In Bajiao City, in the temple that once belonged to Razun.
The monk translated the letter into Mongolian with a strange look on his face. He was scratching his head and scratching his head as he read the letter. His look was both distressed and angry, but also happy and relaxed, so that dense beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
Chuok Rabbit Taiji, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the Buddha statue, looked as usual, but he felt very sorry for his monk and asked the waiter to bring him a handkerchief. He also offered words of comfort, saying that the Chinese language was difficult to understand and he was not in a hurry to read the letter.
The monk's name was Zhuoerji. He was proficient in three languages: Fan, Han and Mongolian. He was good at medicine and painting. He was first ordered to preach in Guihua City. In the 46th year of Wanli, he was entrusted by the mother of Chuoktu Taiji to write " "The Life of Milarepa" was translated into Mongolian and introduced to Khalkha.
To him, the words used in Liu Chengzong's letters were not obscure. He understood every word, and there was no problem with the words and sentences that connected them. It was just that he couldn't translate them directly and show them to Chuck Rabbit.
In fact, Monk Zhuoerji was very puzzled. Before the war began, he was ordered to enter Gansu to inquire about the Marshal's Mansion occupying Qinghai, and he had some knowledge of the Liu family.
In the monk's knowledge, Liu Chengzong's family came from the hinterland of the Han family. His father Liu Xiangyu once managed tens of thousands of people as an official, and both Liu Chengzu and Liu Chengzong were brave and fierce warriors.
They led the army to deal with several generals and officers in the hinterland of the Han Dynasty, and finally moved thousands of miles to occupy Qinghai. The troops heading south once approached Uzang.
Moreover, someone specifically told the monk that the Liu family and his son all had extremely high knowledge and education.
Zhuoerji expressed doubts.
Because Liu Chengzong gave Chuo Rabbit the title of "Brother Rabbit who speaks smoothly" in his letter, and asked him to "show himself by drowning" to see if he was worthy of occupying Qinghai, and ordered him to quickly mobilize his troops and go to the Heka Grassland to "come and stretch". If you want to have your head slaughtered, I have never seen a Tatar in the world who can fight." Or if you are timid, just wait for two months in Bajiao City. "Don't die first when you are so old. Wait for me to kill the bastard hiding in Wulan Mountain." I’ll come to you when I chop it up. '
Monk Zhuoerji said to himself: The blood in this damn letter is almost overflowing. How should I translate it?
He was really afraid of directly translating it, and was furious before he even started fighting Chuoke Tu Taiji; but there were many words that he couldn't do without translating them. After all, Monk Zhuoerji knew a lot, but he didn't know how to fight, so he was afraid that he would miss some key points. causing them to lose the war.
After a long period of preparation, the final letter was written with words and sentences that were more than 10,000 times softer while retaining the general meaning. .
Chuck Rabbit took the translated letter and put it on the desk. He held his beard with his calloused hands and read it again and again.
In the letter, Liu Chengzong first extended his sincere blessings and greetings to him and his family, then elaborated on his opinions on the issue of his invasion of Qinghai and occupation of Bajiao City, condemned his two-pronged attack, and cordially invited him to join the hunt in Heka Grassland, if the time is not suitable, I wish him good health and will be scheduled to visit Bajiao City in two months.
Finally, he said to the monk with a smile on his face: "This boy from the Han family is very humble and polite!"
What could Monk Zhuoerji say? He felt guilty secretly in his heart. He responded very seriously with drooped corners of his mouth, and quickly put aside the topic: "Yes! I heard that Marshal Qinghai was a scholar... Taiji is going to Heka Grassland. Are you going to fight him?"
Chuck Rabbit shook his head, raised his hand and tapped twice on his crossed legs: "What kind of battle is it? If Liu Chengzong marches west, we will go west of the Yellow River and leave here around him."
This polished letter did not make him angry, so he realized very rationally that Liu Chengzong's attack on Wulan Mountain was the best opportunity for him to lead his army out of here.
Although it was not his intention to withdraw from Qinghai in embarrassment, conquering the territories of Guru Taiji and Xiao Lazun also allowed him to obtain huge wealth. The result of leaving now is not bad.
Chuoktu Taiji did not publicize the news that the courier was captured. On the one hand, he ordered the defenders in the city to build a lot of defense equipment. On the other hand, he sent people to move west to the Yellow River to explore the defense situation along the coast in preparation for Liu Chengzong's westward expedition to the Wulan Mountains. , took the opportunity to leave Huang Nan.
But how could Liu Chengzong leave?
In fact, while Chuoketu sent people to monitor the defense in Hexi, Liu Chengzong also sent Dai Daozi to lead Tangqi to cross the Yellow River and inform Liu Chengzu of his ideas. The two sides built a communication line in Huangnan to convey military information back and forth.
Liu Chengzong was worried about siege. He did not have rich experience in siege, but he also knew the most basic thing about war: siege was the last resort.
Unless the enemy surrenders and opens the city, it will be a nightmare for the attackers if the defenders hold on.
Liu Chengzong has always had a Qiuba style. He is far from a serious scholar, but he rarely curses people without mercy or even with the purpose of disgusting them.
He wrote a disgusting letter to Chuo Ke Rabbit, just hoping that Chuo Chu Rabbit would come out in force because of his insults, and then the decisive battle would begin on the Heka Grassland. Liu Chengzu would be responsible for leading the army to cut off the road back to Bajiao City. This war would be very long. It can end easily.
The purpose of releasing the prisoners was to let the defenders know that there were no reinforcements, thereby eliminating their determination to defend.
If such a plan fails, then he can only build siege equipment and prepare to attack the city.
In July at Heka Camp, Shi Chengwo and his craftsmen arrived and built two blast furnaces, one for smelting iron and copper, and the other for making instruments.
Speaking of which, Ahai Daiqing also helped Liu Chengzong. If he didn't have ready-made returning artillery, even if he asked the craftsmen of the Marshal's Mansion to make siege equipment, it would be difficult to think of such siege equipment.
Now he has two dismantled return artillery pieces, which can be transported to Bajiao City to participate in the siege. There is no need to use them in vain.
Large siege equipment is difficult to transport, so Liu Chengzong built standard parts of small equipment and large equipment here, and relied on Xining Mansion for ammunition supply.
The small equipment was naturally the old treasure of the ladder truck and wooden curtain that captured Zhenyuan City. It was the only serious siege of the city by Liu Chengzong in his three years of military service, and it can be said that it was the siege equipment he was most familiar with.
In addition, because they had senior officers like Li Bei as their staff, several more drawings were added to their siege equipment.
The only heavy equipment available were trench-filling vehicles and trench-filling vehicles. Other than that, they were explosive bombs... not explosive bombs that exploded all over the sky. These had a low fire rate and could easily be picked up by the Mongols, set on fire and then thrown down during the siege.
The explosive shells Li Bei mentioned were smoke shells with a large amount of saltpeter and mixed charges inside, used to obscure the view of the defenders.
The trench-filling vehicle and the trench-filling vehicle are two types of wooden vehicles. The former is a movable wooden shell, which is used to shield arrows and protect soldiers from pushing earth, wood and rocks into the trench, and adding roads to the trench.
The latter is similar to a ladder truck, but the wooden planks are released to build a bridge over a narrow moat to allow the siege army to pass.
In addition to these, Liu Chengzong's army rushed to the river to make copper materials waiting to be processed. The ratio of copper materials to me was to mix ninety-two kilograms of pure copper with eight kilograms of tin and lead to make five kilograms of copper materials waiting to be processed. Thin sheets, convenient for transportation and use.
This time Liu Chengzong wanted his master to make a thousand-jin heavy cannon. They had to prepare at least thirty thousand kilograms of copper material.
When all these things were prepared, it was already August, and Liu Chengzong could not help but sigh in midsummer. His method of provoking Chuoke Tutaiji still failed.
Chuo Ke Rabbit can indeed sit still. According to the news from his brother who returned to Tokoku Senhusuo, the army in Bajiao City did not even attack during this period. They only dug trenches and made defense equipment in Bajiao City. They even stayed in the city. Twelve catapults and four artillery pieces were suppressed from the top, which was very scary.
On the contrary, Arslan's plan of suspecting soldiers in Wulan Mountain was successful.
Although Arslan couldn't sit still, he led his troops to battle Zhong Hu who guarded the Chaka Salt Pond for more than a month. He also led the cavalry across Nanshan Fort to have a cordial conversation with Liu Guoneng, the magistrate of Haixi County, but what to say? Don't even come to Heka Grassland to cause trouble for Liu Chengzong.
In short, Liu Chengzong admired this man who was ten years older than him, and his whole body exuded a maturity and stability that did not match his age.
Liu Chengzong felt that even if Chuck Rabbit sent a messenger to Wulan Mountain to ask for help, Arslan might not believe him and would even retaliate: "Your father asked you to go to Heka!"
On the ninth day of August, General Yang Yao of the Xining Prefecture garrison led his troops out of Nanshan Fort to further block Arslan's eastward march. Liu Chengzong's army officially broke camp from the Heka Grassland, crossed the Yellow River with a large amount of baggage, and headed east. Go ahead.
At the same time, Li Wanqing, a Qianhu of the Xining Guards under Liu Chengzu, set out with his troops, entered a hundred miles radius of Bajiao City, and began to clean up the strongholds occupied by the Khalkha Mongols.
There were eight battles within ten days, six defeats and one defeat. There was also a confrontation until dark and everyone retreated. A total of forty-six enemy soldiers were captured. They were gradually informed of various false information and the prisoners were deliberately let go. .
These are not easy days for Chucky Rabbit.
Intermittent intelligence was passed back to the city through the escaped prisoners in no particular order.
When night falls over Bajiao City, bonfires decorate the walls of this cross city. Mongolian soldiers in sheepskin coats sit around the bonfire, always bringing the topic to the depressing battle situation.
The tribe vividly relayed the words of the escaped prisoners and announced for Liu Chengzong that Arslan, who was alive and kicking in Wulan Mountain, was dead and died in the artillery fire of the siege army.
People argued. Some people said that Arslan was not dead. According to the information he knew, the Marshal's Palace withdrew its troops after the first attack failed.
The soldier telling the story had ridicule on his face: "You know the battle hasn't ended yet. They retreated because Liu Chengzong didn't bring thick clothes. Look at what we're wearing. What's wrong with him wearing just a single piece of clothes?" Come on, go back and get some thick clothes and besiege the city again!"
Anyway, it was all hearsay, and the tribesmen who believed that Arslan was not dead were not so firm, so they quickly asked: "What happened next?"
"Later, the cannon was adjusted, but only the fire was visible. The shell hit the defender and his head was smashed. The brother who told me about this said he was a defender, but where is the defender in Ulan City? It's Arslan, that's right. That’s right.”
When the stars twinkle at night and the mutton rolls in the pot during the day, the same scene reappears again and again in Bajiao City.
The news spread like wildfire among the felt tents inside and outside the city, spreading unscrupulously until it reached the ears of the nobles.
According to Liu Chengzong's thinking, the news would be known to Chuk Rabbit as soon as possible, and then it would most likely be ordered to be kept secret. Therefore, it was just a matter of casual shooting.
But his worries are completely unnecessary, because this Mongolian army is not so highly formalized, and their organization level is the same as that of the Qinghai Marshal's wife - many people hope that there is one, but sometimes it seems that there is one, but in fact it does not exist.
Chuok Rabbit, who was chanting sutras in the small temple, didn't even know that a prisoner had escaped. Chuok Rabbit Taiji was not the first to know any information about the outside world in this city.
Of course, even if he ordered to keep it secret after learning about it, he would not be the last one.
As the false news that the Mongol city of Wulan Mountain was being besieged, that the defender generals were killed by shelling, that the defenders fled in large numbers, and that the Marshal's Mansion had achieved a complete victory became known to everyone, panic was spreading in the Bajiao City camp.
On the evening of August 19th, the nomadic tribes in the west fled in panic toward Bajiao City. They saw the Han army in bright armor crossing Zequ, and their horse hooves trampling on the mountains full of yellow flowers meandering toward Bajiao City.
Before Chok Rabbit could get over the grief of losing his son, thousands of Mongolians chanted the Buddha's name loudly in this cross city. Thousands of rosary beads were polished by thousands of fingers at the same time, forming a huge formation over the city. The sound was so loud that the pastoral soldiers outside the city also joined in the prayers.
People pray not for the sake of praying, but to integrate themselves into the community.
This is like a paradox. In the era of Genghis Khan, the Mongols did not need any identity rituals, but now, this kind of ritual to condense identity just declares that there is little cohesion left, and the great khanate's Existence is at stake.
The moment that Chuck Rabbit has been waiting for finally comes and the war begins.
He only had this city wall left, and more than 10,000 soldiers who temporarily fought for him. When his son's life and death were unknown and Lin Dan Khan was too far away, these people were the only strength he could rely on.
Starting from the morning of August 20th, his nomadic tribesmen fled back layer by layer. They did not fight with anyone, but saw the meandering army from a distance. They were frightened and gathered towards Bajiao City.
According to the oral accounts of these warriors who had a close encounter with the enemy, Chuck Rabbit knew that his enemies had neat troops and bright armor.
Liu Chengzong did not. He did not have any unified army with armor, and Basang's soldiers could not be said to have a neat lineup.
He just asked Zhang Tianlin to gather 300 soldiers with bright armor and ride at the front of the army on tall horses to scare people.
The scaring effect of Ming Jia is very good. When the morning sunlight shines on them and they are walking towards the enemy, the dazzling effect is wonderful.
On August 22, Liu Chengzong rode on the steep slopes of Yangqu Henan. He finally saw Bajiao City, a strange city that he had heard about from Xiao Lazun but had never seen before.
Chuoktu Taiji has completed the solid wall and cleared the wilderness. Apart from the rivers and riverbanks on the grassland, as well as the fields planted by Lazun that are full of crops that are about to mature, there is only this lonely cross-shaped city.
The Mongolian troops have all withdrawn into the city, and only a few horse teams are dragging downstream to the west of the city under the protection of the river.
Liu Chengzong was not in a hurry to attack. He just set up camp on the other side of the river in the south and west of the city, built a copper furnace for casting cannons, and collected wood further away to start building large siege equipment.
At the same time, Gao Yingdeng was sent to seize the mountains to the east of the city, and Huang Shengxiao used his gun to drive the Mongolian rangers on the other side of the river into the city, and began to collect soil to fill the river and build a wooden bridge.
With the construction of each siege equipment and the casting of the lion cannons, sections of earthen dams were built on the outermost river, and several wooden bridges were built simultaneously, everything was ready.
On the morning of the third day of September, Liu Chengzong, neatly dressed in military uniform, walked out of the commander's tent with his helmet in his arms, and asked people to raise the Liu-character flag outside the camp gate. Drums were beating, and the guards hurriedly ran throughout the camp to announce to the entire army. : "The battle to capture Bajiao City is about to begin!"
