If there are more than 10,000 people, there will be no boundaries.
It was a very spectacular thing to see tens of thousands of people coming to attack from a distance from a high platform, but Zhang Xing didn't go to see it. He was no longer the ignorant person he was back then.
But this didn’t stop many people from being stunned.
In comparison, although the number of the Deposed Dragon Army, which was divided into camps, was greater than that of the others, it was less spectacular due to the lack of dynamics and the protection of the camps.
In fact, Zhang Xing likes to fight stupid battles in strong strongholds, and is happy to fight stupid battles in strong strongholds. Although it is limited by his path dependence and level, it can be regarded as an "advanced" tactic in his perception, but this does not cover up another fact. ——That is, the twenty-five battalions that were just reorganized a year ago have not actually been reorganized.
This army looks great, but what is so great about it?
The level of organization displayed by their marching and encampment is quite good. They know how to integrate into a large force that looks somewhat impressive when marching, know how to effectively protect craftsmen and logistics supplies, and know how to march in armor reasonably to save energy and balance the marching force; When setting up camp, you know how to quickly arrange trenches, antlers, and build fences. You know how to arrange the camp and what the directions and distances between them should be.
They still have some combat experience. Thirty to forty percent of them participated in the decisive battle in Lishan that was like wrestling and rolling on the mud. More than fifty percent of them have experience fighting with more than ten thousand people, plus one or two percent of them. The troops experienced the ups and downs of the rebels in Hebei in the previous two years, and survived the raids by the government troops.
They also have a good will to fight. Some people still believe Zhang Xingping's empty words. At least the idea that Wei Dao has harmed everyone is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and they are quite able to endure hardships. Many people actually follow the army. There is a blood feud.
The logistics are actually very good, and you can show this off wherever you put it.
Thanks to Zhang Xing's extreme emphasis on such matters and the rich products and developed commerce of the Eastern Territory itself, as well as the complete retention of most of the Eastern Territory's tax system, the Deposed Dragon Army established a lot of logistics in the Eastern Territory from the beginning. As for the base, Jiyin has a large-scale quilt factory, Dongjun has a leather base, Jibei has a pottery base, Qijun has an ironware base, Lujun has good carpentry, and Dengzhou has an armory and some scattered horse farms.
What's even more frightening is that they can really dispatch civilians to quickly transport supplies to specific front lines - they have a complete supply system in the east.
Anyone who sees this will drool, and Xue Changxiong opposite is also afraid of this.
In addition, it goes without saying that the Deposed Dragon Army has a discipline that is much stronger than the surrounding rebels and stronger than the official army.
They also have some good officers, including young, mature, strong, and smart. Regardless of whether it is people who drive the general trend or the general trend that drives people, from the perspective of the deposed Dragon Army's alchemy masters who are clearly above the average, this can be considered verified.
But they still have two huge problems.
First of all, before crossing the river, the Deposed Dragon Army still had a main force and an auxiliary force. The troops of the two leaders and the three initial leaders, plus the Pu Tai Army, were considered the main force in the Deposed Dragon Army. But after crossing the river, because Zhang Xing wanted to control all the troops, he forcibly dispersed them and started over again, causing some outstanding troops to lose their advantage.
There may be some units that will stand out after reorganizing the army, but they also need experience and the test of war.
In this case, the only troops Zhang Xing has that are trustworthy in terms of combat effectiveness are actually the few troops directly under him, and they may not be able to withstand the test. They are the personal guards currently controlled by Wang Xiongdan and the gathered practitioners. When in the Zhenqi Army Formation, you can take the initiative to strike.
Secondly, a large number of soldiers from the Eastern Border received material rewards from Wubao and some of them were given annual leave. However, on the whole, they still felt homesick and war-weary, and even a small number of them did not return home overdue.
In this case, Zhang Xing himself may not have realized that it was an inevitable and helpless choice to build a stronghold and fight a stupid war.
Xue Changxiong is very experienced in combat, and his troops are not new soldiers. They naturally know how to fight against the so-called hard stronghold.
These troops are well organized. The first wave of attackers are mostly spearmen and shield soldiers, followed by crossbowmen. This is the most effective protection and killing unit for dealing with fences and trenches.
But there is one thing to say, even so, the deposed dragon army, which has the advantage of the camp and is waiting for work, will definitely have the upper hand.
It is also a steel crossbow shooting. There are simple observation towers, arrow towers, highlands in the camp, and a large number of protective fortifications, so naturally you can shoot calmly from a high position. The spears were stabbing each other, and those standing inside also had a height advantage over the officers and soldiers in the trenches outside. Not to mention that the officers and soldiers need to remove the antlers first, rush to the front, and get within the range of the target before they can fight back.
In fact, the first wave of battle formations was very bloody and cruel for the officers and soldiers. The shouts of killing quickly weakened, while the wails appeared almost instantly. Death and injuries stained the newly frozen Hebei land. Black and red.
On the general stage, cheers began to appear, and the excitement quickly swept across the entire general stage.
"If the officers and soldiers are so incompetent, we can defend it for a year!" The leader Zhai Qian, who was wearing a short white cloak, was overjoyed and even stood up on the spot.
"It's not that simple." Just when others were about to agree, Shan Tonghai, who was dressed similarly, said with narrowed eyes.
"How do you say that?" Zhai Qian was surprised for a moment.
Shan Tonghai glanced at Zhai Qian and shook his head: "If Leader Zhai has reached the realm of condensation, he will know what is going on..."
Zhai Qian was stunned for a moment, and then his face turned red from holding back.
However, Xiong Bonan was kind and turned around to explain: "The position in front of the army formation is too far away. Unless it is above Condensation Pill, I am afraid that it cannot be seen... Livestock and sections are gathering over there."
"Livestock... are you going to use livestock to drag fences and antlers?" Zhai Qian suddenly realized. "The section...the section is the section for building houses?"
"Yes, it's also a section for building fences." Zhang Xing said from the side. "Just like when we set up camp, we used ropes to tie the rafts into shape in advance, put them on the car, and transported them to the place for easy camping... However, this thing is the most suitable for now. It can pave the trench and serve as a simple The bridge can also be leaned against the barracks fence, used as a short ladder, or even used as a large shield during an assault, and can also be used as a mobile shield for the crossbowmen... It is more useful than anything else."
Zhai Qian and the other generals suddenly realized.
Zhang Xinghua stopped talking and continued to sit there, no longer in a daze, but quietly watching the battle with the other leaders.
Sure enough, the battle situation quickly changed. Although the initial stage of the battle was quite bloody and the outcome was clear, as the government troops' subsequent targeted ordnance and equipment were transported to the front line, the casualties of the government troops were greatly reduced, and the deposed dragon army also became more powerful. Having to work hard, the battle quickly evolved into some kind of wrestling on the front line.
Wrestling indeed.
Zhang Xing occasionally glanced over and saw a battle line from a distance. Two groups of soldiers, the official army and the rebel army, were separated by a fence, holding up shields and exerting force on each other... One side tried to push away the fence, and the other tried to stop it.
And on the side of this "tug-of-war" match, when the crossbows were missing and flying, a group of officers and soldiers suddenly climbed onto the fence leaning on the board, and then looked down from above, poking at random with their spears, almost affecting the outcome of the wrestling match. Shockingly, The leader Shang Huaien, who had to command from a high platform, shouted repeatedly and concentrated his bows and crossbows to fire randomly.
The group of officers and soldiers were shot over and fled in confusion, along with the officers and soldiers who were "wrestling" outside. However, the deposed dragon army in the fence was caught off guard. For a moment, it was unable to withdraw its strength and instead pushed away the fence of its own camp. It's a big hole.
The officers and soldiers were overjoyed. As they turned back, the two sides immediately started fighting, and the battle became chaotic.
After Zhang Dalongtou observed for a while, he suddenly spoke and pointed forward: "Who is the general of the army facing Shang Huaien?"
"It's hard to say... the flag is 'King', but there are a lot of people named Wang in the Hejian camp, and there were two of them in person." Jia Yue, who had always been cold-faced, squinted his eyes and shook his head in reply. "The battle ahead is so tight that no one has time to ask for feedback."
"Shall I go take a look at the front?" The hot-faced little Jia Jiarunshi immediately stood up to ask for advice. “There are always wounded soldiers and prisoners.”
Zhang Xing nodded.
Xiong Bonan even reminded him: "Ask them all."
Xiao Jia nodded again and hurried down.
About half an hour later, I just came back. At this time, the war was already intense, and there was a clear gap in the progress of the five battalions on the front line.
"What do you say?" Zhang Xing asked seriously.
"Chief Shang Huai'en is Wang Fubei in person." Jia Runshi answered from the general platform.
"Why does it sound familiar?" Zhang Xing was surprised for a moment.
"That day during the battle in Leling, this was the man in the rear who escaped." Jia Runshi immediately added.
Zhang Xing was stunned and pointed again: "Who is Cheng Minqi facing?"
"It is Xue Wanbi, the fourth son of Xue Changxiong."
Zhang Xing nodded thoughtfully and said no more words. Although it was difficult for the rest of the people to guess what Zhang Dalongtou was thinking, they also knew the reason for this question, because it was obvious that the war situation was anxious... Although the Deposed Dragon Army could probably hold the line of defense, it was obvious that Shang Huaien was having the most trouble. Department, followed by Cheng Mingqi Department.
Regardless of the level of the generals, after the army was reorganized, there was actually not much difference in the overall combat effectiveness of each battalion, especially in this situation where they were fighting a tough battle.
So it can only be said that there are two troops on the opposite side that stand out.
In this way, the battle continued, and at noon, not to mention Zhang Xing and several sharp-eyed Ningdan leaders, almost everyone on the stage could detect the development of the battle, because Shang Huai'en's troops were increasingly showing their defeat. Several fences were lost, two high platforms were also lost, and there were faint signs of retreat.
This is okay, because the army has already made a plan to deal with such things, which is nothing more than sending fresh troops to replace them and sending auxiliary logistics troops to repair... The design of the camp itself is for convenience.
"Let..." Zhang Xing thought for a moment and was about to give the order, but suddenly turned back. "How about drawing lots?"
Everyone was surprised, but no one objected, because this was indeed fair.
It was not easy to make bamboo sticks at the moment, so Jia Runshi quickly found a piece of paper and wrote the names of several leaders who were preparing for the rescue. He folded it, put it in a clay pot, and placed it at Zhang Xing's feet.
Zhang Dalongtou did not hesitate, he grabbed it casually, it was the word "Fan", and when he grabbed it again, it was the word "Zhuge", and immediately ordered: "Leader Fan Wang will send troops to replace Shang Huai'en, and the auxiliary troops will assemble." , prepare to transfer plate materials and repair fortifications, and prepare to assemble with leader Zhuge Dewei to meet the defeated troops and escort the auxiliary troops forward."
The order was quickly carried out.
The battle situation at the front was reversed almost immediately. This kind of hand-to-hand combat accompanied by fortifications, shields, and armored stomachs was the most exhausting of physical strength. The appearance of fresh troops and reinforcements was naturally decisive.
Having already moved to Xue Zishuai's banner on a higher artificial mound, Xue Changxiong looked at this scene indifferently. The people around him held their breath and did not dare to speak. However, as Wang Fubei's troops could not stop escaping from the deposed dragon army's camp, the Hebei marching commander still waved the military order.
The next moment, the gong representing the withdrawal suddenly sounded, and five green flags were waved together. Among the five armies in front, Wang Fubei was naturally relieved, as if listening to the sound of heaven, but the other generals had mixed reactions.
Returning to the commander's flag, Xue Wanbi was the first to be puzzled: "Commander Father, I have shaken the enemy camp. After a while, I will definitely win."
"I know." Xue Changxiong nodded. "It was a good fight, but it's still not as good as General Wang Fubei. He has already penetrated the enemy camp and almost captured it all."
"I am ashamed of myself for not being able to withstand the counterattack." Wang Fubei prostrated himself on the ground, feeling relieved and not proud at all.
"I saw it." Xue Changxiong came to see Xue Wanbi again. "Fourth, did you see it?"
"Father, the enemy he faces may not be the same as me. Besides, if he can't withstand it, his son may not be able to withstand it." Xue Wanbi was still a little dissatisfied with the retreat. "He is someone who usually can't fight a tough fight and just wants to run away."
Wang Fubei, who was originally relaxed, turned his head angrily to look, but unexpectedly, Xue Wanbi just stared back coldly, showing no fear at all.
However, Xue Changxiong, who was reining in his horse and standing on top, was too lazy to coddle his son and only changed his expression. When Xue Laosi saw this, he immediately lowered his head solemnly and did not dare to say a word, let alone look weird.
Xue Changxiong returned to the topic at this time: "I know, you must want to ask, why did I not send reinforcements to follow even though our army had a slight upper hand, but instead asked for money to retreat? The reason is very simple. I have said before that the enemy The battalions are tightly distributed, and subsequent thieves can advance to support at any time and surround them from left to right. There are five camps in a row. Only by capturing three of them can it be truly possible to stand firm and destroy the entire defense line in one fell swoop. Otherwise, it will be barely possible to occupy it during the day. , it is impossible for us to leave our troops surrounded by the enemy at night, and we will still lose them when the time comes. But now there is a question, why are the five armies and the five Zhonglang generals all with 3,000 soldiers, but only Wang Fu Bei and Xue Wanbi can rush in, but the other three can't win? General Wang Yu, General Feng Duan, General Murong, why do you three just fight for the first two fences repeatedly? What do you have to say?"
Only then did everyone realize what was going on, but they all became frightened, because Xue Changxiong clearly wanted to raise an army to investigate. There is no need to say much about the drama of these three people. They are basically conserving their strength and not wanting to let their troops lose nothing. Therefore, after the war entered the wrestling stage, they immediately started fishing and were unwilling to be ruthless.
Moreover, among the three, Murong Zhengyan was the most senior and his family was the most well-known. Hearing this, he reluctantly handed over his hand and said: "General Manager, perhaps as the four generals said, the thieves' different battalions have different combat strengths."
"You want to say that the three of you have encountered a tough opponent, while General Wang Fubei and Xue Wanbi have encountered a weak opponent?" Xue Changxiong sneered.
The three of them were nervous and wanted to explain again.
Xue Changxiong nodded, but actually did not have an attack. He just continued to ask: "Okay, how many casualties will you reduce this time?"
"Three or four hundred people?" The troops had already withdrawn and were behind them. Murong Zhengyan and other generals naturally did not dare to lie.
"Is the fighting strength still there?" General Xue just kept asking.
"Yes, I'm just too tired." Wang Yu, another lieutenant general, answered awkwardly.
"It doesn't matter. We are all tired. Let's take a rest and drink some water. Then the five of you will go back together. This time I will dispatch reinforcements in time to ensure a proper advance... However, you have to disrupt the order. Wang Fubei attacks the last For the battalion on the left that did not have a broken fence, Xue Wanbi went to attack the center one, before Wang Fubei's battalion received reinforcements. For the other three, you choose your own targets to attack." Xue Changxiong's expression remained unchanged. "Let's see what's going on. Maybe it's true that the combat strength of each battalion of the rebel army is different?"
The expressions of the three of them changed greatly, and they looked at each other without saying anything. They could only agree to it bravely, and turned around to reorganize the attack with Wang Fubei and Xue Laosi.
When they were about to set off, Feng Duan was speechless when he saw Xue Wanbi leaving first. He just complained to Wang Fubei beside him: "Why are you working so hard? Is such a war just a day or two? If you spend so much, it will be the end." We won, but our troops and horses are all gone, so what’s the use?”
After saying that, he beat the horse first with hatred.
Wang Fubei just felt angry. He was afraid of Zhang Shiyu and couldn't help fighting hard. However, Xue Changxiong used him as a raft, Xue Wanbi remained arrogant, and the rest of his colleagues complained, which was simply ridiculous.
But it's ridiculous. If I dare not use my strength at this time, how can I, a small local tycoon from Hebei, compare to the children of everyone who have a clear background? I'm afraid it will also suffer.
The war soon broke out again. At this time, although the official army withdrew for a while to rest and then came back again, the various departments of the Deposed Dragon Army did not have time to repair the camp, but they entered a fierce situation in an instant.
In the afternoon, about two or three quarters of an hour after the battle situation returned to a tense state, Zhang Xing, who was watching from a distance, couldn't help but close his eyes for a moment, and then turned around and sighed: "Everyone, I was lucky enough to think that Wang Fubei and Xue Wanbi were more powerful, so It is possible to break through. Looking at it now, it is just that the other three families were unwilling to exert force in order to preserve their strength. Our troops after reorganization are actually not as good as the troops of the Hejian camp, especially since these peripheral camps have not been established for a few days. Firm...Xue Changxiong found the crux of the problem."
"Then we...?" Xiao Zhou couldn't help but asked anxiously. "What should it be?"
"It doesn't matter, so what if he took over this line of defense today?" Zhang Xing was just a little emotional, but he didn't panic at all, and even reached out directly into the clay pot. "When the soldiers come, they will block the water and cover it with earth. He has the White Emperor's Strategy, and I have the Black Emperor's Sword."
As he said that, he actually stopped drawing lots and instead gave direct instructions: "Let Leader Xiahou and Leader Xu get ready, and Leader Fan will also go..."
Fan Bao, who honestly did not participate in any discussion and was just sitting there waiting for military orders, stood up immediately, but was surprised: "Longtou, I am from the third platoon and the third camp. Do you want me to abandon my base and come forward to support and replace him?"
"No, I want you to prepare for a flanking attack." Zhang Xing answered seriously, but then looked at Jia Runshi. "Go and send an order to Chief Fan Wang to pretend defeat immediately, abandon the camp, and take advantage of the opportunity before the official reinforcements from the rear have set off to see if they can lure Xue Wanbi into the rear surrounded by three battalions led by the three leaders Xiahou, Xu, and Fan. In the open space, conduct a flanking attack from three sides and try to kill."
Everyone was stunned.
Building a stronghold and fighting a stupid war also need to be fought according to the situation.
"These three generals were actually conserving their strength before..." Almost at the same moment, in the official army formation, dozens of steps behind Xue Zishuai's flag, Pingyuan Tong guarded Qiantang side, and Qinghe Tong guard Cao Shancheng watched. As the battle ahead gradually gained the upper hand, instead of being overjoyed, he was dumbfounded, and could not help but complain in a low voice. "What are they thinking about in this kind of battle? A whole morning was wasted. If the rebel army had provided proper support, the whole day might have been wasted."
This statement immediately attracted the attention of many other generals. Qian Tang didn't know for a while whether he should understand those three generals or the county guard beside him.
At this moment, Xue Changxiong, who was watching the battle from a distance under the Xue banner above, suddenly gave an order: "Send an order to the entire army. After returning to camp today, regardless of the regular soldiers or auxiliary soldiers of each battalion, each person must pack a bag of fifty kilograms." The soil! The quartermaster will go back now and collect as many bags, poles, and baskets as possible. Whatever is there is nothing. If anyone clearly has a container but does not put it in soil, he will inspect it tomorrow morning and kill him without mercy!"
The generals roared.
Cao Shancheng was slightly startled and couldn't help but cheer up. Qian Tang even narrowed his eyes.
Obviously, General Xue's military qualities are shown here, he is by no means a rigid person, and he can win this battle.
