In three days, the Turks fired a total of 100,000 stone bombs and 20,000 kerosene bombs at Zijin Pass, and a staggering 150,000 giant crossbow arrows. Above the Zijin Pass City, everything was damaged and in a mess.
The soldiers of the Fifth Army of Zhenjiang lost more than two thousand people before they even got close to the enemy. They were all injured by crossbow arrows, stones and flames.
In contrast, the situation of the Turks is even worse.
One hundred and seventeen long-range weapons were destroyed, and nearly 4,000 soldiers were killed or injured. Especially in the Giant Crossbow Division, more than thirty officers above the small flag were killed on the spot, all of them experienced aimers.
However, the Temple Prince was quite satisfied with the results. Remote suppression has achieved its intended purpose.
Looking at the city walls that were smashed by stones, Ronya issued a new order: the Fifth Golden Legion and the Ghost Dou Legion entered the attack position and prepared to carry out a night attack tonight!
The protagonist of the night attack is none other than the five thousand poisonous soldier monsters newly refined by Ge Shuxuan.
After receiving the order, the two legions immediately began to act separately. Under the cover of giant crossbows and bows and arrows, the fifth legion of the Golden Tribe formed four large square formations and advanced to the vicinity of the Zijin Pass defensive trench, making an offensive stance.
The Ghost Dou clan followed them and escorted the poison soldiers to the forward position in batches.
At the same time, 20,000 warriors from the Changsheng tribe began to drive carriages to transport sand, earth and stones.
The Turks planned carefully and methodically, showing extremely high military qualities.
All this was seen by the Zhenjiang Army in Zijinguan.
Xu Youchang responded tit for tat. While ordering the giant crossbows and trebuchets to continue shooting at the Turks to suppress their actions, Xu Youchang asked the craftsmen and civilians to step up repairs of the damaged fortifications.
The Fifth Army of Zhenjiang is fully alert and ready.
"Tell the brothers that the Turkic ghosts will definitely move at night and will most likely send out poisonous soldiers." Xu Youchang ordered: "Show me the spirit of a giant stone army and beat up the invading enemies!"
The leader of the Fifth Army is Xiong Yunjie from Shengtang.
Xiong Yunjie was born in the forward battalion of the Xuanjia Army. He was originally just a little-known cavalry school, but he was brave and talented in combat, and he made many military exploits during his several years in Western Xinjiang.
Especially during the second Western Xinjiang Allied Forces crusade against Metasequoia, he commanded the 7th Battalion of the First Army to ambush Turkic Deputy Marshal Mohadi, took the lead in entering the core of the enemy's formation, completely disrupted the formation of the Turkic elite, and assisted Xu Youchang to kill him on the spot. The head of the Thirteen Iron-Blooded Eagles.
Li Jiangyao admired this young man from the south of the Yangtze River very much, and because he was a subordinate of Elder Xu You, he deliberately trained Xiong Yunjie and promoted him many times. At the darkest moment when the Turkic army came to Western Xinjiang, he directly organized the giant stone The heavy responsibility of the Fifth Army was entrusted to him.
Xiong Yunjie also lived up to the trust and cultivation given by the Protector.
Since he became the commander-in-chief, he has been working conscientiously and not daring to be negligent for even a moment. Under his strict leadership, the Fifth Army has become increasingly stronger.
However, there is one thing that always bothers Xiong Yunjie, and he is very unwilling to do so.
That matter was what Xu Youchang had mentioned to Li Jiangyao before, about the Sixth Army.
The Fifth Army and the Sixth Army were established at the Yarumqi Mountain Fortress at the same time. They were the fire of hope ignited by the Xinjiang Army in the most difficult period.
This pair of troops, like twin brothers, have supported and competed with each other since they were born.
The Fifth Army was short of food, so the Sixth Army tightened its belts and saved its own rations to send to its brothers; the Sixth Army had no medicine, so the Fifth Army's own wounded endured the pain and provided precious medicinal materials to the other side.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the Fifth Army and the Sixth Army are one family.
However, when it comes to drills and training, the two legions are always secretly competing with each other, chasing after each other, and neither one surrenders to the other.
In the last Zijin Pass battle, the Fifth Army was ordered to take over from the Third Army and boarded the city to defend. Xiong Yunjie was extremely excited at that time. Unexpectedly, the headquarters suddenly decided to send troops out of the city to meet the enemy. The Sixth Army, which was originally on the waiting list, got the chance to take the field first, and with the honor of being the commander's personal soldiers, it directly repelled the elite cavalry of the Turkic Golden Third Army. , became famous in one battle.
After that, General Du Jian's main force came from Shengyuguan to join the battle. One hundred thousand Western Xinjiang subordinate troops defected in front of the formation. The Turks withdrew their troops urgently because of the fall of Wuguan. The Fifth Army did not even have a decent tough battle. Once caught, the battle is over.
Xiong Yunjie and the soldiers of the Fifth Army felt extremely aggrieved.
After the war, when Jigrizi, the commander-in-chief of the Sixth Army, ran to look for Xiong Yunjie with a big grin on his face, Xiong Yunjie turned away and ignored him.
Xiong Yunjie was not angry with Jigrizi, he was angry with himself and the bad luck of himself and the Fifth Army.
However, this time, their luck is finally getting better.
Before the war started today, Xu Shuai specially sent someone to call Xiong Yunjie and conveyed to him the order of the Protector-General: the Fifth Army alone would be responsible for the task of defending Zijin Pass, and the Eighth Army would serve as their reserve. The First Army, Third Army, Sixth Army and Ninth Army will not participate in the defensive campaign.
Xu Youchang asked Xiong Yunjie, can you do it with 300,000 enemies on the opposite side?
Xiong Yunjie didn't hesitate at all: OK!
You can do it, can the Fifth Army do it?
The Fifth Army has no problem!
Xiong Yunjie's eyes widened and he stared at Xu Youchang, for fear that the old boss would not believe him.
Xu Youchang sighed softly.
Brother, do you understand what this mission means?
Understood, Xiong Yunjie smiled.
"You don't understand!" Xu Youchang said solemnly: "This means that the Fifth Army must bear a huge cost of casualties, and it is very likely that... it will be disabled."
Xiong Yunjie responded calmly: "Shuai Xu, I understand it all, and I believe the soldiers all understand it too. Let alone maiming, or destroying all, our Fifth Army is also willing to do it!"
Xu Youchang didn't say anything else. He knew his old subordinate very well:
Loyal and brave.
The Fifth Army, like their general, is a group of tough guys.
To be honest, in Xu Youchang's view, the Fifth Army's combat power is not the strongest among the Zhenjiang Army.
The top elites are the Ghost Face White Robe Army and the First Gale Army.
The top-notch teams are the veteran Second Army, Third Army, Fourth Army, and the up-and-coming Sixth Army.
The Fifth Army is similar to the Seventh Army and the Eighth Army. It is of average level, neither good nor bad. The newly integrated Ninth Army is still in the observation period.
Li Jiangyao's plan is the strategy of "lower horse versus upper horse" in horse racing. Let the Fifth Army and the Eighth Army, which have average combat capabilities, fight against each other, rely on solid fortifications, and try to overwhelm Ronya's elite troops.
When the main Turkic force was exhausted, all the aces of the Zhenjiang Army came on stage and launched a massive counterattack.
Xu Youchang knew very well that this would mean sacrificing the Fifth Army or even the Eighth Army.
And Xiong Yunjie also knew this. However, he did not hesitate or complain about it.
For the sake of the Suppressing Army and for victory, the Fifth Army can never look back.
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The sound of footsteps came continuously from the darkness.
Although it was at night, the Turks' actions could not be regarded as a sneak attack. Because the poison soldier monsters are not very controlled, and they cannot sneak close to the city like real warriors.
Driven by the ghost soldiers, they braved the constant arrows from above, crossed the ditch with the help of temporary wooden bridges, and surged up several gaps in the city wall that had not yet been repaired.
To put it bluntly, this is pure suicide.
However, before dying, they had to drag the defenders to death together.
Passionate shouts and shrill roars suddenly resounded through the Zijin Pass city. Thousands of poison soldiers, strongly stimulated by the poison, rushed forward like crazy, scratching, biting and tearing at the soldiers of the Fifth Army, not caring at all about the swords and guns stabbing them.
Xiong Yunjie commanded Ruoding. While he asked archers and giant crossbowmen to block the enemy's follow-up troops from approaching the city wall, he dispatched pre-prepared commandos to reinforce the gaps in the city wall.
The Turks didn't seem to care much about such harassment. After sending the poisonous soldiers across the trench, the Ghost Dou clan held up their shields and withdrew to the rear. The fifth Golden Legion responsible for guarding symbolically advanced a certain distance, but it was only a hundred steps away, and they were still at the top of the city. out of range.
However, this is only superficial.
In addition to the poison soldiers frantically climbing up the city wall to attract the attention of the defenders, the engineers of the Changsheng tribe were also secretly busy. They hid in the camp of the Fifth Army and began to dig tunnels downward.
This time, the Turks forcibly recruited many Shengtang craftsmen in the Guanzhong area, especially those who were good at digging cave dwellings. The Turks learned from them the techniques of digging and drilling holes, as well as the methods of positioning and calibration. Coupled with the dexterous and strong tools, tunnel excavation progressed very efficiently.
Although the more than 5,000 poison soldiers responsible for sending people to death caused some trouble to Xiong Yunjie and the others, the poison soldiers lacked organization after all. They only knew how to blindly rush and pounce. Therefore, they did not last long and were gradually wiped out by the defenders. .
At this time, the engineers of the Immortal Clan had also created four secret tunnels, which were more than a hundred steps underground.
At this rate, it only takes three or four more nights before the tunnel can pass through the east wall of Zijin Pass and enter the interior of the city gate.
After listening to the report of the Immortal Clan general, Temple Prince Ronya nodded with satisfaction and ordered the Fifth Army Corps to stay in place for three days and continue to send troops in batches to attack the city gates to divert the attention of the defenders. The Immortal clan intensified their efforts to open the tunnel within two days.
The Fifth Golden Legion received the order and immediately organized their men to attack.
Under the cover of giant crossbows, trebuchets and archers, the cavalry of the fifth legion dismounted one after another, crossed the trench on foot, and advanced towards the city head.
Xiong Yunjie commanded the soldiers of Jushi's Fifth Army, who firmly defended the city wall and repelled four consecutive enemy offensives, causing heavy losses to the Turks.
However, experienced Li Jiangyao and Xu Youchang saw the clues.
The Turks are really too lazy.
Compared with the lifeless and bloody attack a year ago, the Turkic army seemed very calm and calm this time, or in other words, it felt like they were dealing with an errand.
"Friend Commander, with this attitude of the enemy, they must be holding back evil." Li Jiangyao thought, "Guess, what do they want to do?"
