Looking at Qilian immediately, there are strange peaks reaching into the sky. Walking west to pick up Jiayu, there are no clear clouds.
Suzhou is located in the north of the Qilian Mountains in the Hexi Corridor, adjacent to Jiayuguan Pass to the west and Ganzhou to the east. Mountains rise one after another to the southeast, with green grass at the foot of the mountain, rippling lakes, abundant water and grass, and flat terrain. It is a natural farming and animal husbandry resort in the Hexi Corridor.
The sun rises again one day, and the spring morning light fills the inside and outside of Suzhou City, benefiting all things in the world. As the sun rises in the east, the sky becomes clear. Outside the city walls, all the devastation and ugliness appear clearly to the world, making the endless grasslands and the rolling Qilian Mountains lose their vitality.
The city walls were smoky and shabby, and the city walls were in dilapidated condition. There are piles of corpses under the city wall, broken arms and legs can be seen everywhere, swords, guns, feathers and arrows, rolling stones and trees, scattered cars and broken flags, and scattered at the foot of the city wall.
Looking outside again, there are many horse heads and numerous camps, extending far to the Shule River. Countless horses are drinking by the river, countless Mongolian troops are fetching water from the river, smoke is curling up, and huge trebuchets and ballistae are bathed in the water. In the sunshine, the early morning silence was broken by the sound of horses neighing and people shouting.
On the official road, by the river, in the grass, and on the wasteland, corpses and blood were everywhere, including men, women, children, soldiers and civilians. The wheat in the fields is left to be chewed by horses and trampled by people. There is no hope for this year's harvest.
In the main camp of the Mongolian army, a group of Mongolian generals were looking towards the top of Suzhou City, pointing and discussing countermeasures.
Atachi, the commander-in-chief of the Mongolian West Route Army, was in his forties, short and capable, full of violence, and his small eyes were staring straight at the head of Suzhou City with a cold light.
After attacking the city intermittently for two or three days, thousands of soldiers were killed or wounded. The Xia army in Suzhou City did not seem to have any intention of surrendering to the city.
Since Genghis Khan unified the Mongolian grasslands, his Mongolian army has conquered Xixia five times. Strategically, they have mainly attacked Xixia from the Hexi Corridor. This time Genghis Khan used troops against Xixia. The east and west armies attacked simultaneously. The west army still marched from the Hexi Corridor. They first eliminated the Hexi flank of Xixia, and then besieged the Xixia Xingling heartland.
The Mongolian east-route army commanded by Genghis Khan broke through Blackwater City and went straight to the Keyimen Xia army camp in Helan Mountain. The armies from the east and west marched together, vowing to destroy Xixia.
From far to near, first weak and then strong, first remove the wings, then attack the heart, divide and surround, and annihilate each one. However, the military offensive of the Mongolian West Route Army in the Hexi Corridor did not seem to go well.
The Hexi Corridor, from northwest to southeast, includes Guazhou, Shazhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Liangzhou. Except for Guazhou and Shazhou City, which have small numbers of soldiers, the other three big cities are not easy to attack, especially Ganzhou and Liangzhou. The strong pond is thick and there are more than ten thousand troops stationed there, all of whom are strong-willed.
But what the Mongolian generals did not expect was that the attack on Suzhou would not be easy.
"Xili Qianbu, why is there still no movement in the city? Your brother is over there at Lisha, isn't he pretending to surrender?"
Adachi's eyes glanced at Xixia's general, now the Mongolian Qianhu Xili Qianbu.
Suzhou garrison Julisha was the brother of Qianhu Xili Qianbu in Mongolia. The day before yesterday, he sent a letter to the Mongolian army outside the city, saying that he would open the city gate and surrender. However, nothing happened as the night passed, causing the Mongolian army to spend the whole night in vain.
"Marshal, the city gate is not open. I'm afraid my brother's life is in danger."
Xili Qianbu had a frown on his face, his eyes never leaving the city.
Adachi frowned and refrained from saying anything.
A few months ago, the Mongolian West Route Army entered the Hexi Corridor from Yumen Pass. When Atachi led his army to attack Shazhou, he first sent Kudu Temur and Xiliqian tribe to appease them. Ji Lasiyi, the Xia army's garrison general, pretended to surrender and set up an ambush attack. The Mongolian army suffered many casualties and Adachi was almost captured. If it weren't for Xili Qianbu's desperate rescue, Adachi would have already met the King of Hell.
It is precisely because of this that the cold and courageous Atachi did not blame Xili Qianbu.
"Xili Qianbu, don't worry. When Suzhou City surrenders, your brother Julisha will be Suzhou's Daru Huachi."
Uighur also protects Balshu, the godson of Mongolian Khan Genghis Khan, said with a smile.
The Uighurs were the Xizhou Uighurs in the Tang Dynasty and the Gaochang Uighurs in the Song Dynasty. They were attached to the Western Liao Dynasty before surrendering to Genghis Khan, and governed most of the Western Regions.
In 1209 AD, Baershu, the governor of Yidu, saw the decline of Western Liao and killed the young eunuch of Liao and defected to Mongolia. In 1211, he met the Mongolian Khan Temujin and was granted a marriage. He changed his country from Gaochang Uighur to Uighur and enjoyed the treatment of his fifth son.
Since the Gaochang Uighurs were the first of several ethnic groups in the country to surrender to Temujin, they received preferential treatment. The treatment of the Gaochang Uighurs has always been better than that of other countries.
But Baershu is a typical "wife-controller". Due to his wife's opposition, although Genghis Khan gave him his daughter as his wife, the Mongolian princess stayed in the Mongolian grasslands and failed to marry Baershu. Gao Changguo.
Atachi nodded and turned to Chahan, Genghis Khan's other adopted son.
"Chahan, after taking Suzhou, it's up to you whether Ganzhou can persuade them to surrender."
Chahan was also from Xixia. He traveled to the grasslands in his early years. Because of his strength and bravery, he was adopted as an adopted son by Genghis Khan. Now he is also a member of the army.
Qu Yeqonglu, the guard general of Ganzhou, was Chahan's father. Although father and son rarely met each other, they often exchanged letters and their relationship was not bad. When the Mongolian army flooded Zhongxing Mansion, it was also Qu Yeqiulu who was ordered to go to the grasslands to sue Genghis Khan for peace. The two sides have a long history. .
"Adachi, I'm afraid it's not that simple. Ganzhou City's deputy general Achuo is a ruthless man and has great prestige in the army. It may not be easy to persuade him to surrender."
Chahan shook his head and seemed to lack confidence in persuading Ganzhou to surrender.
"What are you doing to persuade them to surrender? Just attack the city directly! There are trebuchets and ballistae, whether it is Suzhou or Ganzhou, they have all been destroyed by him!"
"That's right! There is also Liangzhou. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed by him like Guazhou and Shazhou! The Great Khan is still waiting to destroy Zhongxing Mansion, so we can't delay any longer!"
The fierce generals at Zhu'er and Zhenhai seemed disapproving of the persuasion to surrender.
Since Chahan was a Xixia native in the army, the Mongolian army always tried to persuade them to surrender. The Battle of Shazhou was a lesson. It would be better to launch a massive attack and attack the city directly.
With the Mongolian army's current siege capabilities, why should they fear Suzhou?
"What the hell do you know? Do you think you can take down big cities like Hexi in a day or two just by talking?"
Atachi glanced dissatisfied at the few proud soldiers.
If these large cities in the west of Hexi, as well as the surrounding fortresses, are attacked by force, it will probably be difficult to defeat them within two or three months.
Since this expedition, Khan's body seems to be much worse than before. If these cities in Hexi could be captured earlier, the Great Khan might be able to go back to recuperate earlier.
"The Great Khan has sworn to destroy the Tang Wu Ti Kingdom, and the land of Xingling is the Great Khan's hatred. For these cities in Hexi, try to persuade them to surrender as much as possible. If they don't understand, it will not be too late to destroy the city again."
Another Khitan civil servant, Bijachi, joined Zhongshan and agreed with the coach Atachi's idea.
Bichachi means the clerk in the army, in charge of documents and other matters. Nianhe Chongshan, like another army member, Bicha Chiyelu Chucai, was a general who had been surrendered by the Jin Dynasty. He was quite favored among the Mongolian army where civilian officials were scarce.
Adachi nodded proudly and instantly became proud again.
"As long as the Tangwuti people in Hexi surrender, I will forgive you..."
Before Adachi finished speaking, war drums suddenly sounded on the Suzhou city wall, and groups of Xia soldiers followed them up the city wall, and soon the battlements were covered with walls. The Xia soldiers stood solemnly, holding spears and bows.
Everyone looked at the top of the city attentively, and saw a group of Xia army generals coming up to the top of the city. Xi Liqian separated from the crowd and took a few steps forward to look at the top of the city, but did not see the figure of his brother Li Lisha.
Xi Liqianbu couldn't wait to get on his horse, and he drove his horse to the moat and shouted towards the city.
"Where is my eldest brother Julisha? Where is he?"
"Ji Lisha, he will come to see you right away!"
The Xia army general at the top of the city sneered and waved his hand. Several Xia troops moved away from the city wall, and several other Xia troops came up and hung the corpses one by one on the city wall.
"Lift the sand!"
When Xi Li looked carefully at his forehead, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
Among the dozen corpses hanging on the city wall, his brother Julisha and his family were clearly visible.
"Listen up to the Tatar army outside the city! As a minister of Xia, Julisha conspired to cause chaos and sacrificed the city to betray the country. Now he has been executed. The Tatars invaded our country, killed our people, and raped our women. Those who plunder my property are worse than animals. All my people in Daxia swear to fight the Tatars to the end!"
The generals of the Xia army at the top of the city shouted loudly and impassionedly. Xili felt ashamed and painful, so he rode back to the formation.
Adachi looked at the city wall and snorted coldly.
"Send the order and prepare to attack the city."
At this point, the only option is to attack by force.
The generals were speechless for a moment, and glanced towards the east. Smoke and dust were flying, and dozens of horses came from the dust, and soon they arrived in front of the Mongolian army's formation.
Adachi and others saw it clearly and were all surprised.
The rangers who came were actually the scouts of the Mongolian east-route army commanded by the Great Khan Genghis Khan.
"Adachi, the Great Khan has an order. If Suzhou does not surrender, attack the city immediately and do not seal the sword for seven days after the city is broken!"
"Where is the Great Khan now?"
Atachi couldn't help but feel refreshed.
"The Great Khan led his army to seize Heishui City, and defeated the Tang Wuti army in Helan Mountain. He dared not kill Ah Sha, but he arrived in Suzhou in just a few days!"
After the scout finished speaking, he rode away. Atachi and others were excited.
"The Great Khan's military order is passed down. The first person to enter the city will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold and ten slaves! After the city is broken, the sword will not be sealed for seven days!"
Atachi did not hesitate and immediately issued the military order.
In the Mongolian formation, drums and horns sounded, countless trebuchets were pushed out, countless Mongolian troops carried ladders, and countless Mongolian troops armed with swords, guns, horns and bows came out of the formation to assemble.
Chahan was frightened and sighed secretly. The two Mongolian armies are about to join forces. With the strength and killing power of 100,000 Mongolian troops, the weak Suzhou City may not be able to escape.
In the next Ganzhou City, will the Xia army resist stubbornly? Will it be the same as Suzhou City, which will inevitably lead to a catastrophe?
And Hexi and Xixia, are they not immune to this catastrophe?
