Probably God couldn't bear to see the tragic and cruel scene in Jinzhou City and closed his eyes. Then it got dark, forcing both the offensive and defensive sides who were addicted to the war to calm down.
After a day of bloody battles, both Han and Liao suffered heavy casualties. After attacking and defending, they could only silently lick their wounds and wait for the next wave of battles.
The atmosphere in Jinzhou City was extremely depressing, and many Liao army guards seemed numb. They were fighting cruelly, almost annihilating their thoughts and humanity. After the high-intensity confrontation, the body was extremely tired, but the tense nerves did not relax at all. Even the newly prepared food could not arouse a trace of joy.
Although darkness had completely fallen, there was no moment of rest or silence on the city. A new group of guards came to the city, and Brother Yeluxiu personally arranged the night watch.
A large number of auxiliary soldiers and civilians were cleaning up the corpses, carrying equipment to defend the city, and craftsmen were repairing the damaged city walls and ordnance. The clear summer wind was blowing constantly, and the air seemed to be carrying the smell of the sea. The lights on the city released a dim light, which shone on the young and resolute face of Brother Yelvxiu.
Brother Yelu Xiu is not too old, less than thirty years old, but he is one of the few young talents in the Liao clan and the army. Not only is he of high birth, but he also became famous at a young age. He has followed various military operations of the Liao army since he was a child and accumulated a lot of experience. With war experience.
During the first Han-Liao War, he was in the army with his father Yeluwansi. Although he did not participate much, he had some knowledge of the Han army's tactics, which also provided him with many ideas in defensive operations. .
Up to now, Yelvxiu Ge's reputation for being resourceful and good at fighting has continued to spread among the Liao army. Yelu Xiezhen defied all opinions and put him in charge of the defense of Jinzhou. This was a bold decision after an investigation. You must know that facing hundreds of thousands of Han troops who are good at attacking difficulties, this kind of heavy responsibility and pressure is not something ordinary people can bear.
Judging from the current results, Brother Yelv Xiu has not failed to live up to the trust and importance of Yelu Xiezhen. Facing the menacing Han army, Ha did not show any timidity. From the beginning of the Han army's eastward march, they did not passively defend, but took the initiative. Whether it was the delay in the attack during the march or the calm command after the troops arrived at the city, they all showed their outstanding talents and excellent quality.
Even if the troops are currently trapped in the city, they are not passively defending the city. They dare to leave the city from time to time to give the Han army a "surprise" and disrupt the rhythm of the Han army's attack.
At the same time, he also sent several small groups of troops through the mountain trails in northwestern Liaoning, disappearing and harassing the Han army's logistics supply lines, causing a lot of trouble to the Han army, and forcing the Han army to increase the number of troops to transport military supplies.
However, these methods are only minor troubles after all. Although they have an impact, they do not shake the overall situation. Regarding this, after this period of offense and defense, Brother Yeluxiu himself knows it well.
For the defenders of Jinzhou City, Yelu Xiezhen originally assigned him 25,000 soldiers, including 7,000 cavalry. Only less than 20,000 people could be invested in defending the city.
Facing the powerful offensive of the Han army, Brother Yelu Xiu adopted a defensive strategy. Now, except for the cavalry, all the troops have taken turns, so he had to ask Yelu Xiezhen of Liaoyang for reinforcements. Due to the battle losses, Brother Yelvxiu even reorganized the remaining defenders in the city.
But what about the Han army outside the city? Thinking of this, brother Yelu Xiu couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. Having more troops was the biggest advantage of the Han army. This was even better than those sharp weapons. The continuous and fierce attack certainly caused a lot of casualties to the Han army. But compared to the overall strength of the Han army, how much is it worth? It probably only scratches the surface...
Under the city of Jinzhou, there were piles of corpses, both from the Liao army and the Han army. They were lying there quietly, and the Liao army did not even allow the Han army to clean them up.
In the past few days, it had affected the arrangement of the Han army under the city, forcing the Han army to withstand the attack on the city and clean up the corpses. As the weather gets hotter and hotter, corpses will rot and diseases will arise, which forces the Han army to do something. It is also one of the many troubles Brother Yelvxiu has caused to the Han army.
However, Brother Yelvxiu did not have any complacency or pride in this. He clearly realized in his mind that the severe situation had not changed at all.
The troops in the city are still sufficient, and the food is sufficient, but the consumption of ordnance far exceeds the remaining materials of Brother Yelvxiu. The extravagant tactics were somewhat difficult for the Liao army to handle. They could not use bows and crossbows as freely as the Han army did...
Once the ordnance in the city is exhausted, the most difficult days will begin. He has already requested a supply of ordnance from Liaoyang, but after all, the supply is not unlimited.
The workshops in Liaoyang were rushing to build them. In Jinzhou City, Brother Yeluxiu even organized some people to borrow the crossbow arrows shot by the Han army in the city to repair and use them.
The lights on the city were swaying in the night wind, and Brother Yelvxiu's mood was just like the lights that flickered on and off. Looking outside the city, the huge and endless fortress of the Han army was even more intimidating under the cover of night.
He received the latest order from Liaoyang, a strict order to stay in Jinzhou for another three months! Three months! Brother Yelvxiu knows that the past offense and defense have been difficult enough, but the more difficult ones are yet to come.
The soldiers of the Han army are brave and fearless, and the generals are well-organized. Facing such an opponent, it is not easy to resist them...
Outside the city, the Han army's camps were distributed in companies. The fortresses were connected in a very hierarchical manner. They were not far from the city walls, leaving enough room for the deployment of troops and equipment under the city, and minimizing the space for the Liao army to attack.
A ten-foot-wide trench lay across the front of the camp, and the hardwood boards used for passage had been removed. This was specifically designed to harass the Liao cavalry during night raids. As the camp envoy, Zhang Yongde, after arranging a new round of defense, especially the protection of the heavy siege weapons, went to the Chinese military commander's tent with a somewhat heavy heart.
In the Han camp, the lights are relatively dense. No matter how dim the light is, it can still give the soldiers some psychological comfort. Most of the soldiers, after eating, followed military regulations, stayed in their tents, and rested silently. In the front camp near Jinzhou City, except for the sounds of routine patrols by soldiers, there was no other movement.
Compared with the soldiers at the middle and lower levels, as the brain center of this army, the generals responsible for leading the battle were not allowed a moment's rest. In the Chinese army's tent, a group of generals gathered together to conduct a summary meeting on today's attack and defense.
Prince Liu Yang naturally occupied the commanding position, with Zhao Kuangyin and Gao Huaide occupying the left and right positions respectively. Under him were senior generals such as Zhang Yongde, Liu Guangyi, Dang Jin, Ma Renyu, and Li Hanqiong.
Due to the failure of the siege, everyone looked unhappy, especially Zhao Kuangyin. As the commander-in-chief responsible for specific command, he was also under the greatest pressure.
Although he has never expressed it, he has already developed a lot of fear for the Liao general Yelu Xiu who brought huge resistance to the army. As a veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time, what is the opponent's ability and means? After this period of time, During the confrontation, I already had a fair judgment in mind.
Liu Yang was sitting on the commander's seat, and his young face was silent. It was not that he had not experienced war. During the Northern Expedition, he also visited the battlefield. Those bloody and cruel scenes are still vivid in his mind.
It's just that I was still young at that time, so other than my instinctive fear and panic, I didn't have any deep feelings. But it's different now. He is the commander-in-chief of the army. He is also nominally responsible for the Northern Expedition. He is mentally prepared for the bloodshed and sacrifices and will not be frightened. However, behind the bloody siege, he also feels tremendous pressure. .
After making eye contact with Liu Yang, Zhao Kuangyin looked at Wang Qian, secretary of the camp, and asked in a deep voice: "How many casualties will there be in today's attack on the city?"
Wang Qian was the eldest son of Wang Pu and was the Duke of Yan State. He was of low rank and nobility in this commander's office and could not be proud at all. Faced with Zhao Kuangyin's question, he respectfully replied: "According to statistics, 763 people were killed, and there were minor and serious injuries." 1,352 people were the heaviest casualties since the war began!"
"The casualties are too heavy!" Zhao Kuangyin took a deep breath and said!
That's right, including the auxiliary soldiers and Ding Zhuang, they have nearly 300,000 soldiers, but they can't withstand such heavy casualties every day. Jinzhou is just the beginning, and there are bigger battles to be fought later. The key is that if the city is defeated for a long time and suffers such casualties, morale will inevitably be hit. If it affects the morale of the army, the problem will be more serious.
In this regard, all the generals were silent. It was okay for others not to speak, but Ma Renyu, who was in charge of the front-line command, had to speak. He stood up and said to Liu Yang in a heavy tone: "The last general's command was ineffective and he was unable to attack the city, which resulted in these casualties. , please punish me, Your Highness!"
Upon seeing this, Liu Yang hurriedly spoke to comfort: "The general risked his life and went to the battle line in person. He has tried his best. The soldiers also fought hard and did their best. The attack on the city was fruitless because the enemy army was too tenacious and the Liao thieves resisted tenaciously. The fault is not the fault of the general and his subordinates, general, please do not blame yourself!"
Hearing what Liu Yang said, Ma Renyu's face looked better, and he responded in a deep voice: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
After saying that, he looked at Zhao Kuangyin and Ma Renyu said: "Please allocate five thousand soldiers to replenish your subordinates and attack again tomorrow!"
Along the way east, it was Ma Renyu who was directly wrestling with Brother Yelvxiu. After being defeated continuously, Ma Renyu also became angry. At this time, he looked more like a wounded tiger, bent on revenge. .
