and a half, or even more. Wait until When they climbed the wall, the boy's soldiers were divided into groups of two or three and General Lao's four or five. Each group was assigned seven or eight men, so they could be divided into two squads to fight alternately. Although there were many thieves, there would never be six on the ladder. Seven hundred, just focus on the ladder and fight. The advantage is that I am not the enemy, and the thieves cannot get into the city. We are not afraid of him with this kind of fighting method."
Before Zhu Xieyuan could ask any more questions, Chengdu Central Guard Commander Lao Shun pointed at the three to five thousand Yi soldiers who had fallen behind the carriage and were sandwiched between the pressing troops and the trench-filling auxiliary troops, and bowed and said: "For the record, Mr. Sun, Commander Sun and the last general are worried about the thieves." People are not judged by their appearance, but Commander Lao is much smarter in his heart than he appears: Sun Jie was afraid of returning before he came, so he could only accept his fate and let God The god of war, General Lao, who was very aware of his own weight, gave up the nominal command power without saying a word - instead of asking the governor to tear his face and give the order, it is better to have a toast and sit down on the donkey to enjoy the results: Sun Shuai's soldiers can no longer There are only six to seven hundred people entering the city, so we have to count on our two thousand people to help, right? If you really fight, you can't become Optimus White Jade Pillar, but what if you become Zhu Bajie? Mr. Zhu is Tang Sanzang, Sun Shuai is Sun Wukong, and defeating the extravagant thief means attaining enlightenment in the West. Isn’t it much better to be a well-fed and well-fed envoy of the altar? Even if you have never eaten pork, you have always seen pigs running away. So many people are busy there, they can only be leveling the roads, and leveling the roads is a necessary step for deploying large siege equipment. The truth is as obvious as one plus one equals two. Although he has never fought in a war, how can General Lao, the commander of the camp, not understand this? So I lost no time in adding a sentence, which not only elevated the status of Sun Shuai, who was deeply loved by the boss, but also showed that he was not a pure idiot...
"Oh?" Zhu Xieyuan raised his eyebrows and looked at Sun Jie.
"Congratulations, General Lao." Sun Jie certainly understood the principle of carrying people in a sedan chair, and immediately praised him first. Since taking over the defense of Chengdu, Sun Jie has always felt a little guilty towards Commander Lao. The more respectful Lao Shun is, the stronger this feeling becomes. He has already made a secret decision to give more credit to the Chengdu Guard after the battle is over. : No matter how strict the inspection by the Ministry of War is, there will be at least three to four thousand beheadings. I am a guest soldier with double merit, so giving away two-thirds of the merit is enough. What's more, the Holy Emperor will definitely receive rewards, and the royal rewards from the King of Shu will also be large. The officials in the court will definitely find faults, and it is always worthwhile to make more friends - if the Sichuan Dusi Mansion can help It would be great if you say a few words yourself! Then he added: "Sir, filling trenches and leveling roads are necessary measures to move up siege equipment, and they are normal. But you see, the thieves have sent out so many thieves. If it is normal to hit the towers and other objects, the passage It doesn't need to be so wide. We can push it outside the city to a place where our army's firepower is at its limit and then expand. Therefore, the boy guessed that the extravagant thieves will do something extraordinary. It is obvious that General Lao also feels the same. It's just that we don't know what the extravagant thieves are yet. I have some doubts as to what the killing move is. Don't worry, sir, with the boy and General Lao here, the extravagant thief will never come back."
While listening to Sun Jie's speech, Zhu Xieyuan set up a pergola and looked into the distance. Because the distance was more than half a mile away, Mr. Zhu didn't pay much attention to those people - in fact, Sun Jie and Lao Shun couldn't see that far either. , the phalanx of soldiers holding down the formation is easy to recognize, and those guys in the middle are smoothing the road. They make judgments based on experience.
"Then... Guodong, don't you still have a few battalions of soldiers outside the city? Do you want to call them... Forget it, I believe in you, you can fight however you want. I don't know the soldiers, so I can't cause trouble for you! "Zhu Xieyuan felt a little guilty at first, thinking that Sun Jie's main force had never entered the battle outside the city, and felt that such a capable soldier should not be idle. However, after thinking about it, he could think of it, this boy must have thought of it a long time ago, so he might as well return to the battlefield again. General, let him go and do it.
"Thank you, Sir." Sun Jie thanked him solemnly, feeling grateful in his heart. Fortunately, he met Mr. Zhu. If he were another civil servant, he would think about it on a whim. I don't know how much trouble this battle would cause, "Boy. I don’t think it’s needed for the time being. My lord, look at the bandit soldiers who are lined up to press the formation. They number at least ten or twenty thousand. The bandits are eager to fight in the field with our army. As long as they fight and get entangled, the bandits will definitely mobilize more Miao and barbarian wings to outflank them. , our army will be alone in front of the enemy." In order to reassure Master Zhu, he immediately added: "Don't worry, Sir, I have made some arrangements. As long as we can hold on for another three to five days, we will not be able to do it in seven or eight days at the latest. Don't let extravagant thieves take advantage of you, and you can report your victory to the Holy One."
"Ah? Hahaha, okay! Then I can wait with peace of mind!" Zhu Xieyuan felt reassured after hearing this, and ordered to Lao Shun, "Commander Lao, did you hear what Guodong said? Everyone who told you should cheer up, I Your contribution is indispensable in this successful report!"
Laoshun was already overjoyed and thanked him quickly: "In the end, all generals will obey the orders of the boss and Sun Shuai. Go in water, fire, fire, and anyone who frowns is a son of a dog!" But it was completely different! I didn't expect the language flaw in my words - how could a dog raise a turtle son?
As the three of them talked, hundreds of pallet trucks were pushed closer to the edge of the trench. Although I know that most of the gunners in the Chengdu Central Guard are good-looking, at this distance, the artillery can almost be fired at the head, which can definitely guarantee an accuracy of more than 60%. Lao Shun was nervous and excited at the same time. He rubbed his hands and asked eagerly: "Shuai Sun, would you like me to order a few rounds of artillery fire on these idiots?"
Sun Jie raised his eyes and looked at the group of Yi soldiers in the distance who were looking at Ziping Road, shook his head and said, "Don't worry yet. Most of these traitor soldiers are old and young. Artillery shells are precious. The soldiers holding the enemy formation are too far away to fight. At this moment, It's not worth it to exchange the thief's auxiliaries and broken wooden vehicles. I don't know what the extravagant thief is going to do, let's wait. By the way, General Lao, you might as well bring up all the batteries of the broken cannons and allocate them to these seven. Cannons, ask them to practice: after the first battery pack is loaded, fired, and cleared, switch to another gun group, and each group fires in turn... The extra people will be equipped with two or three guns per gun, and prepare a large bucket of water to soak the gun. A piece of linen cloth. Every time a gun is fired, the gun body is wrapped in a wet cloth to cool down when clearing and loading. In this way, our cannon can fire a few more shots. Just practice the movements and coordination, and don't really make a sound. We haven't fired any cannons after fighting for a long time, hoping to deceive the extravagant thieves. You can fire a dozen crossbows, otherwise the extravagant thieves will become suspicious. Ask the brothers to aim and fire slowly, don't be anxious, put three or five in each frame That’s good, you have to save it to deal with the car crash of tomorrow’s extravagant thief.”
"That's your order!" Lao Shun clasped his fists, turned around and shouted to the soldiers, "Call up all the turtles with broken cannons! Your ancestors, let me aim and fire the crossbow! Which one will hit? Kong, let’s see if I don’t throw you over the wall, you idiot!”
Under the cover of the shield soldiers, the armored Yi soldiers began to unload bags of earth and rocks from the vehicles and throw them into the trenches. Many broken vehicles were also pushed directly into the trenches, and the defenders on the wall began to take aim and shoot. In the face of armor, crossbowmen have a great advantage. As long as they hit, the crossbow arrows can easily break through the armor. However, the archers can only shoot arrows at the unprotected areas of the legs, feet and limbs, so the effect is very average. Many Yi soldiers With four or five arrows stuck in his body, he was still active and busy. Although the distance was not far, the crossbow's accuracy was still not very good, probably only about 50%. However, as long as it hit, the carriage would immediately fall apart, and several lives would definitely be taken away. There were also arrows shot at the city in twos and threes, but the number was very small. Of course, these archers immediately received the focus of the crossbowmen on the wall and were quickly suppressed.
On the tower, Zhu Xieyuan was looking down from the railing, while Sun Jie stood half a step behind. After watching for a while, Master Zhu turned his face and looked over when he heard Sun Jie let out a slight sigh. Sun Jie shook his head and said: "The Miao thieves are not a key breakthrough, and they have no decent covering firepower. The price is too high."
Zhu Xieyuan was a little puzzled and said, "Guodong please explain in more detail."
"Sir, in siege warfare, generally speaking, a few key locations are selected to fill in trenches. Each section is only about a foot wide. Although our army can concentrate its firepower to attack these few locations, the defenders in other places cannot squeeze through, so they cannot You can only watch. As long as you are well protected, a large number of thieves can file in, rush to the wall and spread out. You see, these thieves are advancing together, obviously they want to fill up this long section of the moat and themselves It will take much more time. There is no organized suppressive firepower on the city head, and many people will be killed or injured. The extravagant thieves attack the prefectures and counties all the way, which is not to say that they are ignorant of the soldiers. In addition, the thieves who are on the plain road, I guess, one of them "The extravagant thief must have a very powerful weapon behind him, which is very large and requires a very wide passage. Secondly, the thief must have hidden a large number of archers as a backup attack."
Zhu Xieyuan was shocked: "Ah? The luxury thief is so vicious, can Guodong be sure?"
Sun Jie suddenly felt a surge of pride in his chest, and laughed loudly: "Don't worry, sir, I'm not talented, but I don't care about mere Miao thieves! "Aspirations are hungry for the meat of Huns, and they are laughing and talking about drinking the blood of Xiongnu." No matter what he does, When things come, thousands of tigers and wolves under my command are waiting to kill them all!"
Knowledge points in this article:
* "Boy" is a humble term used by disciples in ancient times in front of their teachers. This kind of self-title is mostly used between very close people, and the users are not scholars - scholars, even if they have not even passed the exam, will use " Students refer to themselves as "students" to emphasize their identity.
"Xiao Ke" and "小生" are used by scholars between strangers, and the relationship between the two parties is equal (it is most commonly used by scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties to pick up girls).
"Not talented": With a little self-confidence, you can use both civil and military skills.
"小人": used by people with low status. Sometimes, in order to emphasize obedience and unparalleled respect, subordinates occasionally use it when treating their superiors, but it is a bit like surrendering themselves without regard for face.
"Jia": Addressing others to relatives who are older than oneself - Jiayan (father), Jiaci (mother), Jiaxiong (brother)...
"She": Addressing others to relatives who are younger than oneself - brother-in-law, nephew-in-law...
"Fool": used when both parties have equal status and have a close relationship - "Foolish Brother", "Foolish View".
"Zhuo": something to call oneself - "Zhuo Jing" (wife, "property rights" in ancient times belong to the husband), "Zhuo Wen" (hehe, the article you are reading is called this), "Zhuo Jing" (from the first chapter to this) The collective name of the articles ^_^).
"杝": simple, often refers to things - my place (home), my surname, my school, my department.
"Despicable": low morals, mostly used in relation to people - despicable people, disdainful opinions.
"Xiaguan", "Laojiang": in the officialdom, the civil and military subordinates are opposite to the superiors, but the relationship is often not directly subordinate, and there is some implicit meaning of neither being humble nor arrogant.
"Humble position": people below the officialdom versus those above, emphasizing humility.
"Zhi": Under officialdom, to the direct superior, emphasizing the public-to-public relationship.
"Servant": Official text, used when someone with whom you are not close is dropping a book bag.
OMG, there are too many to write down...
I didn’t update it yesterday, so I’ll make up a joke.
The magistrate, magistrate, and county magistrate were chatting and talking about their children.
Magistrate: "Quin Zi is too incompetent. He has not yet read through the Four Books."
Zhizhou: "My lord, don't say that. I've seen your young master before, and he's like a dragon or a phoenix among men! The little dog is so shameless and does mischief all day long. Lord X (said to the magistrate), how many young men do you have in your family?"
The county magistrate thought: The fourth-rank magistrate called his son Quanzi, and the fifth-rank magistrate called his son Xiaoquan. What should I, a seventh-rank petty official, say? Puppies? You didn’t say that! In desperation, he blurted out: "Sir, my family has two little bastards..."
