Entering the twelfth lunar month, several days of continuous winter rain made Hanzhong suddenly cold. Even the bank of the Han River had a thin layer of white ice. The Zhongnan Mountain in the north was covered with snow, resisting the cold current from the north. , ensuring that Hanzhong will not freeze. The winter rain in the past half month has made the Han River much more turbulent. This era is relatively warm, which can be seen from the fact that the Han River is never ice-free during the twelfth lunar month of winter.
Standing on the wall of Xingyuan Mansion, looking at the rolling Han River and the icy debris on the shore, Zhao Hong frowned slightly.
"Chen Longzhi, has the Han River been frozen in recent years?"
The river does not freeze, and there is no snow in winter. Hanzhong's rivers have vast waters, fertile land, and developed fisheries. It is worthy of being called a land of fish and rice and a small Jiangnan.
"Back to Your Majesty, according to the Chenggu County Chronicle, in recent years, the Han River has never frozen at the Hanzhong line. Speaking of which, Hanzhong rarely rains continuously in winter. This winter rain can be regarded as an accident."
Chen Longzhi has been working in Hanzhong for many years and has a deep understanding of Hanzhong's astronomy and geography.
Zhao Hong nodded and then smiled. Although it is the twelfth lunar month of winter, even if the Han River is to freeze, it will take ten days and a half. By that time, the war should be over.
Completed in one battle, changing the offensive and defensive momentum of the two countries and changing the national situation seems to be very close, only in a few days.
Can the tens of thousands of Song Dynasty warriors under his command give the Mongolian cavalry a heads-up and make their dreams come true?
"Your Majesty, it has been raining in Hanzhong for days. The Tatar army will definitely be blocked from going east. Lu Wende and Jiang Wanzai's troops, as well as Yu Jie's Hexi reinforcements, should have all moved, right?"
Meng Gong looked at the blue sky and said something.
There was almost no fighting these days, which made him feel uncomfortable. Now that the weather is clearing, if he were Lu Wende and the others, they would send their troops eastward to fight the Mongolian army, which had been frustrated for a month, and have a good fight.
"Most of the Tatar cavalry are going east. Jiang Wanzai must have got the news, and he will definitely inform Lu Wende. The Tatar army has been in Yangzhou for several days. Counting the time, they should have arrived at Xingyuan City."
Zhao Ming added on the side.
Jiang Wanli stationed troops in Xi County, 100 miles away from Xingyuan Mansion. Mianzhou is 100 miles away from Xi County. According to the original arrangement, there is a high probability that Lu Wende and Jiang Wanzai will join forces and march eastward.
And Lu Wende should also get the military report of Yu Jie going south and send troops together.
"I just don't know, did Cao Youwen and Yu Jie separate their forces and advance?"
Zhao Hong said quietly, even looking forward to it.
With troops advancing from the east, west and north, Zhao Hong believed that the Hanzhong Plain would be a major annihilation battle that might even change the fate of Mongolia and the Song Dynasty.
"Your Majesty is a master of planning and predicting events. Yu Jie and Lu Wende are both veteran generals on the battlefield, and they will definitely not disappoint His Majesty."
Xuan Zhen complimented Zhao Hong, feeling shocked.
The emperor was aware of the enemy's advance at every turn and deployed heavy troops to garrison him. If the Song army could not take the lead, it would be due to the incompetence of the soldiers.
"Your Majesty, look!"
Following the direction of Meng Gong's finger, Zhao Hong could clearly see the eye-catching sight of wolf smoke billowing in the direction of Wuxiuguan due north.
"Your Majesty, there are also those in the west!"
Zhao Ming pointed in the direction of Dingjun Mountain to the west and shouted.
Zhao Hong was refreshed, and Lu Wende, Jiang Wanzai's tribe to the west, and Yu Jie's tribe to the north came together with their troops.
Lu Wende and Jiang Wanzai had at least 40,000 troops, plus Yu Jie's 30,000 troops. The Song border troops assembled in Hanzhong already numbered more than 100,000.
The smoke rising into the sky in the west and north directions obviously alerted the Subotai tribe outside the city. They mounted their horses one after another and gathered in the wilderness to prepare for the attack.
First, in the direction of Wuxiuguan in the north, countless black dots appeared on the skyline. Then the black dots became larger and larger, and the Song army all over the mountains and plains came into view. They stepped on the steps, all with domed iron helmets, and the lineup In solemn order, the cavalry protected the flanks and headed straight for the Mongolian camp outside Xingyuanfu City. The cold wind was biting, and the "Yu" flag fluttered in the wind. It was Yu Jie's tribe on Hexi Road.
Immediately afterwards, flags were also flying in the direction of Dingjun Mountain in the west, and the black Song army was overwhelming. They came along the Han River, with endless numbers of people and horses.
It seemed that Lu Wende and Jiang Wanzai's formation was wider than Yu Jie's, with more people and horses.
"Looking at the posture of the Tatar army, are they going to defeat our army in one fell swoop?"
Zhao Shu couldn't help but be surprised when he noticed that the Mongolian cavalry had already attacked across the mountains and plains, choosing the Yu Jie tribe in the north.
Yu Jie's tribe has an army of 30,000, and Lu Wende and Jiang Wanzai should have more than 40,000. The Mongolian cavalry chose Yu Jie's tribe with fewer people, perhaps because the terrain in the north is more open and more conducive to cavalry attacks.
"Your Majesty, our armies from the west and north have arrived. Judging from the appearance of the Tatar cavalry, it seems that they are about to attack Yu Jie's tribe. Please lead the troops to attack and block the Tatar army's retreat to the east!"
Meng Gong also frowned. The Mongolian cavalry is fighting in the field, and it is an attack by thousands of cavalry. I wonder if Yu Jie can withstand it?
"Stop the Tatar cavalry, I invite you to fight!"
Zhao Ming also came out and actively asked for a fight.
"Go ahead. Just remember to fight against a trapped beast, surround yourself with three walls, and use firearms to kill and injure the opponent."
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and secretly sweated.
The Mongolian army has been battle-hardened for a long time and has a strong ability to seize opportunities. They want to take advantage of the Song army's unstable footing to attack Yu Jie's tribe first, and then drive the defeated army to attack Lu Wende's tribe, defeating the two Song army reinforcements in one fell swoop.
Meng Gong and other generals left. Zhao Hong looked outside the city. Tens of thousands of Mongolian troops were galloping. His sight was full of shaking helmets and horse heads. The vibrations caused by their galloping horses could be felt on the city walls. It was really heart-wrenching. shock.
Historically, the Mongolian cavalry was invincible, and almost no army could compete with it. Without the epoch-making firearms and military and political reforms, I am afraid that the Song Dynasty would have been the same as in history and would not have been able to escape the bad luck of destroying the country.
On the field, the Mongolian cavalry formed a huge oval formation, and the war horses rolled in. There were many unmanned horses mixed in, like a rushing torrent, most of them went straight to the Song Army's right cavalry. There were only about 20% of the Mongolian cavalry in a loose formation, facing the Song army's formation.
"Stop! Set up a formation!"
After Yu Jie's military order was passed, the Song army stopped and began to set up the formation. It was orderly, busy and not chaotic. Soon, square formations were formed one by one. The heavy armored infantry sat down in front, and the back of the heavy spear was pressed against the ground. The gun head was raised, like a steel jungle growing diagonally.
Behind the heavy infantry are swordsmen, shieldmen and spearmen. In addition to light shields, the shieldmen also have heavy weapons such as heavy swords, huge axes, and iron rods in their hands. The spears in the hands of the pikemen are all hook-and-scythe guns with curved blades. It can hook horses and assassinate. Like the sword and shield bearer, it is specially designed to deal with cavalry.
The pikemen were followed by crossbow archers and gunners, and the cavalry guarded the two wings, holding bows and crossbows, ready to go.
In the Hexi army, due to the large number of Tibetan and Dangxiang soldiers, there were many more archers than other archers, which also greatly increased the shooting ability of the Hexi cavalry.
On the city wall, Zhao Hong breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw the Hexi Army forming a formation in an instant.
The Northwest Frontier Army is already a strong army.
Among the Hexi Army, Commander Zhang Zhongxia was riding on a horse, his face flushed, and there was a trace of unnoticeable excitement in his eyes.
"The Tatar cavalry is attacking first. They want to overwhelm our cavalry from the right wing and take the opportunity to break up our army's formation."
He wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Song Army's foothold was not stable and catch the Song Army by surprise. It is a pity that the Song army has strict military discipline and good training, and even marching must take into account the formation. Mongolian cavalry, this is too taken for granted.
"The Tatars want to take advantage of our army's unstable foothold and overwhelm our army in one fell swoop! What do they think our army is, grass bandits?"
Wang Gui was secretly frightened by the momentum of thousands of horses running wildly, but he did not show weakness.
The Mongolian cavalry rarely suffered defeats. They had rich experience in cavalry combat and were never afraid of field battles. They might not even pay attention to the 30,000 Song army infantry and cavalry in front of them.
But Song Jun is not made of clay and can be rubbed by them.
"Wang Gui, please be careful when the cavalry rushes. Your Majesty, you may be watching from the city wall."
Zhang Zhongxia was serious and warned his younger brother.
"His Majesty?"
Wang Gui was startled, glanced at the city wall in the distance, and then nodded heavily.
Under the emperor's eyes, he could only risk his own life and risk his own life.
"The artillery is ready, the cavalry is assembled, and the whole army is ready to fight!"
Yu Jie's military order was conveyed, and the right-wing cavalry of the Song Army came out of a large formation. The troops were full of fighting spirit, and many cavalry were already holding bows and picking up crossbows, ready to move.
"Everyone! Get ready to fight!"
At the Song Army's artillery position, Wu Feng shouted loudly, instructing the Song Army's artillerymen to adjust their direction and angle and load ammunition.
After joining the Northwest Frontier Army for more than six years, Wu Feng has a weathered face. Although he is missing one hand, he is calm, steady and capable, commanding thousands of troops and horses, and is not alarmed at all changes.
The Song Army artillery's single-rail gun mount is easy to move and adjust the direction; the rear screw rod adjusts the angle in an instant. The artillery uses powder bags and graduated gun rulers, which are fast and accurate.
"Crossbowmen, prepare! Grenadiers, prepare! Axemen, hooks and sickles, prepare!"
The Mongolian cavalry was so imposing that Zhang Zhongxia's palms became sweaty and he shouted loudly.
Once the Mongolian cavalry breaks through the artillery blockade, grenadiers and hook-and-scythe guns will have to come into use.
The Mongolian cavalry came rolling in and soon entered the firing range of the artillery. The heavy cavalry in front was so fierce and terrifying that the overwhelming force was terrifying. The light cavalry behind them galloped with their bows drawn. When the heavy cavalry broke through the Song army's formation, they charged and killed them.
"fire!"
The Mongolian cavalry quickly entered a two-mile radius, running wildly with thousands of hooves, and the smoke and dust were flying, which was breathtaking. Wu Feng could no longer hold back and shouted loudly.
"Puffy!"
100 7-pound artillery pieces fired one after another, and the entire Song Army artillery position was shrouded in thick smoke.
Immediately afterwards, 100 5-pound artillery pieces began to roar again, and 200 solid iron balls flew all over the sky, heading straight for the Mongolian cavalry formation.
The iron ball tore through the air, rushed towards it, and fell into the Mongolian cavalry formation. It ran and jumped wildly, destroying the bones and decaying bones. Immediately, a piece of flesh and blood flew everywhere, and people and horses fell on their backs.
The muffled thunder continued, and 100 100-pound cannons sounded at the right time. Iron pellets flew in the air, and pieces of Mongolian heavy cavalry were knocked off their horses. They were turned on their backs, flesh and blood flying everywhere. The men and horses fell to the ground with a crash, stirring up chaos all over the ground. cloud of dust.
The sound of artillery continued continuously, and iron balls and iron pellets formed a stream of bullets, which hit the Mongolian cavalry formation like hail. The Mongolian cavalry suffered heavy casualties. The right wing of the military formation went around.
The artillery fire continued, and the iron balls and pellets came one after another. Those who stood in their way were invincible. Mongolian knights fell off their horses all the time. Countless horses fell to the ground. Countless Mongolian knights were tripped and fell to the ground, and were immediately trampled by the hooves of the horses coming from behind. , it is difficult to get up again.
The Mongolian cavalry had no way to retreat. They widened their battle formation and charged forward in the face of the Song army's artillery fire. Many of the cavalry quickly entered the Song army's formation fifty or sixty steps away. They hid on their horses and fired arrows with all their strength. Arrows rained down endlessly, flying into the front line of the Song army. The soldiers of the Song army fell to the ground one after another, and screams came one after another. The Mongolian knights galloped their horses, the sound of horse hoofs rumbled, and the Mongolian cavalry in front of the formation was about to break into the Song army's battle formation.
In the Song army's formation, countless thunderbolts were thrown out. They flew all over the sky and flew into the Mongolian army's cavalry formation. The loud noises of "Tongtong" continued, the smoke filled the air, the horses fell to the ground and screamed, and the Mongolian knights They fell off their horses one after another, and the Song army formed a large formation, filled with the strong and pungent smell of gunpowder smoke and blood, which made people want to feel sick.
The explosion was earth-shattering, and countless Song troops rushed out of the formation, armed with guns and shields, and headed straight for the Mongolian cavalry who broke through the line of fire.
"Come down!"
A Song soldier stabbed directly with a long spear. The Mongolian heavy cavalry on horseback did not dodge and took a hard hit with his iron armor. The iron bar in his hand was about to hit the Song soldiers, and two hook-and-scythe guns were hung on the horse's legs. The Song soldiers pulled hard, and the horses screamed, and the heavy cavalry was thrown off heavily. Before the heavy cavalry could get up, they had already been severely cut by Song's saber shield hand, cutting their bodies apart.
Some Mongolian heavy cavalry collided with the heavy infantry gun array in front of the Song army's formation. The horses were dripping with blood and fell to the ground. Some Song soldiers were knocked out, fell to the ground withered and slumped. Some Song soldiers were stabbed over by the spears of the Mongolian knights, some Song soldiers were knocked away, and there was a commotion in the front line of the Song army. Another burst of shotgun shells hit their heads and faces, and a huge arc-shaped rain of bullets covered the front of the position. The Mongolian cavalry seemed to be tripped and fell down. The Mongolian cavalry who was lucky enough to escape the hail of bullets ran into the Song Army's spear formation, causing a commotion. However, the Mongolian heavy cavalry that rushed into the Song army's formation were too few, and they were quickly dismounted by the Song army and killed on the spot.
In the main formation of the Chinese army, Yu Jie secretly let out a sullen sigh after seeing the Song army's front line recover quickly after a brief panic.
The Mongolian army's cavalry is elite, and its impact cannot be underestimated. Fortunately, we have enough artillery and firearms.
He glanced at the tall city wall to the south. The emperor seemed to be watching on the wall. Fortunately, the Hexi Army stabilized its position, otherwise, it would have been a huge loss of face.
The artillery roared incessantly. Before the right-wing Mongolian cavalry could rush to the Song army's formation, the heavy cavalry was almost completely lost, and the light cavalry was also reduced by about 20%. They braved Song Army artillery fire and were about to collide with the Song Army cavalry that was approaching rapidly.
Yu Jie couldn't help but sigh secretly and closed her eyes.
The brutality of the charge was extraordinary. With this impact, five thousand knights would be killed or injured.
Nearly ten thousand cavalry collided, the field was full of galloping horses, and the smoke and dust billowed, just like the end of the world. The Song army's artillery kept firing and continuously attacked the rear of the Mongolian army. Both sides fired arrows at each other, blocking out the sky and the sun. Countless people fell under the horses. Horses neighed and people screamed. Flesh and blood flew everywhere. The screams shook the heaven and earth.
The Mongolian cavalry formation was sparse due to artillery fire, but the Song army had excellent armor and a strict cavalry formation. When the two came into contact, the Song army's cavalry formation ran rampant, and both sides fought desperately. The Mongolian knights relied on feather arrows, and the Song army except crossbows Feathered arrows, many knights covered their faces with shields, and smoke-shaking thunder continued to be thrown out. Smoke columns billowed everywhere in the Mongolian cavalry formation, and pieces of Mongolian cavalry were blown off their horses.
The explosions of "Tongtong" continued, and the pungent smoke enveloped the Mongolian cavalry formation. Both sides rushed to fight at the risk of their lives, countless people fell off their horses, and there was blood everywhere.
The charge finally ended. The Mongolian cavalry swept far to the northeast and regrouped; the Song cavalry gathered due south. On the battlefield where the two sides had just charged, there were countless corpses. The wounded were writhing in a pool of blood, with broken arms and legs. Human organs are everywhere.
"Follow me and charge at Song Gou's right-wing formation!"
The Mongolian cavalry quickly gathered, and only about three thousand came to ride. The coach Yin Zhu'er keenly discovered that the right wing door of the Song army's formation was wide open, and immediately urged his horse forward. The Mongolian knights bravely followed suit.
Avoiding the artillery of the Song Army's front formation, they attacked the Song Army's formation from the side and rear, driving the Song Army into chaos and defeating the Song Army in one fell swoop.
The cavalry formation of Zhu'er rolled forward. From the right wing and rear formations of the Song Army, small cannons were brought out one after another and set up in front of the formation. The gunners fixed the cannons, loaded the muskets, and aimed at the fast-moving According to Zhu'er's riding formation.
The Song army had complete firearms. Every 50 people were equipped with a 30-pound small cannon. The right wing formation and the rear army each had 3,000 people, each equipped with 60 small cannons. A total of 120 guns were aimed at the Mongolian cavalry formation.
Yan Zhu'er saw it so clearly that sweat broke out on his forehead. He never expected that the Song army had so many artillery pieces. He clamped the horse's belly tightly and put his head on the horse's back, trying to get close to the Song army's formation as quickly as possible and overwhelm the opponent in one fell swoop.
There was a thrilling muffled thunder, shotguns flying, and strong winds and rain. Yanzhu'er felt severe pain in his head, and he and his horse fell to the ground.
As for the Mongolian cavalry around him, they were beaten with iron pills and shot with blood and arrows, falling countless times.
Yanzhu'er fell to the ground, half of his head was sunken, his face was beyond recognition, and he was lying in a pool of blood twitching. The remaining Mongolian cavalry soldiers were frightened. They turned their horses and headed eastward.
The artillery fire from Yu Jie's tribe continued, and the artillery from Meng Gong's tribe to the east was bombarded indiscriminately. The Mongolian cavalry fled eastward, and countless men and horses fell and fell. The troops were still chasing after him, and the trumpet of Ming Jin to withdraw his troops sounded from the top of the city of Xingyuan Mansion.
The troops quickly swept the battlefield. The Mongolian army had thousands of horses, and the number of horses gathered alone amounted to three to four thousand.
Zhao Hong rode his horse out of the north gate of Xingyuan Mansion, followed by civil servants and elite soldiers. Ten thousand troops outside the city immediately dismounted and saluted solemnly in unison.
"See Your Majesty! Long live! Long live! Long live!"
"Soldiers, please rise!"
Zhao Hongduan was sitting on the horse, his face was gentle and full of energy.
"Meng Gong and Jiang Wanzai gathered together an army, Lu Wende and Yu Jie each led their own armies, and I have a huge army. The three armies went east to fight the Tatar army to the death!"
Zhao Hong passed down the military order, and the more than 80,000 Song soldiers were excited and the army marched straight to the Yangzhou defense line in the east.
