The day after Hauge's team arrived, Mang Gurtai mobilized 3,000 elite soldiers from the camp and set up a new camp less than two miles away from the east gate of Baichengzi.
Then let these three thousand elite soldiers beat drums, blow trumpets, wave flags and shout around the camp day and night, and sometimes make siege postures to disturb the soldiers of the Tianwei Army in the city, making them unable to rest well and exhausted.
At the same time, a group of Han slave soldiers were mobilized to dig tunnels in the new camp, two at the top and one at the bottom, all leading to Baichengzi.
………
The sixth year of Chongzhen - the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, it was a cloudy day.
Inside Baichengzi.
At midnight, in order to maintain enough energy and physical strength, except for the soldiers responsible for the night watch, the rest of the people blocked their ears with cotton balls and lay down in the city tower, archery tower, and cave to hide soldiers.
Rest is rest, but it means keeping your armor and weapons on, so that if a situation arises, you can jump up and fight at any time, and repel the enemy who invades!
Xiang Xuanwu did not rest. Instead, he was fully armored and carried a long sword. He led a group of soldiers to patrol the city wall back and forth to be on guard against unexpected situations.
While patrolling, a captain in charge of the night watch ran over, clasped his fists and saluted: "General, there are sounds coming from the dozen or so large tanks that I am responsible for monitoring. It seems that someone is secretly digging a tunnel below!"
"Oh, you're responsible for monitoring the vat over there?"
"Under the east city wall, the sixteenth to thirtieth vats are under surveillance by the humble team!"
"Let's go and take a look!"
It was a matter of safety for the city, so Xiang Xuanwu did not dare to neglect, and immediately led his soldiers down the city wall to the place where the vat was buried, and then lay down on the ground and listened carefully.
"Qiang...Qiang...Qiang!"
Sure enough, the sound of digging sand came up, indicating that someone was digging a tunnel below, and they were not far from the root of the city wall.
Immediately afterwards, another captain in charge of the night watch reported that there were also strange sounds coming from the dozen or so tanks he was responsible for monitoring.
Xiang Xuanwu went to listen, and the result was the same as before. Someone was digging a tunnel below.
Now it was all clear. The Jurchens had set up a new camp outside the east gate. They were beating drums and trumpets, waving flags and shouting. In fact, they were all false. The purpose was to attract the attention of the soldiers of the Mighty Army of Heaven.
The two tunnels being dug are the Jurchens' ultimate moves.
Once the tunnel is dug, the Jurchens can sneak into the city and then wreak havoc. If the inner and outer are coordinated, Baichengzi will be in danger.
Fortunately, it was discovered early enough to destroy it!
"Come here, prepare ropes, baskets, shovels, pickaxes and Luoyang shovels immediately, and follow a hundred people to the outside of the city wall to destroy both tunnels!"
"As you command!"
Under Xiang Xuanwu's arrangement, one hundred soldiers sat in baskets and used ropes to reach the outside of the city wall, and then divided into four teams.
Two teams of people, armed with shovels and pickaxes, went to the moat to dig ditches.
The other two teams used Luoyang shovels to carefully find out the exact location and depth of the two tunnels, and then excavated the sand and soil above them, and soon dug out two large pits.
When they were about to dig the tunnel, the two teams stopped at the same time. At the same time, both ditches were dug, and the moat water flowed along the ditches into the two large pits.
Next, the two groups of soldiers all held Luoyang shovels and poked at the bottom of the pit, quickly breaking through the last layer of sand.
"Gudu... Gudu!"
A large amount of river water poured downwards, all pouring into the two tunnels. As for the people who were digging the tunnels, the result was unknown!
After doing all this, the soldiers sat on baskets and returned to the city wall.
Seeing that both tunnels were destroyed, Xiang Xuanwu let out a long breath, and then led his soldiers to continue patrolling. After making sure that there were no other problems, he dragged his tired body back to the tower directly above the east gate to rest.
The lights in the city tower were brightly lit, and a person was meditating with his eyes closed. It was Yuan Chonghuan, who had transformed into the Three Idiots Abbot. When he heard someone coming in, he immediately opened his eyes.
The eyes are bright and full of wisdom.
"Amitabha, General Xiang, I heard that the Jurchens are digging tunnels and want to sneak into the city?"
"Yes, fortunately, the soldiers responsible for monitoring discovered it. Moreover, I have arranged for men to go out of the city and destroy both tunnels. Master, don't worry!"
"Amitabha, isn't it a bit strange that General Xiang doesn't realize it?"
"Strange, what do you mean, Master?"
"In my opinion, Mang Gurtai is brave and has no worries, but Ning Wanwo is cunning and very good at planning.
This method of digging tunnels can be figured out by one person. If Ning Wan and I were to use a trick, it would be more than just this little trick. I would also like General Xiang to be careful! "
"Master Abbot, what you mean is that these two tunnels are a cover-up, used to paralyze us, but actually they have another killer move secretly?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I meant!"
"Then according to Master Abbot's opinion, what is the Jurchen's killer move?"
"I can't guess what the killing move is yet, but since it is a killing move, it must be aimed at the vital point. General Xiang must be careful and guard against it!"
"Is it important?"
After listening to the words of the three idiot abbot, Xiang Xuanwu lowered his head and pondered, what is the key point of Baichengzi?
Grain and grass depots, gunpowder depots, weapons depots, water sources...these are all critical points. No matter which one is damaged, Baichengzi will find it difficult to hold on!
If you want to destroy these places, you must enter the interior of Baichengzi.
The city's defenses are strong and must be defended to the death. If the Jurchens want to get in, they will have to fly to the sky and escape.
The Jurchens can't fly, so they have no choice but to escape. But both tunnels have been destroyed, so how can the Jurchens escape?
Wait a minute!
Could it be said that the Jurchens dug not just two tunnels, but there were other tunnels secretly?
You know, the big tank buried under the city wall can only hear the movement a few feet deep underground. If the tunnel is dug particularly deep, it will be impossible to monitor!
Could the Jurchens be digging one or several particularly deep tunnels?
It's completely possible!
You must take precautions in advance. Even if your precautions fail in the end and your efforts are in vain, it is much better than regretting it afterwards.
Thinking of this, Xiang Xuanwu stood up and left the tower regardless of exhaustion, mobilized his men and horses to fortify several key places.
First of all, every well in the city is guarded by soldiers day and night to prevent Jurchens from secretly poisoning!
Secondly, grain, gunpowder, and weapons were all transported out of the warehouse and scattered to different places in the city for storage, so as not to be taken over by others!
Finally, a dozen teams were arranged, each holding a Luoyang shovel, to explore around Baichengzi to see if there were any other tunnels.
The design of the Luoyang shovel is particularly exquisite. The front is a semi-cylindrical shovel head, which can bring up the soil from the ground, and the back is a segmented shovel handle that can be continuously connected.
In this way, the situation deep underground can be clearly explored.
…………
Facts have proved that Xiang Xuanwu's worries were absolutely correct.
One day later, soldiers came to report that another tunnel was discovered under the east wall. It was very deep and had been dug into the city.
After receiving the report, Xiang Xuanwu discussed with Abbot Sanchi and finally decided to stand still and let the Jurchens continue to dig.
Why not destroy this tunnel?
It's very simple. Only a person can be a thief for a thousand days, but there is no one who can prevent a thief for a thousand days!
If this tunnel is destroyed again, the Jurchens will definitely devise another evil plan if they don't give up!
What the new poisonous scheme is is difficult to guess.
In this case, it is better not to destroy this tunnel for the time being, so that the Jurchens' conspiracy is within the control range. When the time is almost up, then take action against it, which can delay it for a few more days.
In today's Baichengzi, if you delay for one more day, you will have a better chance of winning.
ah!
This decision can be said to be very clever, and it destroyed the Jurchens' conspiracy!
Unfortunately, another conspiracy of the Jurchens has already begun to be implemented.
Twenty Hongyi cannons are ready, waiting for the time to blast open the gate of Baichengzi!
