When the sky was dark, Xue Changxiong arrived early on the small slope where he had watched the battle yesterday. Looking from here, it seemed that the thin morning mist was lingering in front of him, looming the black and dark Dragon Army camp.
But in fact, no one knows how much of the mist is cooking smoke and how much is natural water vapor.
Looking at this scene, the commander-in-chief of the Hebei march, General Zuo Weiwei, the head of the Xue family of the core clan of Guanlong, the son of Xue Ben of the Shangzhu Kingdom, and the obvious leader among the heroes of Hebei after the chaos in the world, General Xue Changxiong, this time But he looked a little solemn.
Behind him, there were only a few people following him, and they all just stared at the general's back without saying a word.
Let us say that Xue Changxiong's eldest son Xue Wanlun was a hostage in Jiangdu, his second son Xue Wanliang died in the battle, his third son Xue Wannian was stationed at the key points behind him, and Pingyuan County was in charge of Ande City. The remaining four sons Xue Wanbi, fifth son Xue Wanping, sixth son Xue Wancheng, and seventh son Xue Wanquan were all here. Office, plus two close confidants, Sima Chen Bin and General Wang Yu.
After looking at it for a moment, Xue Changxiong finally turned around, with a bit of emotion in his words: "A man was born in troubled times. Since he has been ordered to do something, he does not seek to flog the world, but he should also use the four-foot blade to clean up the place, so as not to be weaker than others... … But now, it’s still too difficult to do things.”
Chen Bin's face was expressionless, and Wang Yu hesitated to speak. However, his sons, including Xue Wanbi who had been beaten yesterday, dismounted from their horses and bowed respectfully behind them.
Among them, Xue Wanbi was the oldest and was the person involved in the trouble yesterday. Naturally, he did his part. After paying homage, he came to ask: "Father, handsome... Yesterday's small setback was due to my son's incompetence, but it will not affect the overall situation. What's more, today's plan to pile up mountains of earth is serious." A heavy sword has no edge... The thief is right in front of you, why do you say this?"
"Who told you that the thief is right in front of you?" Xue Changxiong looked helpless. "How do you know that there is no way to break the mountain? And what if the mountain is built? Do you know what is the key to victory in this battle?"
Although everyone can blurt out some things, such as breaking the stronghold and defeating the army within a time limit, and then destroying the clouds with a single blow from the zhenqi formation, but with their father's attitude, the few people named Xue could only lower their heads in silence and listen. shape.
Xue Wanbi even lowered his head, reluctant to answer: "My son doesn't know."
"I didn't expect you, a brainless person, to know, but after the collision the day before yesterday, I have been thinking about it." Xian said with emotion. "Is it true that there is only Xiong Bonan beside Zhang San at this time? I don't believe it. But where are the Wu brothers, Bai Sanniang, and Xu Shiren? Sure enough, they are not here in the east? Are they here anyway? Hidden? Especially Bai Sanniang’s ability is well-known all over the world. You must not think of it as an ordinary Chengdan situation. This three is her husband, so he must be calculated no matter what, and I have just touched the threshold of a master. , are you really sure of the final victory? And this layered chessboard formation, is it really not a deliberate show of weakness? So, the ones who are confident in their hearts, who are fundamentally dominant, are us on the surface, but I really don’t know who it is. "
Including Chen Bin and Xue Wanbi, everyone's expressions changed slightly.
This is indeed a problem. The reason why Xue Changxiong avoided the war years ago and came here in a hurry is essentially to avoid this problem, because he did not want to face the complete Deposed Dragon Gang, which had surged in strength after seizing the eight counties in the east. But the problem is, even if we overcome the peak of the Lingshui period and avoid large-scale troops and material aid, can we really avoid the support of sporadic Chengdan masters? Especially when the troops were just launched, there was no Lingxun yet!
But then again, even so, what else can Xue Changxiong do? Do we have to give up even the advantages of the army?
"Why should your commander-in-chief be as ambitious as others..." Xue Wanbi still tried his best to persuade him.
"I specifically called you here just to speak my mind, so as not to inflate other people's ambitions and hurt my own morale." Xue Changxiong continued to look east and answered without looking back. "I have to let you understand the situation, so as not to cause things like yesterday again... Everyone begged for you yesterday, how many of you do you think are sincere? They will laugh at you when you get back! Laugh at me for pretending!"
Although Xue Wanbi had expected this comment, when he came to him, he was just dissatisfied and unwilling to talk to him.
"Therefore, we still need to seize the overall military advantage, and use military formation techniques to defeat the twenty-five battalion soldiers of the deposed dragon thief first like a sudden storm." When Chen Bin saw this, he actually took the initiative to change the atmosphere. "The soldiers and horses collapsed. Even though they have all the masters, they can only flee back in embarrassment. I don't know how many years or months it will take to collect the people, soldiers, horses, and materials and come back... If they are really showing weakness, then let them reap the consequences. "
"Not bad." Xue Changxiong was also slightly energetic. "What Chen Sima said is absolutely true." "The key is why it was so fast?" Wang Yu, the general of the lieutenant general, couldn't help but sigh at this time. "A group of local tycoons, gangsters, traders, military thieves, and county officials, whose names they had never heard of two years ago, turned out to be like mushrooms after a rain. They all became famous generals, and everyone succeeded in condensing elixirs... It seemed that they didn't need money. Same. Masters of Chengdan have also gathered here one after another to depose the dragon thief."
"This is the time when dragons and snakes rise from the land in troubled times." Chen Bin said happily. "Let's be honest, here in Hebei, although the battles in the east are not as fierce as before, in the past two years, among the officials, soldiers, noble families, and powerful families, there have been fewer masters who have been involved in the war in the past two years and have succeeded in condensing pills? Cao Cao? Isn't this the case for Shancheng, Qiantang, Yuanbaoku, and Li Ding, the four county guards who have the power of a county? Several aristocratic families and powerful people took the opportunity to take over the place. Didn't they also hear that someone had condensed the elixir, but they didn't Do you want to spread the word? Even in our Hejian camp, there are three or four people who are new to Ningdan. Even if I say a few words, the general’s ability to become a grandmaster really has nothing to do with his achievements in purging Hebei in the past two years? These are troubled times!"
"This is true...but why are we still a little bit weak when facing the deposed dragon thief?" Xue Wanquan, the seventh child, suddenly said.
"That's because the deposed dragon thief is the leader of the rebel bandits in the world. He is famous and real. Not only the dragons and snakes in the Eastern Territory are going there, but also the rest of the bandits are going there after they are defeated. How many of his families are there? Isn’t this how all masters of achieving elixirs come to be?” Chen Bin still spoke with certainty. "And where is the general? Although the general has purged Hebei, there are a few heroes in Hebei who have gained ground and achieved great success through the power of the general. They regard Duke Xue as the lord of Hebei and seek refuge with him. ? The county guards mentioned before are considered good if they are not deviant; the Youzhou Camp is also on the same side; even here in the Hejian Camp, the few new Ningdan people only regard the general as a colleague and superior, and privately Not impressed."
"Chen Sima..." Wang Yu was inexplicably panicked.
However, several of the Xue family's children below Xue Wanbi were staring at Chen Bin thoughtfully.
Xue Changxiong was the only one, staring motionless at the rising sun that slightly peeked out to the east.
"General, since you want to say what's in your heart, I have my own words to say." Chen Bin took half a step forward and pointed to the east. "Now our problem is that if the name is not correct, the words will not be correct. On one side, the court is like the setting sun, and on the other side, the general is like the rising sun... However, they are both red. Many people looked at them and thought they were the same thing, so, Some people are clearly favored by the general, but they think it is the favor of the court. Some people are clearly oppressed by the court, but they also hate the general... Over and over again, here in Hebei, although the government and army are powerful, they are not affiliated with each other. In the territory controlled by the Hejian Camp, the officials, aristocratic families, powerful people, and reckless people all have doubts. I don't want to say anything else. If these people gather together and follow the general loyally, why should we worry about the eight counties? The deposed dragon thief? Why bother here to calculate how many masters of elixir creation are hidden in the opponent's camp, and worry about when the ice will melt? Open your fingers and count the masters of elixir creation and condensation in these places. Compare them. Can you calculate the level?"
In the early morning of early spring, Wang Yu was sweating on his forehead, while the Xue Wanbi brothers just went to see their biological father.
Unexpectedly, Xue Changxiong didn't say a word, just quietly waiting for the sunrise in the east. When the glow covered his body, it was like his true energy was exposed, and then he turned around and just waved his hand: "Chen Sima, that's not how the account was calculated... I only want to say two things. First, if something strange happens at this time, those who are willing to surrender should be observed. Those who are loyal to the court will only leave me quickly. When the time comes, there will be fewer available people around me; second, , the reason why I can control the Hejian camp depends on the will of the saint. Don't say I owe the Wei Dynasty, but I owe it to the saint. If I obey the Dongdu, I am afraid that someone will stab me in the back and shoulder the responsibility of carrying the master. I can't do this...name thing."
Chen Bin was discouraged for a moment, and then became angry: "The general is also from a famous Guanlong family, and the Xue family's name is not weaker than that of the Cao family. What can't be done in this world?"
Xue Wanbi also took a step forward, but Wang Yu couldn't help but take a half step back.
But Xue Changxiong instead said seriously: "Okay! Chen Sima, don't mention this matter again! I'm calling you here today. I just want you to cheer up and fight, and know the importance of destroying the army and raising the stronghold face to face! Your words like this will make you waver. Military spirit! Some things, no matter how much we talk about them, should be discussed after the war!"
Chen Bin sighed, bowed his hands and bowed.
Xue Changxiong took a breath, then turned around and ordered: "Let's start!"
After saying this, Wang Yu immediately felt relieved and rode his horse down the hillside. After a moment, behind the artificial hill, under the golden sun, the sound of horns suddenly sounded continuously. First, hundreds of armored cavalry came out in a row, holding flags. He went straight towards the camp of the Dragon-Deposed Army, and then lined up in a row through the camp, but only kept the flag beside him.
The Deposed Dragon Army did not let it go. Almost immediately, soldiers and horses from each camp rushed out, trying to clear and compete with these armored cavalry for the area in front of their own camp.
"There was too much digging noise yesterday." Chen Bin cheered up and made a judgment. "And I am afraid that there are many spies among the soldiers and civilians in the surrounding counties and counties. They may be aware of something..."
"There's no hope of hiding it from them." Xue Changxiong remounted his horse and spoke coldly. "In fact, this strategy is not subtle at all. Instead, it is a bit cumbersome. But it is better than its cumbersomeness. No matter what the rebel army is, it can't stop hundreds of thousands of people from rushing to throw a bag of soil... Pass the order. , if all the knights doing the pulling in front are dead, then I will use the corpses as targets and continue to throw the earth into the mountain. I wonder who can stop me today?!"
Xue Wanbi, who was nearby, roared angrily, as if in response to something, and then rode down to deliver the order himself. After a while, he came back after delivering the order, but instead of going uphill, he used his true energy to rush to the front line in person.
A few people on the slope vaguely heard that he was asking the soldiers in the rear to use him as a target and throw away dirt and return.
For a moment, he was filled with pride.
The sun was getting higher and higher. In the camp that looked like a chessboard, on the towering and solid rammed earth general platform, Zhang Xing held his forehead and looked at the mounds of earth that were getting higher and higher from a distance. He finally squinted his eyes and gave the order:
"Stop it! Go back to the camp and stay safe, and let Wang Wulang and the others come back... Let the first camp camp be careful with crossbows, and tell the craftsman battalion and auxiliary soldiers not to wait any longer, transport the blocks over, and start assembling them... Continued later Do it and don’t stop.”
The messenger immediately went to deliver the order, and this sentence also broke the silence that had lasted for a long time on the general stage, because I don't know when it started. Compared with the restlessness and noise in front of the formation, the general stage suddenly became terrifyingly quiet.
"Can it be done?" Shan Tonghai asked angrily, being the only one with the interface. "No matter how much you make that thing, it can't be as high as a mountain of earth, right?"
Zhang Xing wanted to explain, but in the end he didn't say anything... No one knew whether it would be useful or not. He had to give it a try before speaking.
In this case, as the coach, it is better to pretend to be confident.
But with Zhang Dalong's head in such a posture, the people around him still looked serious and nervous. Obviously, although the earth mountain has reached a height and obscured the previous scene, the scene of hundreds of thousands of people coming and going, and the mountain of earth still scared everyone. people.
At that moment, it really gave people a feeling of intimidation that no one could do anything about.
What about condensing pills into pills, or what land gods are, seem to be no longer worth mentioning... One of the most intuitive comparisons is that after the earth mountain is built, if a few pill condensation masters are allowed to chop it, can it be broken into pieces? If you ask the Grand Master to come over and move it, can you move such a row of dirt mountains?
That day in Lishan, the whole group of practitioners worked together and were almost exhausted. They could only chop down a small section of mountain soil, which was made because the soil in Lishan was soft after the rain.
The mountains of earth were piling up higher and higher, and at this time, the Dragon Army's response method also came out.
It’s the building block!
Don't laugh, this is the best and easiest way to deal with Tushan in a short period of time. At least this group of two-handed swordsmen who lack experience in fortification combat (including the leaders of the Deposed Dragon Gang and the so-called staff officers) can think of it in one night the only way.
How I came up with it is actually very simple.
Just think about it and you will know, what is the fundamental meaning of making mountains of earth? Since it is a mountain of earth instead of filling a fortress, it means that the opponent essentially wants to avoid excessive casualties when civilians and auxiliary soldiers fill the fortress, and instead hopes to calmly establish a height advantage outside the range of crossbows and spears, and in turn suppress it from a distance Camp, calmly capture the front row camp.
Repeatedly, one row per day, it doesn't take five or six days at all. If we can capture three or four rows of camps in a row, it will be enough to produce a devastating effect.
So, when faced with the deposed dragon army that had a high advantage in controlling the camp, what was the way for the government and army to deal with it?
Isn't it just a section?
Just borrow it.
Of course, it can't be that simple.
In fact, Zhang Xing discussed with these leaders from wild backgrounds and staff from various backgrounds for a long time, and the final plan was to set up some permanent, multi-layered, large-area, protective towers at the forefront of the camp. Plate construction with sloping eaves and shooting holes.
It's a bit like an enlarged multi-story arrow tower, a bit like an upgraded version of the crossbow position previously used by the army, and more like a simple wooden city wall tower.
These are all enhanced suggestions based on simple psychology such as better protection, maintaining the height advantage as much as possible, and concentrating the crossbowmen as much as possible.
"How to say?"
Just when the mountain of dirt on the opposite side had generally piled up to a height of ten feet, Zhang Xing waited for the response from the front line. "Is it safe?"
"It didn't work at first, but after setting up large timbers outside, and then relying on the trench, it became stable..." Wang Shuyong, who came out from the front line, was overjoyed. "Two-story buildings, three-story buildings, all are up."
"That's good." Zhang Xing sat still, as if he was very confident. "Now that things have come to a point, there is no need to stick to dividing the camps. We are about to borrow Wulang Shenshe! We will set up fortifications on the front line and give them to your unified command. Each battalion will support the crossbowmen and will also listen to your command!"
Wang Wulang was even more overjoyed, responded immediately, and then hurriedly turned back.
By noon, the top of the mountain was already very high. It was definitely not seven or eight feet high, but some obviously abrupt places were as much as five or six feet long. The front was steep and the back was gentle, and there were obviously practitioners in the middle using their true energy. Try your best to compact the soil. Five camps and ten camps are several miles wide facing each other. Although there are obviously only five or six hills in the middle, at first glance, it is really a continuous mountain.
In the plains of Hebei, it is even more eye-catching.
In this case, enough crossbowmen to cover the inside of the fence began to take position, and Xue Changxiong personally led the generals to climb the mountain.
Then, he froze.
"General!" Supervisor Sima Chen Bin proactively reminded. "It's already noon, the soil is gone, and the gentle slope along the road has been smoothed. It's time to give it a try anyway."
Xue Changxiong was silent for a moment and nodded: "Let's try a round of all-army attacks!"
With the sound of the drum, thousands of arrows were fired, literally thousands of arrows were fired!
The Hejian Army gathered all the archers and crossbowmen in the army, built a bow and arrow position on the mountains on the front line, and then came down from a high position to shoot together. And with one strike, it can't be said that it covers the sky and the sun, it can be said that it falls like rain.
However, after the arrow fell, although screams were obviously heard and it was indeed visible to the naked eye that it fell into the inside of the fence, it did not have the expected effect. Instead, the officers and soldiers were at a loss.
The reason couldn't be simpler. The deposed dragon army in the rear hid behind the defense point constructed with simple blocks, while those in the front poured into the rows of newly added "wooden houses" erected next to the fence... This is Xue Chang Xiong was surprised for a moment as to why.
As someone with rich military experience, he immediately knew what this kind of fortification was for.
The officers and soldiers here were still at a loss. At this moment, the drums of the deposed dragon army generals in the camp in front suddenly sounded, and then the flags moved in unison. With this sound, the deposed dragon army camp A round of arrows was shot from the row of "wooden houses" at the front.
Sooner or later, just when many people instinctively tried to retreat and dodge, at almost the same moment, General Xue Changxiong suddenly burst into flames, and for a moment golden light shone everywhere. After the glowing energy on his body dissipated, everyone could It was discovered that the general had caught an arrow with his bare hands.
"This man is good at archery, but he shot me twice in a row and had to return an arrow." General Xue sneered, then took an iron bow directly from the side of the horse and used the arrow he caught. , bending the bow and setting an arrow, and then the glow of true energy overflowed, filling the bow and arrow. Then he suddenly let go, and the arrow went straight to a wooden house in front of him with a stream of light.
The wooden house was hit, and it shattered into pieces as if it had been struck by a hammer. Some people even jumped out in panic, dodging and jumping behind the "wooden house".
The surrounding soldiers cheered and their morale was slightly boosted, and many of their wails were also muffled.
However, Xue Changxiong, who easily won, was not happy. Instead, he was livid when he looked at the "wooden house" where the upper floor was blown up and the lower floor was still facing the mountain.
"General." The people around him obviously noticed something was wrong, and Chen Bin asked cautiously. "What exactly is going on?"
"What can happen?" Xue Changxiong's face turned pale. "This fortification is obviously aimed at Tushan!"
"Zhang San is indeed very intelligent." Murong Zhengyan sighed from the side. "I immediately thought of a way to deal with it. I didn't believe that he was just a vanguard in the North."
"This is not a matter of his superior intelligence!" Xue Changxiong finally became furious. "Have I ever despised this person? When I use this method, I don't expect to be able to get rid of it once and for all. Today, this earth mountain can have a temporary effect and only destroy one of his strongholds. I already admit it... The key is, if it hadn't been done since last night Start preparing, otherwise, as the defender of the camp, how could he have so many sections to build this kind of fortifications at the same time as we built the earth mountain? If it was just seeing the soldiers loading earth, how did he know that I was not filling the trench, but was trying to fill it? Mountains?!"
The surrounding generals were already shocked when they heard half of it.
And General Xue finally turned around and glanced around the generals, and then gritted his teeth and said those words: "There must be a traitor in the military tent last night!"
(End of chapter)
