The Qianshan Mountains connect Changbai Mountain to the northeast and enter the Bohai Sea to the southwest, forming the ridge pillar of the Liaodong hills, showing a northeast and southwest trend; its overall pattern is wide in the north and narrow in the south, high in the middle and low at both ends, with gentle southeast slopes and steep northwest slopes. This is also This means that it is easy for the Goguryeo army to come up from the Yalu River, but it is difficult for the Sui army to go up from the Liaodong Plain.
Speaking of which, this mountain range is not too high, and the highest altitude is only about a thousand meters above sea level. However, the terrain of this mountain range is extremely dangerous and rugged; especially the Motian Ridge located in the middle of the entire mountain range, from the foot of Xishan Mountain to The more than 40 miles of mountain road at the top of the mountain is very winding and steep. If you go from the top of the mountain to the east below, it will be another 30 to 40 miles of winding and steep roads.
Lishan City was built at the west foot of Motian Ridge. In front of the city gate is the Tang River Valley and behind it is the Blue River Valley. The main peak of Motian Ridge is behind the Blue River Valley, and behind it is a small river flowing from south to north and from north to south. The watershed of Caohe River in the upper reaches of Wugu River, and Lianshanguan Pass, are built on the watershed. Therefore, strictly speaking, Lishan City has been separated from the scope of Motianling, but belongs to the "Motianling Section" of Qianshan Mountain Range.
The Tanghe River Valley in front of the city is a fertile hilly plain. Goguryeo has already turned it into fertile farmland for the defenders. Coupled with the output of the Blue River Valley behind the city, it not only allows the defenders in the city and their families to be self-sufficient. It also fed more than 3,000 households in the city.
The river valley is long from north to south and narrow from east to west. A straight mountain road leads directly from the west of the river valley to Xiongguan on the mountain. However, although the slowly upward road is not steep, it is only about a hundred steps wide, and there are steep mountain walls on both the north and south sides. Therefore, no matter how many troops the invading enemy has, they can only deploy troops according to the width of this road to attack the city, while the defenders can release arrows and roll wood and rocks from all directions.
At dusk, there were loud killings in front of the city. The mountain road was filled with corpses wearing civilian clothes, and the strong smell of blood filled the sky.
These Goguryeo people were all "death squads" captured by the Sui army from nearby villages and towns, including men, women, old and young. Under the threat of the Sui army's butcher's knife behind them, they could only carry simple wooden shields to withstand the pouring arrows. Rolling wood and rocks rushed forward with all their might,
The farmland on both sides of the mountain road at the foot of the mountain had been filled to the ground by the Sui army. Yang Lun stood on a sentry tower to watch the battle, frowning as he watched the "death squads" suffer increasing casualties under the suppression of the Goguryeo defenders' trebuchets and bows and arrows, and felt fiercely in his heart. After twitching for a few times, he said in a deep voice for a long time: "Ming Jin withdraws his troops and fights again tomorrow!"
"Dang, Dang, Dang!" The crisp sound of Ming Jin made the Goguryeo people who were forced to act as death squads breathe a sigh of relief. The remaining morale was released and they retreated like a tide.
Gao Huizhen, who was at the gate of the city, saw that although the "Sui Army" under the city retreated, the troops behind them retreated without chaos. There was no opportunity to take advantage of it. Although he had the intention to send troops out of the city to chase and kill, he also knew that if he launched a hasty attack at this moment, only those who would die would be killed. They would be the Goguryeo people sandwiched between the two armies, and if he went to fight, he would play into the hands of the enemy general. Seeing the Sui army retreating to the military camp outside the river valley, he also ordered the troops to retreat.
Looking at the relieved soldiers, Gao Huizhen sighed secretly. Although his own strength was 7,000 more than the 5,000 Sui troops outside the city, except for the more than 6,000 troops brought by him and Gao Xinggong, the rest were unbearable. The former garrison of the First World War was actually transferred to Liaodong City. The 6,000 garrison of Lishan City today are either common people in the city or people who came to seek refuge from nearby villages and towns.
Although the Sui army had a small number of troops, they only relied on their unstoppable momentum and prestige to make their own soldiers uneasy. If a war broke out, Gao Huizhen did not know what his chances of winning were.
Gao Huizhen sent her soldiers to a distance to be on guard, and said to Gao Xinggong beside her: "Now the Sui army is as powerful as a rainbow, and our army has not won a single battle since the beginning of the war, and our morale and morale are at a loss. We are even more sincere. After being defeated on the battlefield and retreating, I think it is better to avoid the enemy for the time being and defend the city. What do you think of this respectfully?"
Although Gao Xinggong next to him was only the commander of Gao Yuan's guards, he had led troops to defeat Baekje and Silla armies many times. He was also considered a capable and good general in Goguryeo. Seeing no one around, he Gao Huizhen's soldiers were on guard from a distance, so they said: "This method is feasible."
"General Xinggong, what are your thoughts?" Gao Huizhen is Gao Huidun's younger brother. He is only in his twenties. Although his status is higher than Gao Xinggong's, he has been serving as a deputy general next to his brother. He has no experience as a general in an army, but He didn't know how to do it, but Gao Xinggong next to him was stronger than him, and he was from the same race, so he didn't feel ashamed when he asked for advice.
"My idea is to let the retired soldiers and young people in the city take turns to defend the city and adapt to the battlefield. By the time the Sui army loses all its energy, the soldiers in the city will be able to defend the city alone, but the 6,000 elite soldiers will have been rested, and the morale and morale of the army will also decline. We're back. At that time, we will send elite troops out of the city to confront the Sui army." Gao Xinggong thought for a moment and then said: "The people in the city were affected by the defeat at the front, and they were already in panic. The Sui army came to the city again this time, and the people's The panic is understandable, but for the front-line war, only when the rear is stable, can our army have no worries and fight the Sui army with all its strength! So we can ask the queen to come forward. The queen is the mother of a country. If she is willing, she will soon It can calm down the morale of the military and the people."
"This... this is the frontline of the battle after all, and it is extremely dangerous. I plan to send the queen and prince to Lianshan City tomorrow." Gao Huizhen frowned and said: "If the queen comes forward, wouldn't it be very dangerous?"
Gao Xinggong sighed and smiled bitterly: "The danger is definitely very dangerous. I also agree with the general's idea of sending the queen and prince away. As long as they are sent away, we can free our hands and feet to fight the Sui army. But the problem is in the city The soldiers and civilians all know they are here. If they avoid it or leave quietly, what will the people think? What will the soldiers think?"
Gao Huizhen was silent after hearing this. He knew that Lishan City was in its most panic moment. If the queen and prince abandoned the city and fled, the soldiers and people in the city would definitely think that Lishan City was hopeless and undefendable. There will definitely be more chaos, and the only will to resist will be reduced to nothing.
"I want to wait until the soldiers and the people have adapted to the war and passed the most panic stage before sending the queen and others away." After looking at Gao Huizhen, who was worried about gains and losses, and hesitating, Gao Xinggong said: "With the current war situation, From the perspective of city defense, it won't be a problem for us to defend it for ten days and a half. And the time for the army and the people to adapt to the war is only three to five days. Three to five days is not a long time, and it will not affect the safety of the queen and others. "
Gao Huizhen hesitated for a while and said, "That's fine, just follow General Xing Gong's words."
"In addition, we need to contact Lianshan City to prepare them for the war and to welcome the queen and princes. We also need to contact Wugu City downstream to let them know about the war here, so as to avoid panic when the war suddenly comes. Gao Xinggong suggested again.
"Well, I'll send someone over right now." Gao Huizhen followed suit. Write the letters now and send them to Lianshanguan and Wugu City respectively.
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The wind at dusk blew the flag of the Sui army's camp, and the big word "Sui" sounded in the strong wind, with a bit of sharp color.
The army of the Sui Dynasty had 5,000 men, mainly composed of miscellaneous soldiers from the Youzhou Navy. They were either fishermen or water pirates before joining the army, and their quality in all aspects was far inferior to that of the regular army. They have been fighting here for two days, and the morale of the soldiers has changed from high at the beginning to low.
Yang Lun looked at Xiongguan in front of him, and suddenly said with some frustration: "King of Medicine, Haokai, am I useless?"
Medicine King is Li Duan's nickname, and he is also Li Jing's eldest brother. He is also a powerful figure. He and his uncle Han Hong defeated the Turkic army many times in Dingxiang, Mayi, and Yanmen with a small number, and established the Sui Dynasty. He made great contributions and was awarded the title of Duke of Yongkang County for his merits.
In the first year of Renshou, Bujia Khan led an army of more than 100,000 people to invade the fortress. Han Hong and others were captured in Hengan, Yanmen. Because they were outnumbered and surrounded by Turkic troops on all sides, Han Hong was severely wounded and the soldiers were dejected. They had no choice but to , had to pretend to make peace with the Turks, and when the other party relaxed a little, Han Hong and others led their troops to break out. Most of the army was killed, but they killed many times more than the enemy. However, Han Hong was also criticized for the temporary peace talks, and some people even accused them of surrendering to the Turks, which eventually led to Han Hong, Li Duan, Liu Long and other generals being dismissed from their posts. After an investigation, the court cleared their names. Make them generals and officials.
Li Duan first served as a general in the Fourteenth Army of Guanzhong. Later, during the military reform, Yang Guang merged the Fourteenth Army of Guanzhong into the Twelfth Army of Guanzhong. Li Duan's Xianyang Army was one of the annexed armies, so Yang Guang transferred him He was a soldier in Jizhou.
Xingwen's name was Gao Xingwen, Gao Junya's second son; he was also a member of the second generation of Wei who did not want to serve as an official; in this battle, he, Xue Wanche, Mai Mengcai, Qian Jie, Wang Haokai and others were transferred by Yang Ji Yang Lun's subordinates came. Mai Mengcai and Qian Jie now lead five thousand soldiers to guard Langu City in the Liaodong Peninsula; Xue Wanche and Wang Haokai are stationed in Gaimu City and Anshi City.
"Why does the king say that?" Li Duan is skilled in bow and horse, brave and good at fighting. As Yang Lun's deputy general, he is helping Yang Lun manage this army.
"King Wei annihilated 200,000 to 300,000 Goguryeo elite soldiers in the north, and finally pushed the troops to the Liaodong City area. How dazzling was this achievement? And I..." Yang Lun sighed and said with a sense of disappointment: "And as a The deputy general manager of the march is stumped by the small town in front of him. He really deserves the title of general and brother in vain."
"Yang Gong also said many times before his death that King Wei was born in the wrong era. If they were of the same generation, how could he, Yang Su, have the reputation of a military god. Since Yang Gong passed away, our Sui army has all respected King Wei. In this world, Among the generals, in terms of great achievements and small losses, who is qualified to compare with King Wei?" Li Duan smiled and comforted: "Besides, Lishan City occupies a dangerous terrain and has more troops than us. And our army Before the soldiers joined the army, they were all a ragtag group without fighting formations. It was not a problem for them to fight with the wind, but it was obviously a bit difficult for them to turn the tide and overcome the dangerous pass where the elite troops were stationed. But our siege equipment will be ready tomorrow morning Once it is built, we can launch an attack on Lishan City in the afternoon."
After a pause, Li Duan continued: "After our army captured Gaimu City and Anshi City, the entrances to the Bohai Road and the Qianshan-Bisha River Road have fallen into the hands of our army. If Gao Yuan wants to withdraw his troops, either Send a large army to seize the second city, or send troops to rescue Lishan City. But the purpose of King Wei is to catch all the Goguryeo monarchs and ministers headed by Gao Yuan. He will definitely not let the tiger return to the mountain, let alone Gaimu City and Anshi City fall into the hands of the enemy, otherwise , he will not let us cross the sea to capture these two cities. Lishan City is backed by two short roads, and there are Gao Yuan family scrolls in the city. Its significance is no less than the first two cities. If King Wei knew that we could not If we conquer it from the front, we will definitely send troops to help.”
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Gao Xingwen also said: "We have sent the message to the north. Once King Wei knows about the two roads connecting the north and the south behind Lishan City, he will definitely make big moves."
Of course, Yang Lun didn't lose his fighting spirit because the Lishan City in front of him was difficult to conquer. He just felt a moment of emotion and loss. At this time, after listening to the words of the two people, he suppressed the sadness in his heart.
He pondered for a long time, looked at Li Duan, and said: "Goguryeo still has 60,000 troops in Jian'an City, but we do not have enough troops in Gaimu City and Anshi City. If the enemy army invades in large numbers, I am afraid that the young and energetic Xue Wanche will He and Wang Haokai will not be able to take on the important task. I plan to return to Anshi City to deal with the very likely war. What do you think, King Yao?"
"It should be so!" Li Duan nodded and said: "Lishan City is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It cannot be conquered in one day. If possible, leave this place to General Mo and General Gao."
The two roads behind Lishan City cannot allow the army to march at all. They are far less important than the Bohai Road and the "Qianshan-Bisha River" road behind Gaimu City and Anshi City. Those two roads are very flat and wide. , which is conducive to the march. If Gao Yuan wants to lead the army back to the hinterland, the only way is to attack Gaimu City and Anshi City.
But for the Sui army, these two cities are equally important. If the two cities are lost, not only will Gao Yuan escape and the Liaodong Peninsula fall into the hands of the enemy again, but the Sui army will most likely be blocked in front of the two cities, and eventually the Sui army will be blocked. The blitzkrieg turned into a war of attrition. Therefore, Yang Lun, the deputy general manager of the march, went back to take charge at this time, which was actually the wisest decision.
"I also plan to let you stay here, and I will leave Lishan City to you two to conquer." Yang Lun smiled slightly: "I will take my soldiers back later."
"General, I will obey the order!" Li Duan and Gao Xingwen clasped their fists and obeyed the order.
"Da da da!" Just as the three of them were preparing to gather together to explain the situation, a scout captain came on horseback from a distance. Not far from him, a group of knights followed slowly.
When the school captain arrived, he dismounted from his horse and loudly reported to Yang Lun: "Your Majesty, we are marching to join the army. Ling Jing has been ordered to see the King of Wei."
"I know!" Yang Lun had already seen Ling Jing dismounting and walking towards him. Behind him, there was a group of soldiers disguised as men. One of them was Yang Ji's concubine Murong Xianyue, and there were two huge soldiers. Gyrfalcons circled over them.
"Ling Jing, a humble official, is here to see Prince Teng!" Ling Jing stepped forward and saluted Yang Lun.
"Ling Jingjun is exempt from courtesy!" Ling Jing is not only the chief historian and deputy general manager in the official system of Prince Wei, but also one of Yang Ji's most important plotters. Yang Lun naturally knows him. He waved the scout captain to retreat. Curiously, he asked Ling Jing: "Ling Canjun is not with King Wei to make suggestions at this time, so why did he come to Lishan City?"
"Your Majesty! I am here on the order of King Wei. Here is a combat order." Ling Jing handed the combat order to Yang Lun and saluted Li Duan and Gao Xingwen.
Li Duan didn't know Ling Jing and just returned the gift with cupped fists. However, Gao Xingwen not only knew Ling Jing, but also saw the power of Ling Jing and quickly returned the gift as a disciple.
Yang Lun took out the letter and read it ten lines at a time. But it was Yang Ji who asked him to divide his troops into three groups: one to defend Gaimou and Anshi City, and the other to capture Lishan City. The last step is the most critical, which is to let them send 10,000 fine cavalry to roam outside to fight the invading Goguryeo army in Jian'an City. They also have Zong Luohu and Xue Wanjun lead 6,000 cavalry to assist in the battle.
After reading the letter, Yang Lun smiled and said to Ling Jing: "We also have this plan, it can be said that we coincided with each other. It's just that we are worried about the lack of regular soldiers here. King Wei will support me with 6,000 soldiers and horses at this time. Our urgent need has been met. With the assistance of these six thousand troops, we will be under much less pressure and will be able to complete all tasks. Go back and tell King Wei..."
Ling Jing smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, King Wei is here too, so I don't need to go back. As for this battle order, I just brought it with me."
"Ah?" Yang Lun was stunned for a moment. After a moment, he frowned and said: "This is really nonsense. How can the leader of an army go to the front line personally?"
"For the Battle of Liaodong, King Wei has handed over the responsibility to the deputy general manager Yang Yichen." Ling Jing explained the arrangements of the "Chinese Army" exactly, and then said: "For Lishan City, King Wei has formulated a plan to 'fight the tiger tonight' 'Plan, and has personally led an army to sneak into the mountains behind Lishan City, but he is still waiting for our news at this time, and also asked the king to inform me of the specific situation of Lishan City to facilitate King Wei's deployment."
Yang Lun looked at Ling Jing doubtfully and asked, "Is it still late tonight?"
"Mrs. Murong has her own way of informing King Wei, and everything will be done in time." Ling Jing nodded and said, "Your Majesty just needs to explain the enemy's situation and cooperate."
"That's good!" Seeing his determined expression, Yang Lun didn't hesitate to ask more questions.
