Lingzhou, an important town in the Western Xia Dynasty, is known as the "East and West Capital" together with the capital Xingqing Prefecture. It is the southern barrier of Zhongxing Prefecture and its geographical location is extremely important.
During the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Li Heng, Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty, ascended the throne in Lingzhou, Ningxia, thus establishing the resurgence period of the Tang Dynasty. Lingzhou City, located in a corner, became the largest military town in the Tang Dynasty and the political and military center of the Tang Dynasty during the counter-insurgency period. .
In March of the fifth year of Xianping in the Song Dynasty, Lingzhou City was captured by Li Jiqian, the leader of the party, and became the center of the Xixia separatist regime. It was renamed "Xiping Mansion". Later, Xiping Prefecture was renamed Lingzhou, and the Xixia Xiangqing Military Division was set up in Lingzhou, with 50,000 troops stationed to ensure the safety of Xingqing Prefecture, the capital.
For the invincible Mongolian army, if they want to capture Zhongxingfu, the capital of Xixia, they must first capture Lingzhou.
The Lingzhou city wall and the south city gate tower were steaming with steam, but Li Deren, the deposed prince of Xixia and Lingzhou guard general, ignored them and stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the distant sky with his brows furrowed.
She has a slender figure, a white cross-collar satin dress, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a Chinese character face. If it were not for the bald hair, she could be said to have a Xixia appearance.
As the eldest son of Emperor Shenzong of Xixia, Li Zunxu, and the former crown prince of Xixia, Li Deren's heart felt like a huge stone was pressing down on him, making him unable to breathe.
In the second year of the Xixia Emperor's reign, Li Deren's father Li Zunxu became the emperor of Xixia. As the eldest son, Li Deren naturally became the prince of Xixia.
In the seventh year of Guangding reign in Xixia, the Mongolian army, led by general Mu Huali, conquered Xixia for the fourth time. They conquered all the way and soon arrived at Zhongxingfu, the capital of Xixia.
The Western Xia Emperor Li Zunxu was afraid of the Mongolian power and looked for an opportunity to escape. Prince Li Deren took the initiative to send an envoy to the Mongolian army to plead guilty. The Mongolian army was unable to capture Zhongxing Mansion for a while and then withdrew.
Because Xixia was attached to Mongolia, it sent troops every year to cooperate with its operations and provide food and grass. As a result, Xixia's national power declined rapidly and its elite troops were lost. Li Deren opposed "affiliating Mongolia and cutting down gold" and hoped to "alliance with gold to fight against Mongolia" and get rid of Mongolia's oppression of Xixia. He was deposed by his father, Emperor Li Zunxu of Xixia, and was imprisoned in Lingzhou.
Li Zunxu abdicated under the pressure of Genghis Khan and passed the throne to his second son Li Dewang. Genghis Khan used Xixia's delay in accepting hostages as an excuse. In the spring of the fourth year of Qianding in Xixia, he personally led an army of 100,000 to attack Xixia for the sixth time.
Li Dewang took office, lifted his brother Li Deren from prison, and asked him to guard Lingzhou, hoping that the brothers would work together to fight the national crisis.
But the military news coming from the front was, without exception, bad news of defeat.
In February of the fourth year of Qianding in Xixia, the Mongolian East Route Army first defeated the Xixia military towns of Heishui, Wulahai and other cities; in April, the Mongolian general Adachi led the West Route Army to conquer Shazhou; in May, the Mongolian West Route Army The troops went south and successively captured Suzhou, Ganzhou and Xiliang Prefecture.
At this point, almost all of the Hexi region on Xixia's right arm was lost.
Misfortunes never come singly, the Mongolian army was invincible, and Xia City was lost one after another. In the same month, the Supreme Emperor Li Zunxu died of illness, and he was posthumously named the English Emperor. In the past July, the Western Xia Emperor Li Dewang became ill due to worry and also died of illness. His temple name was Xianzong. After Li Dewang's death, his adult nephew Li Sui was promoted to the throne and changed to Yuan Baoyi.
Can Baoyi retain the loyalty in the hearts of Xixia scholars and people? Can the Tatar army of the tiger and wolf army have "righteousness" in their hearts?
In August, just now, the Mongolian armies from the east and the west advanced towards Zhongxingfu, the capital of Xixia. The Western Route Army crossed Shatuo, seized Jiudu of the Yellow River, and captured Yingli. The Eastern Route Army attacked Xiazhou with eager eyes. Once Xiazhou is captured and the Mongolian armies from the east and west are attacked, a pincer-like offensive will be formed against Xixia's political and economic center, Xingxing area.
Only the land of Xingling is left, and they can only hold on and have no power to fight back. Xixia is in danger and has reached the edge of national subjugation.
The Mongol army is pressing down on the country and the building is about to collapse. As a descendant of the Xixia royal family, will he give in?
The corners of Li Deren's mouth raised slightly and he sneered softly.
Go to hell with Niang for being greedy for life and afraid of death, kneeling down and begging for mercy!
I wasn’t afraid before, and I’m certainly not afraid today.
Looking at the Xixia people in ragged clothes, sallow faces and skinny muscles in the city, Li Deren secretly shook his head.
I feel sorry for these innocent Xixia people.
"Ye Limou, do you feel that there are fewer and fewer people fleeing to Lingzhou City now?"
Looking at the city gate, Li Deren's brows knitted into knots again.
There were only a few people at the gate of the city, with their families and mules and horses carrying grain blankets. Many of them were sallow and thin.
Needless to say, these people are all survivors of the Mongolian army's plunder.
"Your Highness, there is nothing strange about this. The Tatar cavalry came and went like the wind. All the people in the distance were killed, so naturally no one fled to Lingzhou City."
Yelimou glanced outside the city and said casually.
What Ye Limo didn't know was that Subutai, the most powerful Mongolian general, had just conquered Jiudu of the Yellow River. Along the river, the Mongolian army stationed in Yanzhou River was searching and killing people from all sides. The people of Xixia fled into the mountains one after another, digging through the earth and rocks to avoid them. , there are only one or two survivors, the wilderness is covered with bones, and the ground is almost bare for thousands of miles. Naturally, there were very few people who could escape from the Mongolian cavalry.
"Ye Limou, let me tell you, it's not easy for people to live, so don't make any decisions about them. Otherwise, I'll skin you!"
Li Deren looked at Ye Limo with a flash of light in his eyes.
"Your Highness, I understand, I understand!"
Ye Limo's face turned red, he was frightened, and he quickly apologized with a smile.
This deposed prince has no eyes for him, but he is a ruthless character.
Li Deren glanced at Ye Limou and withdrew his cold eyes.
These city gate officials extort money, line their own pockets, and prey on the common people.
Corruption of officials and public bribery may be another reason for the decline of Xixia.
"Your Highness, go back. It's too hot here, be careful of the Crown Prince!"
Seeing Li Deren frowning, Ye Limou persuaded him in a low voice.
"Zhong'er, are you afraid of the heat?"
Li Deren asked about his young son Li Weizhong.
"Dad, I'm not hot. The soldiers are on duty on the city wall, they are working hard."
Although he is only seven years old, Li Weizhong is young and mature, without any ignorance or immaturity of a teenager.
Li Deren laughed softly, feeling proud of his son's sensibleness. He nodded, and then asked warmly:
"Zhong'er, the Tatar army is about to approach the city, and they will attack Lingzhou City. Are you afraid?"
"Dad, I'm not afraid. If Lingzhou City is gone, I will never survive!"
Li Weizhong's voice is childish, but impassioned.
Historically, when the Mongolian army attacked Lingzhou City, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Li Deren and his son Li Weizhong were captured by the Mongolian army. Li Deren was killed, and Li Weizhong, who was only 7 years old, also prayed for a quick death. Genghis Khan's younger brother Hesar adopted him. Li Weizhong and his son Li Heng conquered east and west under Kublai Khan, and became the pawns of the Yuan army.
"Okay! Sacrifice yourself to go to the national disaster, and look forward to death as if you are home. May God bless Daxia, and God bless my Lingzhou City!"
Li Deren raised his head and his eyes became sharp again.
No matter how ferocious and brutal the Mongolian army is, they are just ordinary people. If they are cut with a knife, their heads will fall to the ground. If they want to capture Lingzhou City, let them trade their heads for it.
"Dad, I heard that the Tatar army has captured Hexi, and the Xia soldiers in Liangzhou City surrendered to them. Why are they so spineless? Also, after so long, why haven't the Tatar army attacked Lingzhou City yet? ?”
Li Weizhong asked curiously again.
"Some people are afraid of death. If you have milk, you will be your mother. The Tatars come from a bitter cold land and are most afraid of the heat. They are resting now. If it comes in autumn or winter, they will come to attack Lingzhou City."
Li Deren said, feeling slightly uneasy.
In winter, when the Yellow River freezes, the Mongolian army will easily cross the Yellow River and form a pincer attack on Lingzhou City.
"Your Highness, your lips are broken and your teeth are cold. Isn't Jinxia a country of brothers? Why doesn't the Jin Kingdom send troops to save us?"
Yeli Mou was young and asked in confusion.
"The Jin Dynasty was afraid of offending Genghis Khan, so they dared to come to reinforce us? We Xia people can't rely on anyone, so we can only save ourselves!"
Li Deren sneered, but his eyes were full of helplessness.
Having said that, is it easier said than done? How long can Lingzhou City be defended without foreign aid?
The Mongolian army pressed on the border. This time, it was clear that they wanted to destroy Xixia. With the Mongolian cavalry having strong troops and strong horses, Lingzhou City may not be optimistic if it wants to survive.
"Your Highness, the Tatars only have an army of 100,000 people. Our Lingzhou City also has 20,000 soldiers, plus tens of thousands of civilians. Can we still defend the city against the Tatar cavalry?"
Ye Limou, like the curious Li Weizhong, asked again.
Defending the city, a hundred thousand Mongolian troops seemed to have nothing to fear.
"You know about extortion all day long. What do you know? Do you think the Tatar army can only ride horses and shoot arrows?"
At some point, Ning Zining, the magistrate of Lingzhou, climbed onto the city wall. He saluted Li Deren and looked at Ye Limou with disdain.
"The Tatar army has a lot of craftsmen, including Han Chinese, Western Regions people, and cannibals. They specialize in making siege equipment such as trebuchets and ballistae. Every time they attack the city, hundreds of stones fall from the sky. , the city wall was smashed down, and the defenders were killed because there was no way to escape, and then there was an endless rain of arrows from the Tatars. Finally, the city was attacked, and the ones who attacked the city were all Han troops."
Ning Zining was once the envoy of the Xixia Privy Council. He had personally fought with the Jin Kingdom and Mongolia, and had rich battlefield experience.
Li Deren nodded and agreed with Ning Zining's conclusion.
The reason why the Mongolian army was able to dominate the world was certainly not as simple as just riding and shooting in the field. In order to meet the needs of siege, Genghis Khan established an artillery army, and siege the city with artillery and stone as the first priority. In every siege, hundreds of cannons were used at one time, and the city was quickly broken.
If the Mongolian army did not have trebuchets, Li Deren's confidence in Lingzhou City would be greatly enhanced.
"Ms. Ning, don't we have bed crossbows and divine arm bows? Can't we deal with the trebuchet?"
Ye Limou asked again with an apologetic smile on his face.
"The trebuchet has a baffle, which can withstand crossbow fire, and has a farther range than the God's Arm Bow. There are hundreds of trebuchets in the Tatar army. On our four walls, there are only a hundred or ten ballistas and God's Arm Bows. With thirty or forty troops on each wall, how can we compete with the Tatars? At that time, a fierce battle is inevitable, and it depends on whether luck is on our side."
Li Deren frowned and then spoke.
I heard that the city wall of Ganzhou City was collapsed by the Mongolian army's trebuchet, and the same was true of Yanjing City. The city walls in Lingzhou are not necessarily thicker than those in Ganzhou and Taiyuan.
If there is a way to destroy the Mongolian army's trebuchet, the hope of Lingzhou City being defended will be much greater.
However, it is not so easy to destroy the Mongolian army's trebuchet!
