Cao Zhen was not stupid. Attacking a city with ants was indeed the most inefficient way to siege a city. Cao Zhen knew this.
But now there is no way, he doesn't have that much time to build enough siege equipment.
Three to five days are only enough for Cao Zhen to build three or four ladders or rams, and with just a few siege tools, the Shu army in Mei County may be burned down if they charge out of the city.
There is not enough time to build siege equipment, but an attack must be launched immediately to weaken the Shu army's defensive power as much as possible. Is there any other option besides building hooks and ladders with simple structures and using ants to attack the city? !
Cao Zhen was also distressed. The ones he brought were all the elites of the Wei Imperial Army. Now Cao Zhen was almost using them as cannon fodder. Cao Zhen didn't want to do this, but he really didn't have the time.
It was not that Cao Zhen had never thought about luring the Shu army out of the city to fight. But when he thought that his opponent was Wei Yan, Cao Zhen gave up this idea.
Although Wei Yan's reputation is not as good as that of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhang Xi and others, Wei Yan has been in charge of Yongzhou's military affairs in recent years, and Cao Zhen also has a special investigation intelligence on Wei Yan.
According to intelligence, Wei Yan had followed Liu Bei in his early years. He was from Liu Bei's tribe and was deeply trusted by Liu Bei. He had successively served in key positions such as the prefect of Hanzhong and the military governor of Yongzhou.
If Liu Bei didn't have enough ability, it would be impossible for Liu Bei to let Wei Yan take such a key and important position.
And when it comes to battles, Wei Yan often serves under the famous Shu thieves Zhang Xi. Zhang Xi is a bit difficult to evaluate. The older generation of famous generals have some personal feelings about this person. Whether it is the two deceased generals Xiahou and Cao Ren, or generals Guo Huai and Zhang He who are currently fighting on the front line, they all resent this person.
But resentment is resentment. These people all recognized Zhang Xi as a man who was rigorous in his military use and never took risks easily. This Wei Yan was a subordinate who followed Zhang Xi in battles all year round. He could not be that kind of ignorant and reckless man.
Therefore, Cao Zhen never thought about fighting Wei Yan in a field battle, nor did he think that his little tricks to provoke Wei Yan could provoke Wei Yan, so he just started the siege without saying a word.
Wei Yan was somewhat surprised by this.
How could this Cao Zhen be appointed as the governor of Yongliang by the Wei thieves with so little ability? !
Facing Cao Zhen's ant attack on the city, Wei Yan dealt with it relatively easily, but he always felt uneasy in his heart.
Wei Yan had also heard of Cao Zhen, especially a guy who in Wei Yan's eyes was seriously unworthy of a general. He had a very high opinion of Cao Zhen, thinking that he was the most outstanding person among the second generation generals of the Cao family, with great abilities. Not under the veteran general Cao Ren.
But...that's it? !
A so-called "famous general" who only chooses ants to attack the city? !
Wei Yan really wanted to despise this Cao Zhen, but even if he didn't like that person, Wei Yan had to admit that although that guy didn't have any general style in fighting, he was afraid of this and that, but the way he looked at people, But it is a unique one.
Today's big men, everyone knows that Zhang Yuanchang's appraisal of characters is excellent.
When he went south to pacify Nanzhong, Zhang Xi ordered a bunch of county magistrates and lieutenants to go with the army. The most famous one was probably Ma Liang's younger brother Ma Su. The rest were basically unknown people, and there was even one of them. They are not even Han Chinese.
But relying on this group of unknown people, Zhang Xi put down the Nanzhong rebellion like chopping melons and vegetables. Those unknown people are now either military generals or prefects, which shows Zhang Xi's sharp eyesight.
Wei Yan looked down upon Zhang Xi, but when it came to looking at people, Wei Yan absolutely believed him.
Since Zhang Xi said that Cao Zhen is very capable, even if he were to estimate at a lower level, he shouldn't be someone who only knows how to attack a city with ants.
Wei Yan suddenly felt that this Cao Zhen might be playing some conspiracy.
For example, during the day, the ants attack the city and relax their vigilance. At night, they let the soldiers do their best. Whether it is digging down the city wall or sending a small group of troops to sneak into the city and open the city gate, they have to guard against such things.
Wei Yan immediately ordered the entire army to strengthen night patrols and bury more large tanks under the walls of the city to monitor the movements below. If there is any abnormal noise, report it at any time.
Although Wei Yan didn't want to admit it, in fact, a certain country bumpkin he looked down on did subtly influence some of Wei Yan's way of thinking, although it was indeed very little.
And Cao Zhen really didn't think so much. After all, there were only so many ways to attack the city. He didn't have time to prepare siege equipment or dig tunnels. If Mei County could not be captured within ten days, then what Cao Zhen needed to consider was How to respond to the retreat of Guo Huai's army.
At this time, Guo Huai was leading his army on a rapid march as much as possible, trying to get to the gate of Mei County as soon as possible to buy more time for him to attack Mei County.
Of course, what Guo Huai was most worried about at this time was what was behind him and when the Shu army would come after him.
Although Wen Qin and 7,000 infantry and cavalry were left behind as the rear troops, Guo Huai also knew that if this small force could last for five days in the face of the Shu army's offensive of more than 50,000 men, Wen Qin had already performed beyond his level. .
If Guo Huai's heart was darker, Wen Qin could indeed be forced to hold on for ten days. With Wen Qin's character and the current situation of the Wen family, Wen Qin's only option was to die on the battlefield.
But Guo Huai didn't have such a dark heart in the end, and he really valued Wen Qin's ability and talent, so he gave Wen Qin a relatively flexible post-break requirement of trying to hold on for five days.
But Guo Huai was not sure whether Wen Qin could hold out for five days.
After all, Wen Qin's opponents not only had famous generals like Zhang Fei, Zhang Xi, and Chen Dao, but he also had to face the morale bonus of Liu Bei's personal conquests, which had to be doubled.
Once Liu Bei really comes to the front line in person, Wen Qin will never be able to stop the Shu army's full attack.
Therefore, along the way, Guo Huai had been paying attention to the movements behind him, always keeping an eye on whether the Shu army was chasing him or whether Wen Qin had any urgent news coming.
Marching all the way, waiting anxiously for one day, two days, three days, four days, until the fifth day, Guo Huai did not receive any urgent report from Wen Qin, and no pursuing Shu army appeared behind him.
Guo Huai suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
After five days of urgent march, Guo Huai was now only thirty miles away from Mei County. Now it was no longer time to march in a hurry, but to take a rest and prepare to launch an attack on Mei County.
At the same time, Guo Huai did not forget to send a large number of reconnaissance cavalry in the direction of Wuzhangyuan. On the one hand, he was exploring whether there was a Shu army pursuing him. On the other hand, he also hoped to contact Wen Qin and pick up Wen Qin's defeated army.
Guo Huai was very satisfied that Wen Qin could persist for five days. Guo Huai could not let Wen Qin really die on the battlefield. This would be a very big loss for the Wei Dynasty.
After experiencing such a war, it will definitely be of great help to Wen Qin's growth. As long as Wen Qin can come back alive, then Guo Huai will definitely report to the emperor and ask the emperor to entrust Wen Qin with important tasks. The premise is that Wen Qin can come back alive. .
And Wen Qin is indeed holding on at the moment, but he is at the end of his strength.
In fact, although Wen Qin is still holding on to the camp, there are only about 3,000 soldiers left in the camp, and basically everyone is injured. There are less than 500 cavalry troops left, and they have been completely dispersed. They cannot restore their organization. They can only roam around the battlefield in the form of a small group of cavalry, unable to provide any help to the camp, and unable to return to the camp to rest.
Today, the Wei army's Dao camp has been completely surrounded by the Han army, and the battle loss ratio has already exceeded 50%. If it weren't for some of Wen Qin's earlier promises, a mutiny would have broken out in the camp by now.
In fact, when the war progressed to the third day, the soldiers led by Wen Qin already had a number of deserters due to casualties.
There were not many of them, about thirty or forty people, and because they were not acting secretly, they were discovered by the patrolling military law team and captured.
Even according to the military law of the regular period, these people would not survive, let alone in today's situation, if these people are indulged, countless people will follow suit. It will definitely kill the chickens to scare the monkeys.
Wen Qin knew that he should kill, but how to kill was a matter of knowledge.
On the third day of holding on, the casualty rate had exceeded 30%, and all the soldiers now knew that they were the troops staying to break up the rear, and there could not be any reinforcements. Deep down in their hearts, all the soldiers did not want to fight such a battle. Military morale was extremely low.
It's just that some are hindered by military law, and some are worried about their relatives back home, so they don't dare to speak out, and they don't dare to become deserters.
Wen Qin knew what the soldiers were thinking, and he also knew that if he pushed too hard, he really didn't know what would happen when he defended the stronghold tomorrow.
Therefore, Wen Qin pulled these thirty people down in front of the entire army and made his promise in front of the entire army.
Five days, just keep it for five days.
Within five days, anyone who deserts will be dealt with according to military law. There must be no mercy, otherwise it will be unfair to the soldiers who fought bloody battles.
But after five days, if you are willing to continue to hold on, you can stay. If you are not willing to hold on, Wen Qin will not stop him. He will take Wen Qin's head to surrender to the Shu army, and Wen Qin is also willing to give his head.
In any case, it was impossible for Wen Qin to surrender to the Shu army. He could only die fighting for the Wei Dynasty.
After saying this, Wen Qin ordered people to implement military law and beheaded more than thirty soldiers who were deserters.
Wen Qin's statement was useful after all.
These days, soldiers who serve as soldiers don't have much self-awareness, and they don't ask for too much. What they fear most is that the master will abandon them and escape alone.
That was the end of them.
Now that Wen Qin has stated that he will stay in the camp and hold on until he is killed in battle, this is already a great encouragement to most of the soldiers.
This is indeed unbelievable. If you were a modern person in the past, you would not believe this nonsense, but in this era, everyone is willing to believe the Lord's words.
This is why Gan Ning only needed to say "I am a general, and I will not hesitate to die. How can you be afraid?" and then he was able to create the myth of "a hundred cavalry robbed Cao's camp". This is also why You Chu only needed to say "You are taking over the prefect." "After surrendering", let the entire Longxi County defend and wait for Cao Wei's reinforcements.
Because in this era, what matters is that one should practice what one preaches.
But now, five days have passed, and it's time for Wen Qin to fulfill his promise.
Wen Qin also knew, and he knew even more that in the current situation, he had no choice. On the morning of the sixth day, Wen Qin ordered to summon all the soldiers, opened the gate of the village, and allowed them to leave the camp and surrender. Shu army.
As for himself, Wen Qin still has to stick to the camp and fight until the last moment.
(End of chapter)
