While Lian Cheng's troops were destroying the city, the 30,000-strong east-route coalition army led by Li Tong and Zhang Yuan also won a complete victory near Jinzhou City in Xiaquyang, Hebei.
Early the next morning, the Chinese army headquarters in Haocheng received news from Handan that Qi and Chu declared war on Qin... Wei and Han were naturally unfortunately involved.
After Zhao Yong discussed with the generals, he ordered Lian Cheng's troops to repair in place for three days and immediately launched an attack on Yuanshi and Fenglong. And he himself led the crowd towards the front of the east battlefield.
Originally, Zhao State planned to place the main offensive route on the west side of the Taihang Mountains, but looking at the current situation, Zhao State obviously does not need to worry too much about Qi State.
If the Zhao army launches an attack from the eastern plains to the west, it will be more conducive to the annihilation operation of mobile cavalry.
…In early May, good news came like snowflakes.
Zhang Wu's troops under General Hussar made another great contribution, defeating the 10,000 Zhongshan reinforcements from the north bank of Hutuo with 800 losses and 300 injuries.
The Niuzan tribe on the east road also successfully captured the last barrier of Xiyang City, southwest of Gaocheng in Hebei Province, Yi'an after more than a month of siege.
So Zhao Yong led the Chinese army headquarters and began to approach Xiaquyang, which was near the Hutuoshui River.
...The new Chinese army camp was not set up in Xiaquyang City for safety reasons, but in a manor built among fertile fields. Zhao Jun 'expropriated' the manor and expelled the nearby tenants.
This place is located at the intersection of Xiaquyang, Songzi, and Yi'an, so it is quite convenient to spread military information. I don’t know if the slave owner of the manor ran away or was condemned to the hinterland.
There are various flowers, plants and some vegetables planted in the yard. There is a comfortable bed in the living room, as well as kitchen utensils and food. The soldiers of the personal guard came in to check it out, and Zhao Yong moved in directly.
The several Kantu maps were already hung on the walls of the lobby. The one in the middle used red lines to outline Zhao Jun's offensive route for more than a month.
The 30,000 infantry and chariot troops of the Eastern Route Army set out from Haocheng and headed north to capture Songzi, Yi'an, and Xiaquyang. Thirty thousand infantrymen of the West Route Army captured Yuanshi and Fenglong and then launched an attack on Shiyi.
The 20,000 cavalry are mainly used to harass, surprise, divide and block the enemy.
Today, most of the eleven cities on the south bank of Hutuo in Zhongshan have been occupied by Zhao.
The battle situation was as originally expected, without much hindrance.
While Zhao Yong was deep in thought, the guard outside the house suddenly knocked on the door: "Your Majesty, General Li Tong wants to see you."
Zhao Yong was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "Xuan."
When Li Tong entered the room, the palace servants had already prepared tea.
Li Tong stepped forward and paid homage: "Our army has surrounded Xiyang City and cannot continue to advance north for the time being. I will leave Zhang Yuan in the army and rush back to the central army alone to report the military situation to the king."
Zhao Yong pointed to the tables on one side and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, sir. Let's sit down and have a sip of tea first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Tong quickly bowed and bowed.
As the commander of the East Road, Li Tong did not write a memorial this time, but returned directly to the Chinese Army in person. It should be that the military information he wanted to report was a bit complicated and important.
Sure enough, Li Tong took a sip of tea and pondered for a long time before he slowly said: "I initially thought that the Zhongshan Kingdom was afraid of our strong Zhao army and abandoned the cities on the south bank of the Hutuo River. However, according to the Zhongshan officials who took the initiative to surrender, Zhongshan The army has gathered all its forces in several large cities on the banks of the Tuoshui River in Linhu. At first, I did not dare to believe it completely, but later I dispatched scouts to investigate many times, which proved that this statement was true."
Li Tong continued: "The Zhongshan Army knew that it could not defeat our Zhao Army in the field, so it built a defense line connecting the north bank with the Hutuo River and several important towns along the river bank. It is said that Donghuan and Fanwu were the two frontiers. There are as many as one hundred thousand troops garrisoned in the great city of Water.”
When the fight reached this point, the Zhongshan Kingdom did not condemn the envoys to cede territory and seek peace, which meant that the King of Zhongshan still wanted to compete with the Zhao Kingdom.
It was really smooth ahead.
But saying that Zhongshan can mobilize 100,000 troops to deploy to the southern front? That is undoubtedly an exaggeration. Is it possible that the Yan State on the eastern front should no longer be on guard? Qi State no longer needs to be on guard? According to reports over the years, the total population of Zhongshan Kingdom should be less than one million.
But it should be true to gather troops in one place.
Zhao Yong placed a Kan map on the desk, dipped his brush in ink, and based on Li Tong's intelligence, outlined the Zhongshan Army's defense line. After looking at it for a moment, he nodded and said, "Now that the general strategy of the Zhongshan Army has gradually become clear, I can rest assured."
Li Tong continued: "How many wooden piles and bamboo poles have been placed along the Hutuo River, and Zhongshan's naval forces are fortified in the north and south."
Zhao Yong pondered for a moment. According to reports from spies from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Jiumen and Quanyi on the north bank of the Hutuo River have been frequently mobilized recently, and these two cities are the bridgeheads guarding the north bank. Now the Zhongshan Army has set up obstacles on the Hutuo River. It should be to prevent Zhao Jun from temporarily building ships and entering the Hutuo River to seize the water control rights of the Hutuo River.
The navy of Zhongshan Kingdom is not worth mentioning, but these obstacles are indeed insurmountable for Zhao Jun at this time. Because Zhao State did not use its navy at all in this battle, it was originally thought that if the war went smoothly, a dock would be built along the bank of the Hutuo River. But at this time...
Under normal circumstances, if Zhao Jun's warships want to enter the Hutuo River, they can only enter the Yellow River from the dock in Handan along the Fu River, and then divert to the Hutuo River. It's just that this season is the rainy season, and there are still certain risks for a warship with a low draft and sailing on a fast river.
Fortunately, the purpose of Zhao's war was not the land on the north bank of the Hutuo River.
Zhao Yong felt relieved immediately, and the strategic fog shrouding Zhongshan Kingdom seemed to be completely clear at this time. After learning the military information from Li Tong, he was able to make a clear judgment on the battle situation.
Zhongshan Kingdom's idea is just two words: defend and delay. Along the Hutuo River, guard the wider land in the north and guard the war potential of the north bank with a larger population and resources. They used big cities, rivers, and fortifications as barriers to delay the war, passively defending and waiting for Zhao's army to change.
Generally speaking, the Zhongshan Army's strategy is correct. Because Zhongshan and Zhao are no longer on the same level in terms of hard power, they can only pin their hopes on foreign aid.
When other countries react, they will definitely not watch Zhao Guo annex Zhongshan.
However, Zhongshan's biggest reliance now, the princes of various countries, are now in jail. How can they care about upholding justice?
Zhao Yong quickly made the final decision and immediately ordered Li Tong: "Immediately launch a general attack on Xiyang City. After taking Xiyang, immediately go west, bypass Donghuan, join Lian Cheng's troops, and jointly attack Manjia.”
"Here." Li Tong stood up and bowed, then left and returned to the front line.
Although Zhao State's intention in this battle is not on the north bank, since the Zhongshan Army has set up a defense line, if it wants to fully capture the southern border, it can only attack and break through the defense line. Although the Zhongshan Army was not good at defense, there was no need for the Zhao Army to forcefully attack Donghuan and Fanwu who guarded the river bank and had the largest number of troops. The outcome of this battle is almost certain.
After Li Tong retreated, Zhao Yong handed the silk letter he had written to the palace servants. The letter contained two simple sentences: Keep an eye on Fanwu and Donghuan, and never let anyone escape from the Zhongshan Army in these two cities.
"Send someone to deliver it to Lord Wu Yang."
"Here." The palace man took the book and left.
If it is difficult to attack the city, then force the opponent to fight in the field. The control of Hutuo River is now in the hands of the Zhongshan Kingdom. Zhao Yong does not believe that the Zhongshan King can watch Manjia fall.
…
…
Within a few days, the Chinese Army Headquarters received news from the West Route Army that the army had defeated Yuanshi, Fenglong and Shiyi, and was now besieging Manjia with all its strength.
Zhao Yong immediately led his troops to move the Chinese army again.
Once Xiyang and Fenglong were lost, the entire southern bank of the Zhongshan Army could be said to have collapsed. Manjia had become a virtual isolated city, and the long-awaited reinforcements had long been firmly blocked at the front line of the Hutuo River.
Manjia is located on the east line of the Taihang Mountains. Its city is built close to the mountain. It is similar to Fangfang City. The city is solid and heavily defended. At first glance, it looks like a tough nut to crack.
When Zhao Yong and his cavalry guards reached the front line, tens of thousands of troops had already launched an attack on Manjia City.
Above the battlefield, the originally clear sky had long been shrouded in smoky dust and smoke, as if clouds were pressing down on the ground. In the hazy smoke and dust, the soldiers' shouts and screams could be heard one after another.
Moats and other siege fortifications have been built outside Manjia City, and soldiers and craftsmen in the distance are still working hard to cut wood and build ladders.
A group of heavily armed cavalry, surrounded by Zhao Yong who was riding a green-maned horse, ran wantonly across the smoke-filled battlefield. He saw ladders set up everywhere outside the city wall, charging chariots, and countless infantrymen advancing continuously.
Zhao Jun has an absolute advantage in terms of numbers. Manjia City is just a small city tens of feet square. It is more like a larger square fortress than a city. Although many people moved inward in advance, according to the officials who surrendered, the number of soldiers and civilians in Manjia City at this time would never exceed 30,000.
Manjia City has only one gate, backed by the foothills, and its rammed earth wall is about two feet high. At this time, the three sides of the city wall were full of people, shouting and screaming. Soldiers Zhao, wearing iron helmets and holding shields, climbed up the ladder slowly and desperately. People were falling off the city wall all the time. There were soldiers from Zhao who were shot down on the ladder, and there were also soldiers from the Zhongshan garrison who were shot down by sharp crossbows and arrows from afar.
Zhao Yong did not interfere with the generals' siege tactics, he was just observing the progress of the siege.
However, his presence on the battlefield in person is a form of supervision for military commanders at all levels.
Manjia is the exit of Jingxing and the first line of defense to defend Jingxing. Only by capturing this city can Zhao Jun gain the advantage over the Jingxing passage.
Zhao Yong ignored the dissuasion of his own soldiers and generals and continued to patrol on horseback a hundred steps away from the city.
The battle was fierce, and the city walls were covered with blood mist.
The sun gradually set in the west, and the Zhao army's attack gradually weakened, so the generals ordered the troops to retreat.
On the dimmed earth, the air was filled with a thick fishy smell.
…
Early the next morning, Zhao Jun continued to attack the city.
'Bang bang bang...' The catapult in the distance sounded first, and then the bows, crossbows and sharp arrows covered the catapults and ladders to reach the city safely.
Facing the blood-red morning sun, the soldiers of Zhao Jun rushed towards the pitted city wall.
Zhao Yong rode out of the camp and still performed his supervisory duties. In terms of experience, he was not as good as Fei Yi and Li Tong and other veteran generals. He did not have to interfere in every place. He was just observing the battle situation everywhere and looking for this strong city. of weaknesses.
The Zhao army suffered considerable losses in the past few days. They attacked from the time the sun rose to sunset, and they did not stop at noon. The fighting intensity was very high, but the efficiency was also very high. Zhao Jun had attacked the city several times, although in the end they were forced back by the condescending Zhongshan Army.
Although Zhao Guo's injuries were serious, Zhongshan Army's injuries would definitely not be much smaller.
At dusk, Zhao Yong inspected Nancheng and suddenly saw more than a dozen soldiers on a ladder successfully climbing onto the city wall. Moreover, the Zhongshan Army did not seem to react at this time, and there were no reinforcements coming from a distance!
Zhao Yong immediately stopped where he was, pointed to the top of the city, and shouted to the guards around him: "Hurry up and deliver the order. Each of these troops will be rewarded with ten coins! The soldiers who go to the top of the city first will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins. I will be rewarded based on my merits and will be given heavy rewards. I will not be stingy with them! Go quickly!"
"Here!" Several mounted guards immediately left the team and rode forward to deliver the order loudly.
A military general in the distance suddenly shouted: "My sons, the king is watching us perform meritorious service here, follow me!"
"King for ten thousand years!"
"The Kingdom of Zhao lasts for ten thousand years!"
"kill!"
Dozens of horsemen rushed to the foot of the city wall, shouts and shouts arose. The generals took the lead with their round shields in hand, shouting and climbing up the ladder.
Swords and guns were waved on the city wall. On the edge of the city wall, a disheveled soldier with his helmet knocked off screamed and waved his sword and shield. His back was full of arrows. Generally, the first person to attack the city wall will have a narrow escape, because there are few people going up, and they will face the siege of the superior defenders.
What's more, usually when someone attacks the city, the defenders will desperately mobilize reinforcements to annihilate them. But the greater the danger, the greater the credit.
The fighting here stimulated the rest of the Zhao army. As time passed, more and more soldiers climbed onto the city wall.
...On the east wall, the Zhongshan garrison was obviously almost unable to withstand it. A Zhao sergeant received a sword on his armor and another shot in the side. However, he persisted and used his body to kill a soldier. The enemy soldiers fell to the ground and stabbed randomly with their swords.
The enemy soldiers were fighting in a melee while retreating to both sides, but still no reinforcements from the defenders came.
The general who first went to the city became more and more courageous as he fought. He led dozens of elite soldiers to fight from the south city to the east city with great ferocity. The scope of the melee on the city wall became wider and wider.
Suddenly, a hole seemed to open in the defense of the east city wall, and it was quickly torn open by the crowd in an instant, and more and more Zhao Jun soldiers climbed to the top of the city.
The generals shouted: "The king personally ordered that everyone who comes to the city will be rewarded! Kill!"
"kill!"
The Zhongshan Army's rebels were defeated on three sides, and the Zhao Army's soldiers were able to rush straight to the stone steps in the city. Some have already entered a nearby gate tower. There are also wooden ladders in the tower, and you can rush down directly to the city.
The city gate burst open, and the sound of horse hooves outside was like thunder.
