According to Feng Shuangli's idea before the war, as long as he could save Zhang Wenxiu's troops, he could submit a report to the Eight Kings. However, he changed his mind halfway and decided to send Zhang Junyong and Dou Mingwang to lead people to take down the blunderbuss of the government army. position.
Otherwise, the damage caused by this object to the rebel cavalry would be too great. They would be dead before they could run out of range, and even a few people could be saved. The idea was correct, but Feng Shuangli did not Thinking that his target was also heavily protected.
Two lines of defense were composed of a thousand horsemen, which was almost twice the number of troops he sent to attack. The third line of defense was composed of horsemen under the artillery battalion. After that, they were all gunmen. As a result, It's obvious.
The two generals led their troops in a desperate charge, and finally captured the established position. However, their troops had suffered too many losses and were at the end of their strength. They were no longer able to overwhelm the official army's gunfire position.
"...Luo Daipifu! Write down this grudge first! I will avenge it one day!"
On the way to withdraw his troops and escape, Feng Shuangli learned the whole story from Dou Mingwang. Not only did he fail to achieve his original intention, but he also defeated Zhang Jun, not to mention that he lost more than half of his elite cavalry in the battle. This was considered a complete failure.
Feng Shuangli was still thinking hard about how to report to the Eight Kings when he returned. He hoped that the third general Zhang Wenxiu had already run back to Yanghu Mountain. I couldn't care less.
The arrows shot from behind carried a sharp sound and kept flying past his ears. From the corner of his eye, he could see one of his subordinates being hit by an arrow and falling off his horse. Feng Shuangli was so frightened that he lay on his horse and did not dare to get up. Once he was hit, he would He was about to be captured and killed on the spot by the officers and soldiers behind him.
On the way the rebel cavalry fled south, many infantrymen who were tired from running and resting under the trees could be seen. They did not expect the officers and soldiers to arrive so quickly. It was too late to continue fleeing.
With the high-speed driving of the war horses, the weapons in the hands of the officers and soldiers will generate huge inertia. Not only if they are directly stabbed by the spears more than ten feet long, even if they are drawn unexpectedly, they can cause injuries such as fractures.
There were panic-stricken rebel infantry all over the mountains and plains. There were not many in total, and they could not gather together for a while. At most, they huddled in small groups to resist the enemy. However, under the forcible charge of the army and horsemen, most of them fell to the ground. Never got up again.
They thought that Feng Shuangli's troops could hold off the officers and soldiers for at least an hour, and it would not be difficult to kill them. However, before they reached the foot of Yanghu Mountain, the officers and soldiers came back, frightening everyone to the point of losing their wits.
The earth-shattering explosive cannonballs are very scary, but encountering a large group of soldiers and soldiers on a plain without bunkers is equally scary, and there is no chance of a successful escape.
The elite cavalry of the thief army ran very fast, which made the army's horsemen who came up to cover them up a little bit hateful. During the pursuit, they could only take out their anger on the slow thief army infantry.
"Stop chasing the thief's horsemen! Form a team to surround and kill the thief's infantry!"
Luo Dai also realized that continuing to pursue would mean just following someone else's horse and eating ashes. There was no possibility of catching up or annihilating them, so it was better to concentrate on intercepting and killing the surrounding bandit infantry on the plain.
It seems that there are no less than 700 people, which is still a mouthful of meat, and it will not lose too many soldiers and horses, so it is safe and secure. If we catch up to the foot of Yanghu Mountain and are bombarded by the rebels, we will lose more than we gain.
Zhang Wenxiu had already taken the lead in running away with his few horsemen. He could not care about the slow foot soldiers behind him. The people and horses were separated from each other all the way and stretched for two miles. Such a sequence was There is no chance of survival when the officers and soldiers focus on them.
However, when they first attacked the city, they were stopped by the defenders with various types of firecrackers. After they withdrew, they were surrounded by the army's horsemen and received a heavy shelling. The soldiers' morale was low, their spirits were low, and they had no hope of continuing. The mind of war.
In addition, it was almost noon, the weather was extremely hot, I was severely dehydrated, and my energy was exhausted. I was in a daze. If it weren't for the guy who was eating around my neck, I would have wanted to lie down in the shade of a tree and not get up.
However, the officers and soldiers would not let them have an easy time. They massacred Gucheng first, and then came to attack Xiangyang. However, they still wanted to turn around and run away after being defeated. How can there be any good thing in the world that only takes advantage and does not suffer losses?
It was easy for more than two thousand horsemen to take care of seven to eight hundred exhausted infantry on the plain. They did not give the opponent a chance to struggle at all. They would either use their bows and arrows or directly stab them to death with spears. So I can withdraw my troops and go back to drink and eat meat.
"You donkey ball! Why are you rushing so blindly???"
Zhang Xianzhong used a telescope to clearly see the situation on the battlefield on Yanghu Mountain. After Feng Shuangli led his troops to relieve the siege of his third son, he got excited and went to charge the battle again. However, he failed to defeat him and was scolded when he turned around. Cover up.
No need to ask, it must be a loss of troops and generals. The three thousand sent to him were all elite cavalry capable of fighting one against three. They were not auxiliary soldiers who could be scattered in a single fight. If half of them were lost like this, how could the Eighth King not go crazy with distress?
And those idiots under Wenxiu, why did they start to rest halfway through? Do you think the officers and soldiers will watch you walking around and wait until dark before going up the mountain?
All of them really have pig brains!
If I didn't blast you into the sky below the city, it would be an advantage to you!
Forcibly attacking the city was unfavorable, and the Eighth King didn't say anything. Now that the field battle is still like this, he is really angry.
When the rebels fight against the official army, they have always used their strengths to suppress their weaknesses, avoided the real situation and attacked the weak. They mainly focus on sneak attacks and ambushes, and try to avoid a head-on fight with the official army on the plains during the day.
Today was a good day. I made all kinds of mistakes that I shouldn't have made. This lesson was naturally extremely painful. The Eight Kings estimated in their minds that from last night to now, the horse infantry alone had lost nearly ten thousand people, which was almost equivalent to the total number of soldiers. About half of the troops.
This battle can no longer be fought. When the Hong thief appears with the main force of the army, his remaining troops will have to be rounded up. Zhang Xianzhong can only bear the pain and abandon Xiangyang City, planning to go south to Yicheng to try his luck.
After sending people to contact the two sons who were leading troops on the pretense, he asked the eldest son to hope that he and the second son Dingguo would lead their troops to join him near Yicheng. Only then would the three groups of people be able to continue to deal with the Hong bandits. .
"Commander Father, my son is incompetent. He lost his troops and generals, and failed to capture this city. I hope Commander-in-Chief will punish him!"
Zhang Wenxiu ran back in disgrace. This time he hit the wall. He didn't get any advantage. Only a thousand of the 5,500 people he brought down the mountain came back, and the rest were sent to the tiger's mouth.
Zhang Wenxiu had never suffered such a big loss since he followed the Eighth Kings to revolt. He finally led so many troops alone and wanted to show off his skills in front of his father. Unexpectedly, he suffered two defeats in a row. He was really humiliated.
"Forget it, Hualong didn't succeed either. Coupled with the previous night attack, it can be seen that the city is already well prepared. My son will go down to rectify the troops and prepare to move in with his father!"
Zhang Xianzhong was too lazy to scold anymore. It was of no use, and he couldn't let the damaged soldiers and horses come back to life and continue to charge for him.
Since we can't get Xiangyang, let's find another place. I don't believe that in this huge Huguang area, all the cities are as impregnable as Xiangyang, and there will always be some omissions.
If the war went unfavorably, the Eight Kings would not have thought of turning to Xunxi to join Luo Rucai and others. However, if they were defeated by the Hong bandits and then returned, they would inevitably be ridiculed by other generals of the rebel army.
The Eighth King seems to be very proud, but he is also a face-saving person. He is also one of the best among the leaders of the rebel army, and he is definitely not comparable to ordinary people.
Furthermore, through the interrogation of the captured generals under Tang Tong's command, Zhang Xianzhong learned of the imperial court's plan to suppress his troops. Hong Chengchou would lead 100,000 troops to besiege his troops, while the various rebel armies in Xunxi would be reactivated. Sun Chuanting's attack.
This civil servant was merciless in dealing with the rebels. He once defeated Li Zicheng and was completely defeated. Now he is hiding in the mountains and has to rely on himself to support him. His ability is definitely not inferior to that of Hong Chengchou.
If you lead your troops to the west, you can fight side by side with Luo Rucai and other troops. By then, there will be Sun Chuanting in the west and Hong Chengchou in the east. It can be said that you will be attacked from both sides, and it will be difficult to get off the tiger. It is not much better than going south to Yicheng.
If that doesn't work, go to the Dabie Mountains to find the Fifth Battalion of Ge Zuo. You can attack there and defend it if you retreat, and the officers and soldiers are still unable to encircle and suppress them. It's a good place, much better than the smoky northern Huguang.
The Eight Kings don't want to go to a place where there are more wolves and less meat. It is best to continue to eat alone. Even if everyone wants to get together, he has to be the "alpha wolf".
When arriving at Xunxi, the most senior person was of course "Cao Cao" Luo Rucai. The leaders of each department had to address him as "eldest brother", and then the eight kings.
In the past, we were asking for trouble. It was better to take advantage of the flood bandits' army before they arrived, gritted our teeth and quickly went south, waiting for opportunities to capture a few cities, eat and drink well, and then escape.
Fighting opportunities are changing rapidly, and we must cut through the mess quickly. We must leave as soon as we say we can. We can't delay any more, lest we have long nights and dreams, and if we are really bitten by the flood thief, it will be difficult to escape.
The Eight Kings quickly sent their messengers over, gathered the scattered generals and their troops, and formed a fist. They started from Yanghu Mountain, passed through the adjacent Xian Mountain, went straight to Yicheng, then went down to Zhongxiang, and finally Wu Chang.
It took half an hour, but it was already very fast. After a rough count, Wang Dingguo's troops were about 2,000 people, Zhang Hualong still had more than 2,900 people under his command, and Feng Shuangli brought back more than 1,400 cavalry.
The third son, Zhang Wenxiu, had less than 800 men left, and the fourth son, Zhang Kewang, had no loss of 2,000 men and horses. In addition, the eight kings personally led 2,000 fine cavalry, and the total force was about 12,000, almost less than before. half.
What made Zhang Xianzhong most heartbroken was the loss of four thousand elite cavalry, which was like losing his right and left arm. It was equivalent to losing more than 30% of the elites in one battle without any replacement.
"The whole army will go south immediately, no mistakes!"
The Eighth King held the cowhide water bag, took a sip of the relatively cool stream water, took one last look at Xiangyang City, which he coveted but could not get his hands on, and then disappeared on horseback into the dense forest on the top of Yanghu Mountain.
Even if they marched at noon, the rebels did not dare to complain. The Eight Kings were angry, and whoever dared to take the initiative to make trouble would just wait to be lit by the Eight Kings.
Marching troops south at this time is naturally very uncomfortable for the soldiers, but it is also the safest time, because the officers and soldiers will also be exposed to the scorching sun when they go out, so the possibility of being followed and killed is the lowest.
Yicheng is only a few dozen miles away from Xiangyang. It is located on the southeast side of Xian Mountain and close to the Han River. As long as the rebels move quickly, they can launch an attack on Yicheng as early as tomorrow morning at the latest. A surprise attack is not surprising.
This time, the front team followed the rear team, and the fourth son Zhang Nengqi led his troops as the vanguard. The other troops followed suit. Although it was difficult to cross the mountains and ridges, it was better than being chopped into pieces by the officers and soldiers.
"Here we come! Keep everyone quiet, and those who disobey the order will be killed!"
Mou Wenshou, the commander-in-chief of Fengsi, saw a group of soldiers and horses coming from the north under the banner of Zhang. He did not see the official flag, so he guessed that it was Zhang Ni's command. He and his troops had been waiting here for a long time.
Previously, Mou Wenshou entered Gucheng together with Tang Tong, Jiang Mingwu, Yang Yufan and other three generals. However, due to poor communication between them, Mou Wenshou could only maintain timely contact with Yang Yufan. When he discovered that Tang Tong's troops were ambushed, it was too late to rush to rescue.
They heard deafening cries of killing in the mountains, but were unable to determine the specific location. Finally, Mou Wenshou summoned the generals to brainstorm and decided to temporarily cease operations and send out scouts to find out the situation before making plans.
After arriving at the scene of the incident, Mou Wenshou saw that the valley was full of corpses of officers and soldiers, many of whom seemed to have been captured and killed. He then realized that Tang Tong's troops had been completely wiped out, and Jiang Mingwu's troops could not be contacted.
After Yang Yufan and his troops came closer, the two men judged from the footprints left by the enemy that their troops had marched to the southeast, and the target was most likely the important town of Xiangyang. They agreed to send someone first to inform Hong Shaobao, who was still unaware, that they had The Ministry is following behind.
When Zhang Ni's troops were stationed on Yanghu Mountain, Yang Yufan led his men to stay at Wanshan to the west of Yanghu Mountain, while Mou Wenshou led his troops to ambush in the south of Xian Mountain. This would prevent the rebel army from attacking Xiangyang from these two direction to escape.
Going north and east was impossible, because the Han River flowed in these two directions. Unless Zhang Ni found a large number of ships, there would be no way for the rebels to cross the river.
For Mou Wenshou or Yang Yufan, if they join forces together, they may still have some chance of winning. On the way alone, it is indeed difficult to resist the attack of Zhang Ni's tens of thousands of thieves with only 5,000 soldiers and horses in hand.
The only feasible way is to use ambush tactics to catch the opponent by surprise, just like Zhang Ni ambushed Tang Tong's troops in Jingshan Mountain.
As for whether Zhang Ni can take the bait, it depends on their luck. The two generals agreed that as long as there is a war in the defense zone of the officers and soldiers on one side, the other side must rush to help as soon as possible, otherwise they will inevitably encounter a fierce attack by Zhang Ni's bandit army, resulting in completely annihilated.
Even Mou Wenshou himself did not dare to say whether he could defeat Zhang Ni. Fortunately, the main generals were all clansmen or direct descendants, and a lot of food and salary had been supplemented before. The morale of each department was high, and the military morale was still available.
Since there has been continuous sound of artillery from last night to this morning, and now the rebel army suddenly moved south again, I am afraid that the attack on the city was unsuccessful, the defenders were defeated, and they planned to attack other places.
Therefore, regardless of victory or defeat, Mou Wenshou had to make a bet when he saw that the bandit army was approaching. He was determined not to let Zhang Ni go south like this, and maybe he could gain something.
What's more, he and Yang Yufan did not lead their troops to Gucheng according to Hong Shaobao's previous instructions, but chose to follow Zhang's rebel army based on the changes in the situation.
If this soldier is too timid to fight and allows Zhang Ni to escape, Hong Shaobao will be furious. When there is sufficient food and pay, the bandit army can escape successfully, which will be reported to the court.
