In the first year of Baoyi in Xixia, early November, Lingzhou City.
Snowflakes were flying and the cold wind was biting. In Lingzhou City, the teaching field was crowded with the people of Lingzhou who came to watch the new recruits train and braved the cold. There were men, women, old and young, both soldiers and civilians, wealthy businessmen, traders and lackeys, scholar-bureaucrats and military generals. Everyone has their eyes wide open and is full of interest.
These are their young soldiers, and they will go to the battlefield in a few days. Who knows how many of them will not come back alive.
Zhang Zhongxia was directing the training of new recruits. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the Xixia people who were watching densely on the sidelines. Their faces were sallow and skinny, and their clothes were in tatters. He couldn't help but feel sympathy.
In troubled times, human life is as cheap as a dog. If Lingzhou City is destroyed, who knows what the fate of these people will be?
At this moment, he forgot about his own safety.
A woman who was watching the training outside the coaching ground threw a handkerchief in, and it fell right at Zhang Zhongxia's feet.
"Whose handkerchief is this? Take it back quickly!"
Zhang Zhongxia picked up the handkerchief on the ground, came to the fence of the teaching field, raised the handkerchief in his hand, and asked loudly.
"Master, you are so strong! The handkerchief belongs to the slave family, so I gave it to you!"
The woman in the green robe was young and beautiful, her eyes were moving, and she shyly replied to Zhang Zhongxia, arousing the envious eyes of the onlookers.
"My dear, that's not possible! I have to go home and ask my wife if she is willing?"
Zhang Zhongxia said seriously and threw the handkerchief out.
"Official, you are so cruel! Isn't it okay for me to be my concubine?"
The woman's face turned red and she asked unwillingly.
"My dear lady, I'm just an ordinary general. My monthly salary is only 20 guan, and I can't afford to support two women. You'd better find a good family and don't delay yourself!"
Zhang Zhongxia smiled and was about to leave.
"Official, I will support you at no cost to you!"
The woman shouted unyieldingly, causing a burst of cheers from the people around her, who seemed to have her sights set on Zhang Zhongxia.
"Little lady, please support me. I will be good to you! I'm more handsome than a bearded man, so you can kill me!"
Among the people watching, a prodigal shouted loudly.
"That's right, little lady, I don't want you to support me. Follow me and I will never starve you!"
Another young man started to boo.
"Sir, tell me quickly, do you want me?"
The woman ignored the jokes of the libertines and remained unyielding to Zhang Zhongxia.
"No, no, no, I'll take care of myself!"
Zhang Zhongxia hurriedly fled, causing bursts of laughter from the onlookers.
This commanding officer is tall and mighty, but a little too shy.
Zhang Zhongxia returned to the front of the team and secretly shook his head.
He came to Xixia to defend the city, not to visit. Isn't it a joke to make him the son-in-law of Xixia?
At this time, he couldn't help but think of Li Siyu who was far away in the Lizhou frontier. Will she still wait for herself?
"Third brother, that little lady is nice, why don't you agree? At least, you can..."
Wang Gui came up and whispered enviously.
Zhang Zhongxia is tall and powerful. It seems that all women like this style. But I’m not bad at all, so why doesn’t anyone care about me?
"Wang Gui, have you forgotten what we are here for?"
Zhang Zhongxia didn't even look at Wang Gui and shook his head with emotion.
"The army is approaching, and you and I are uncertain whether we will live or die. In troubled times, the people are very precarious and very pitiful. It is better to guard Lingzhou City and try to protect the safety of the people. What are your and my brothers' origins? We died here because of the emperor's kindness. It is also worthy of your kindness."
Since September, the Mongolian army has been approaching Lingzhou City, with tens of thousands of troops intermittently. The war is about to break out, life or death is uncertain, but death must be repaid.
"Third brother is right. If you die in this battle in Lingzhou City, it will be considered as repaying your kindness!"
Wang Gui nodded and said calmly.
A lowly gangster from Lin'an City could be reused by the current emperor and it would be worth his life to call him "brother".
“Third brother, the food is not good here, and it’s very cold in winter!”
Wang Guihei's face was flushed, and his original white face was also full of weather.
"Be content. It's good for the people in the city to have food to eat!"
Zhang Zhongxia sighed again and changed the topic.
"Brother, don't you regret coming to Xixia?"
"I regret it so much! I don't care at all when the third brother is here and the brothers are together!"
The two looked at each other and both laughed.
Brothers in life and death, can we only share wealth and honor?
Zhang Zhongxia was about to walk away when suddenly the sound of drums sounded on the top of the city, and the sound of fighting continued. The entire teaching ground fell silent inside and outside.
Since the invasion of the Mongolian army in February of the first year of the year, they have been conquering cities and territories with overwhelming force, and the capital cities in various states in Xixia have continued to fall.
After the continuous losses of Heishui City, Hexi Shazhou, Xiliangfu, Ganzhou and other important towns, the Mongolian army crossed east from the Hexi Corridor to bypass the Yellow River, captured the Liupan Mountains of the Jin Kingdom, and captured Lanzhou and Huizhou in the Jin Kingdom. Among the important frontier towns of Zhou, Taozhou, and Hezhou, only Xinhuizhou City and Gongzhou were defended by the Jin army, which basically cut off the connection between Xixia and the Jin Kingdom.
In August of the fourth year of Qianding in Xixia, the Mongolian Western Route Army crossed Shatuo, seized the Nine Crossings of the Yellow River, and captured Yingli.
In October, the Mongolian Eastern Route Army captured Xiazhou.
At this point, the Mongolian armies from the east and west have formed a clampdown on Lingzhou and Zhongxingfu, the political and economic centers of Xixia.
It has been more than three months since troops were dispatched from Lizhou Camp in mid-July. Finally, the Mongolian army arrived at Lingzhou City.
"Everyone, take a break! Go up to the city wall!"
Zhang Zhongxia no longer hesitated and went straight to the gate of the teaching field, followed closely by Wang Gui.
As the chaotic troops climbed onto the city wall, Zhang Zhongxia looked around and saw large groups of Mongolian cavalry appearing on the west bank of the Yellow River outside the city. Endless flags were flying. Countless Mongolian knights were galloping on their horses. They were everywhere at the end of the sky. A galloping figure.
Countless iron cavalry galloped on the west bank of the Yellow River, and the sound of iron hoofs rolled like thunder. Teams of thousands of Mongolian cavalry came one after another. The rangers were galloping around. Many of them were wearing leather armor. They were chatting and laughing freely on their horses, breathing white air from their mouths. Many of them did not even hold on to the reins of their horses, and some showed their bare heads. . All Mongolian cavalry have two or three arches on each horse, ropes and long knives, and large quivers full of quivers. They are full of violence and are intimidating.
Seeing the endless war horses in the wilderness, and the heads of horses and heads everywhere, Wang Gui turned pale and trembled.
"I'm afraid there are hundreds of thousands of war horses!"
It is always said that the Tatar cavalry came and went like the wind, and how they attacked cities and plundered lands. Today, when I saw the power of the cavalry, the number of horses, and the prosperity of the cavalry, I realized that it was more shocking than imagined.
"The Tatar cavalry is indeed worthy of its reputation!"
Zhang Zhongxia was also shocked and struggled to say something.
No wonder the emperor's principal regarded the Tatar cavalry as a serious threat. Just looking at the formation, if there were countless cavalry coming from all directions in a field battle, with arrows raining down and thunder and thunder, the army would be defeated in an instant.
The emperor is indeed far-sighted and has a vicious vision!
On the city wall, the Xia troops guarding the city were all silent. They looked outside the city together, and everyone was breathing rapidly.
The Mongolian cavalry came from across the country. There were only 20,000 defenders in Lingzhou City. Can they withstand the siege of the Mongolian army?
On the west city wall, Cao Youwan and a group of Song army officers and soldiers all held their breath and looked into the distance. Everyone was shocked by the momentum of the Mongolian army.
"The genius of the generation, Genghis Khan, only knows how to bend his bow and shoot at giant eagles! Sure enough, he is the one pointed by the soldiers. Who in the world can compete with him?"
Among the soldiers of the Song Army, some felt their hearts swaying when they saw it, and subconsciously sighed.
"No wonder the principal published the book "Tatar Policy" to warn the world! The Tatar cavalry are so powerful, no wonder Xixia was defeated!"
Another person shook his head and exclaimed, his voice seemed to be trembling.
"It's all over, let's count the famous people, let's look at the present! Fortunately, our brothers are here!"
Cao Youwan laughed heartlessly.
"Tatars are so powerful, are we all vegetarians?"
General Yang Daquan echoed Cao Youwan in an impassioned manner.
The Jinshi of the Song Army looked at each other and laughed in embarrassment.
Being timid before fighting is not what the Song army should be like.
"Genghis Khan!"
"The chariots of Genghis Khan!"
On the city wall, a general of the Xia army suddenly screamed. Cao Youwan was startled. He raised his telescope and looked toward the west skyline with the surrounding soldiers.
Under several rows of fully armored Mongolian soldiers, a thousand-man army, a huge chariot came slowly. The nine-pin white cloth on the chariot fluttered in the wind, and the circular cone-topped tiger skin gold tent in the middle of the chariot was breathtaking.
"Sweat! Sweat!"
Wherever the chariot went, the Mongolian soldiers heard a roar of mountains and tsunamis. The sound resounded through the fields and went straight into the sky. Cao Youwan and others on the top of the city heard it clearly.
"It's indeed Genghis Khan!"
Cao Youwan couldn't help but his heart was beating wildly.
Needless to say, the owner of the Golden Tent is the Mongol Khan Temujin, who is known as the "Prodigy of the Generation" in the emperor's poems.
He raised his telescope, wanting to see the true face of the horse-riding god of war who was highly praised in the poems of the emperor and principal.
I don't know how long it took for the Mongolian cavalry to stop. They immediately began to set up camp. Countless infantry were orderly and skillful. There were actually many infantry following the army.
Cavalry plus infantry, this is probably more than 100,000 people!
In the Mongolian army's formation, there were constant reports from Mongolian army generals in front of the golden tiger-skin tent located in the middle of the camp. A few people entered the tent, but most of them left directly after someone came out to deliver the message.
From beginning to end, Genghis Khan never came out.
Cao Youwan shook his head in disappointment and put down the telescope.
"Send the order and let the brothers get ready. The defense of the four cities must not be careless!"
Cao Youwan's heart was heavy and he issued the military order, but he was thinking about when can he have a serious field battle with the Mongolian army?
"San...Brother, are you...scared?"
On the city wall, Wang Gui trembled again, his eyes always staring at the Mongolian army camp on the west side of the river.
"Afraid? Why? Genghis Khan?"
Zhang Zhongxia turned his head in surprise.
"Your body... is shaking!"
"I was excited! I had an urgent need to urinate! Why are you shaking!"
Zhang Zhongxia turned his head, looked at the Mongolian army camp outside the city, and said leisurely.
"Wang Gui, tell me, who can compete with the Tatar cavalry across the world? If we win, how will the emperor reward our brothers?"
While Wang Gui was still confused, Zhang Zhongxia turned around and left, heading straight to the city.
"Third brother, what are you doing? Wait for me!"
"Of course I'm going back to the military camp to train new recruits!"
Zhang Zhongxia said decisively without looking back.
We are facing a formidable enemy and if we haven’t trained our troops yet, when will we wait?
As for defending the city, he has his own colleagues in the army, so there is no need for him to worry.
