"This attack on Houjin was thought to be a matter of clearing holes and plowing the court, but unexpectedly it turned into a battle of life and death."
Kang Yingqian looked up at the soldiers who fell into the river in the distance, the iron horse glaciers, but he was completely defeated.
Before the battle even started, the 5000th headquarters had already suffered all casualties. Without the protection of soldiers, the artillery across the river would soon be eaten up, and of course the cavalry.
Kang Yingqian's face was full of shame. If he, Shao Jiechun and others hadn't been greedy for credit this time, the army would not be in such a desperate situation.
Seeing that the foundation that Liu Zhaosun had worked hard for two years was about to be destroyed, Kang Yingqian, who had followed him all the way, couldn't help but feel sad.
After today's defeat, Kang Yingqian will die without a burial place. Even if he escapes back to the pass, countless officials from Shandong to the capital want to kill him.
Liu Zhaosun was seizing land in Dengzhou, Qufu and other places to grab money, and Kang Yingqian was behind the scenes. When the Kaiyuan army was defeated, not to mention the emperor and Wei Zhongxian, the land-lost Jin gentry in Shandong alone could eat Kang Yingqian alive.
"Marquis Ping Liao, it is a crime worthy of death to be demoted. If I had known, I would have listened to Mr. Sun's advice and would never have been so rash..."
Liu Zhaosun looked up at the ice that was rapidly cracking two miles away, and said calmly:
"After this battle, there will be peace in Liaodong. It is Huang Taiji who died today, not me!"
Kang Yingqian felt relieved when he saw that Liu Zhaosun was not angry, and a flash of light flashed in his gray eyes.
At this time, the auxiliary soldiers of each battalion had been dispatched to spread straw under the bridge to prevent the marchers from slipping.
The remaining two thousand cavalry on the west bank roared across the glacier to reinforce the cavalry battalion brothers on the east bank.
Explosive cracks from two miles away rushed towards this direction, and the ice completely shattered in just a blink of an eye.
"My general ordered the soldiers of each battalion to speed up and throw all the baggage, food, grass, and artillery on the west bank. They are not allowed to take them with them! Within half an hour, the whole army will cross the river!"
Deng Changxiong felt something was wrong and persuaded in a low voice:
"General Liu, the food, grass and artillery are fine. The food is already insufficient. If..."
Liu Zhaosun interrupted him and said:
"Tell the whole army that if you don't win today, you will die. Food is reserved for the living. I will win if I open the original army."
After Liu Zhaosun finished speaking, he raised his head and looked at Deng Changxiong, looking at this calm general.
"Mr. Deng Qian, you lead a thousand soldiers and stay on the west bank to guard against Zu Dashou's sneak attack."
At this time, crossing the river had a narrow escape. When Deng Changxiong saw this arrangement, he knew that Marquis Pingliao wanted to leave some blood to the Kaiyuan Army. He was an old man who had followed Liu Zhaosun for two years. Of course he did not want to live at the last moment. His face turned red and he said loudly:
"Master Liu, I, Deng Changxiong, am a rough man and I can't tell the truth. I have never obeyed anyone in my life, so I will obey you, sir. Since I followed you, we have never lost a battle! During the Saarhu period, Juniper died. Li Rubai escaped. A group of our defeated soldiers followed you to raise the blue flag at Hunjiang River. We won! Ten thousand people with four Tatar banners besieged Kaiyuan. We were crippled by us. In the bloody battle at Hunhe River, you killed all the slave chiefs. , this time, we can still win! The general does not want to stay on the west bank, and he will die with my soldiers!"
Liu Zhaosun was silent for a moment, gritted his teeth and said:
"Then follow me across the river and fight to the death with Huang Taiji!"
Kang Yingqian raised his whip and wanted to follow Ping Liaohou across the river.
Even if the entire army is destroyed and Liu Zhaosun dies in Liaodong, he will never fall into the hands of the factory guards.
Liu Zhaosun looked around and saw that Kang Yingqian had already put on armor and had a big bow on his back. Liu Zhaosun was stunned for a moment.
I have never seen Kang Jianjun so bloody and brave:
"Kang Supervisor, you stay on the west bank to supervise the battle. These soldiers also need to be commanded to prevent Liao Town from attacking us. If the army on the east bank is destroyed, you will take them back to Kaiyuan and protect Mrs. Gaoming when she goes to Tianjin. Lord Yang may be able to protect us. Your life!"
Kang Yingqian shook his head and said with a smile:
"If you all die, what's the point of living as a bad old man like me!"
"Don't worry, Mr. Liu. I'm a skilled archer and horseman. I was on the coastal defense road in Dengzhou twenty years ago and defeated Japanese pirates with my own hands. Now I'm old and can't fight at close range. I'll stand behind the formation and help you shoot a few Tatars. I'm not here." By the way! Now Yang Hao can't protect himself, and the same goes for Madam Gaoming and General Anyuan. At this time, Mr. Liu will no longer take into account the love between his children and fight with all his strength. If we are defeated today, you, me, this army of tens of thousands, how can we still survive? Yang Hao, Yang Qing'er, and Jin Yuji will all die without a burial place!"
Liu Zhaosun was silent after hearing this, and Kang Yinggan stabbed the horse in the butt. The horse felt pain in the crotch, neighed, jumped on the ice, and ran towards the east bank.
Liu Zhaosun nodded to the general flag captains and rode towards the east bank.
Mountains of baggage, grain, fodder and infantry field artillery were abandoned on the west bank. Two thousand headquarters each assigned 500 soldiers to guard them. The cavalry battalion left five hundred cavalrymen spread out in a ten-mile radius on guard.
Liu Zhaosun's back was straight. On the left were the auxiliary soldiers who were busy repairing the bridge. On the right was an endless team of soldiers. From further away, the sound of cracking ice could be heard.
The fierce cold wind swept across the river, and Liu Zhao and Sun Tieqing's expressions became even more murderous.
Before the main force of Hou Jin appeared, more than half of the 5000 headquarters had been lost. In addition to the cavalry auxiliary fire gun soldiers drawn from various departments, the Kaiyuan army that had just fallen into Suzi River had at least 1,500 people. They were all wearing heavy armor. Unable to swim to the shore, and falling into the water during the twelfth lunar month in Liaodong, there was basically no chance of survival.
Liu Zhaosun looked back at the endless ranks of soldiers on the ice. Tens of thousands of troops were scattered on the river, like several giant snakes crawling. The snake's head was on the east bank, but its belly was still on the west bank. First, The 2000 Headquarters is the essence of the Kaiyuan Army, but now it is really walking on thin ice. The ice may break at any time, and I don't know how many people will die by then.
These veterans were elites who had experienced several battles, and Liu Zhaosun did not want them to drown in the river like this.
“The Tatars burned the bridge!”
Liu Zhaosun retracted his thoughts and looked up towards Suzi Bridge. The bridge pier on the other side was covered in raging fire. The cavalry who had rushed over wildly waved their swords and slashed from behind the coated soldiers who were setting fire.
These sporadic cavalrymen quickly turned back, and the commander blew a rapid whistle, asking the cavalrymen who had just landed to assemble quickly.
The thousand cavalry who landed early were attacked intensively by Hou Jin's gunners. The original strict cavalry array had disappeared. The wall charge line was riddled with holes. More than 300 cavalry were lost, and the remaining six were left behind. More than a hundred riders, far away from the city wall, cruised around the four gates of Hetuala in a wandering state.
The cavalry who lost their formation were like meat on the chopping board, ready to be slaughtered by others.
Liu Zhaosun couldn't bear to see the miserable condition of this cavalry. He was about to turn his head to look at the artillery across the river, when he suddenly felt the ice beneath his feet trembling slightly. He thought something was going to happen, but he didn't expect the crack to spread so quickly. Looking towards the surrounding river, there was no change in the surrounding ice. At this time, the rumble of hoofbeats came from the east bank.
Haven't the cavalry dispersed?
While he was surprised, he heard the soldier next to him scream:
"The Tatar cavalry is out!"
The four doors of Hetuala were opened at the same time, the suspension bridge was slowly lowered, and the neatly arranged Houjin cavalry was dispatched at the same time.
Amidst the low sound of conch trumpets, thousands of cavalrymen with red flags on their backs, under the cover of fire cannon soldiers, quickly formed an array in front of the moat. They endured the limited damage from the Kaiyuan Army's artillery. When the array was completed, they immediately Launch a charge.
Of the thousand cavalrymen who crossed the river in the cavalry camp, only 500 were still able to fight.
The original organization was completely disrupted. Only one of the three generals died, and half of the flag captains died.
Feng He stood in front of the five hundred elite cavalry. In the distance, two red flag men and horses lined up, the conch trumpet sounded, and countless fluttering red flags merged into a sea of blood, which was about to engulf the Kaiyuan cavalry.
Feng He pointed behind him. On the river bank a mile away, under the control of the artillery across the river, the artillery roared angrily without stopping for a moment.
The four-pounder gun smashed into the formation of two Red Banner cavalry, causing horrific damage.
The eight-pounder gun was still bombarding the west gate of Hetuala unremittingly, providing artillery support for the remaining soldiers approaching the city wall.
Feng He pointed at the puppet-like artillery and said hoarsely:
"Our cavalry battalion has never been defeated. Today's battle is like this. Our life is not our life, but theirs is! The target of the Tatars is not the soldiers attacking the city in front, but the artillery! If they let them occupy Artillery, Kaiyuan Army will be finished!"
After General Feng finished speaking, he tremblingly raised his bloody flag gun and pointed it diagonally at the approaching Houjin cavalry formation three miles away. He shouted desperately and excitedly:
"Cavalry battalion, charge!"
At the same time, the west gate of Hetuala suddenly opened. The Zhenyi soldiers with two yellow flags and two red flags formed a strict queue. The sword and shield bearers put up long shields in front of them, the spearmen and the sword bearers were in the middle, and the archers fired from behind. , and ran head-on into the remnant soldiers of the 5000th headquarters who were attacking the city outside the moat.
7017k
