As the sun set in the west, when the golden bell rang, the attacking Qin army retreated like a tide, dragging their tired bodies back to the military camp.
The blood-stained city walls are even more dazzling under the setting sun. The broken limbs and broken arms are all over the ground, and the painful moans can be heard everywhere, which can be said to be a complete interpretation of the words "human life is like a piece of grass".
Zhao Tuo looked at this scene from a distance and felt happy in his heart.
"Wuyang, which was guarded by defeated soldiers, was able to resist the Qin army for nearly a month. Fortunately, Wang Jian did not attack in the cold winter, otherwise I don't know how many people died."
Under the leadership of Qin Wuji, Wuyang City was as solid as a rock, blocking the Qin army's advance into Yandi.
Only by capturing this city can the Qin army gallop into the Dukang wilderness in the rear without any scruples. Otherwise, it will be like being choked, and part of the army will be tightly restrained here and unable to attack Jidu with all its strength.
Because the city was too strong, and the residents in the city were all old people of Yan, they all tried their best to defend their homes in the face of the Qin army's attack. As a result, the Qin army under Wang Jian attacked the city for almost a month, and all the troops attacked repeatedly. Still failed to capture Wuyang City.
However, it was not without gains. Under the repeated attacks of the Qin army's various siege equipment such as anemone, carts, ladders, and even catapults. The soldiers in Wuyang City suffered heavy casualties, and almost everyone was injured. It seemed that it would take at least another month to break through.
But Wang Jian couldn't wait any longer. Not only was the Qin army's casualties caused by the siege a lot, but also because King Yan and his son did not sit back and wait for death. They once again forcibly conquered the people of the country, and all men from every household went into battle. At the same time, they launched a diplomatic offensive to connect the three kingdoms of Qi, Chu, and Wei. , and even important officials within the Qin State, intending to put pressure on the King of Qin.
Whether Yan's diplomatic strategy is effective or not is not mentioned for the moment.
But Yan Wangxi's conscription did put pressure on the Qin army.
After all, the Yan State is one of the seven heroes of the Warring States Period. Even the weakest one has more than two million citizens. Now it has risen in power. It does not say that it has an army of 400,000 like the Zhao State in the Changping Battle, but 100,000 people. There are also some.
Therefore, Wang Jian wanted to break through the capital of Wuyang and take Jicheng directly before the new army of Yan State was assembled.
"Captain, what do you think we are escorting these prisoners for? Could it be that the general wants these prisoners to attack the city?"
Black Buttocks followed Zhao Tuo and asked carelessly, but fortunately, he now also knew that among all the people, there was a need to talk about respect and inferiority. Among everyone, he no longer dared to call A Tuo, but called Zhao Tuo the village chief.
During the nearly one month when the army besieged Wuyang, Zhao Tuo and other wounded soldiers stayed in the camp in Nanyishui to recuperate. After all, the level of medical care in this era is limited. Once injured, it is basically impossible to go to the battlefield until the wound heals.
And even if the injury is not fatal, there is still a fear of subsequent wound infection and death.
Fortunately, Zhao Tuo and others survived, and the weather had just begun spring and was not too hot. The wounds healed fortunately, and there was no microbial infection. Except for Zhu, who was seriously injured and remained in the rear, these wounded soldiers reorganized, added more men to fill the vacancies, and went to the battlefield.
As expected, Zhao Tuo was promoted to a military official at the level of a village commander with the title of third-level hairpin, and could command his fifty soldiers.
When you become a commander, you naturally have to appoint subordinate commanders and corps commanders, just like how Liang Guang, the commander of the camp, appointed Zhu as commander. Only with subordinate military officials can you achieve layer-by-layer management, like an arm and a finger.
Zhao Tuo followed the nepotism tradition of his ancestors and appointed Shejian, Xiaobai, Heihipu, and even Xiqigu who were originally Gengshi chiefs.
Several people now have the title of Duke, and their promotions are in compliance with legal procedures.
Although some soldiers who also had the title of Duke were not convinced, there was nothing they could do. Who could make them not Zhao Tuo's cronies.
The new Shiwu was formed and continued to be under the command of the original Hundred General Lu Wu.
Although General Lu Bai was also promoted to one level in this battle, it was a pity that the military rank higher up, the Five Hundred Lord, did not need to charge into battle. At the level of the Five Hundred Lord, he was mainly responsible for commanding, commanding his Hundred Generals, It was enough for the commander to lead the charge, so there were basically no casualties, so there was naturally no vacancy for General Lu Bai to take his place.
General Lu Bai is still a general.
After the establishment was completed, their reserve force received a reinforcement order from the general and escorted a group of Yan Army prisoners.
Looking at the prisoners beside them, they were advancing honestly under the threat of the Qin army's spears and halberds. Zhao Tuo did not directly answer Heiyi's question, but looked at the other chiefs and asked: "Why do you think the general ordered the prisoners to be escorted here?"
"Ah? I think we might just let these prisoners attack the city. With so many people, they can at least consume the arrows and logs in the city." Xiaobai expressed his thoughts.
Zhao Tuo smiled and said nothing.
Xiqigu thought for a moment and said, "I guess the general may want to behead these prisoners in front of the city to intimidate the soldiers in the city and scare them into surrender."
Zhao Tuo nodded slightly, Xiqigu's words were one level higher than Xiaobai's.
But that's not right either.
These days, there are indeed cases of killing prisoners in front of the city and intimidating the soldiers in the city. But that situation generally only works when the morale of the troops in the city is unstable and the defenders are timid.
Now Qin Wuji vowed to defend the city to the death and was not afraid of threats at all. The soldiers and people in the city were also afraid of being massacred by the Qin army, so they resisted desperately. If Wang Jian massacred the prisoners in front of Wuyang City, it would only make the soldiers and people in the city more determined to resist.
Just like when Tian Dan tricked General Yan into cutting off the noses of captives outside Jimo City, not only did he not scare the people in the city, but he aroused hatred and ended in a huge defeat.
Wang Jian is a veteran in fighting and would not be able to do such a thing.
Zhao Tuo's eyes finally fell on Shejian, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
She Jian frowned and finally said: "The prisoners of the Yan army escorted this time are all people who can write or are eloquent. I'm afraid it has something to do with this."
Zhao Tuo nodded, Shejian was indeed a person who paid attention to details.
These prisoners of the Yan army who were escorted were all carefully selected. They were either those who could write the Yan language, or those who were eloquent and eloquent.
Another thing Shejian may not have noticed is that many of these prisoners of Yan State have relatives and brothers in Wuyang City.
From the perspective of Zhao Tuo's later generations, Wang Jian should have switched to the technique of attacking the heart when he saw that forceful attack could not succeed.
…
Camp.
"General, the prisoners of the Yan army have arrived in the camp." Deputy General Xin Sheng reported.
Wang Jian laughed loudly: "Okay, now that the prisoners have arrived, Wuyang City can be conquered just around the corner."
"Sun Tzu said: The first step is to attack the enemy, the second step is to attack the enemy, the second step is to attack the army, and then the next step is to attack the city. I was confused before and only focused on attacking the city, but violated the taboo of military strategists."
Xin Sheng said quickly: "General, please don't blame yourself. It's all because Wuyang City is too strong. If it had been replaced by another small city, with the strength of our army, it would have been defeated in one battle."
Wang Jian waved his hand and said: "Don't comfort me, I am indeed old. Go ahead and let the prisoners write on silk and shoot them into the city. Then let them go to the city day and night to preach that the soldiers and people in the city must surrender. You don’t have to kill, but if you want to resist to the end, then when the city is broken, massacre it!”
"only!"
Xin Sheng received the order and went out to supervise the matter.
Wang Jian looked outside the camp and saw the flags fluttering in the wind.
"Qin Wuji, you swear to defend the city to the death. But are the other people in the city also determined to die?"
