In the fifty-sixth year of the reign of King Zhou (259 BC).

In the forty-eighth year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the seventh year of King Zhao Xiaocheng, and the thirteenth year of King Wucheng, November 20.

The 300,000-strong army of the Qin army, on the orders of the commander Wang Ling, began to attack Handan.

The battle to defend Handan has finally begun!

The princes of the Central Plains countries all set their sights on Handan, the capital of Zhao State.

In the early morning, just after dawn, the mist outside Handan City had not completely dispersed, and the horns of all the camps of the Qin army resounded one after another on the ground outside Handan City.

Groups of Qin troops lined up in phalanxes, carrying ladders, pushing the built siege towers, and slowly approaching Handan City.

The Zhao army at the head of Handan City, knowing that the attack of the Qin army was about to begin, all stood at the head of the city according to the prior deployment. On the head of Handan City, the Zhao army was densely arranged.

The commander of the Zhao army, Lian Po, and the deputy general Le Cheng, stood at the head of Handan City, looking at the tide of Qin soldiers who came with a serious face.

At this moment, Zhao Wangdan heard the sound of horns sounding everywhere in the city, and knew that the Qin army was about to attack the city.

He took a few attendants to the highest part of the Dragon Palace Palace, looked at the head of Handan City, and said to Zhao Sheng, the king of the Plains, who rushed over: "Uncle Wang, the Qin army is about to attack the city!" Can I, Zhao's army, hold Handan City? ”

Zhao Sheng looked at Zhao Wang Dan, knowing that Zhao Wang was worried at the moment, how could he not be like this!

Once Handan City is afraid, the Zhao royal family will definitely face the killing of the Qin army, and the Zhao State will no longer exist. This battle is not too much to say that it is the real battle of life and death for Zhao State, and it is not exaggerated at all.

Zhao Sheng showed a resolute look on his face, and bowed to Zhao Wang and said:

"Your Majesty, our army is united and will be able to defeat the Qin army, please worry about it!"

King Zhao nodded, and said slowly to Zhao Sheng: "Uncle Wang, the widow will never be the king of the dead country!" If the city is broken, the widows will also die with the Qin army! ”

Qin Wang Yingji, after receiving a letter from the front-line commander Wang Ling in advance, knew that today was the day when the Qin army attacked Handan.

Early in the morning, together with Qin Xiang Fan Ju, they also took a few attendants to the highest part of the main hall of Afang Palace and looked to the east.

After a long time, Qin Wang Yingji turned around and said to Fan Ju behind him: "Xiangguo, our army has begun to attack Handan!" ”

Fan Ju clenched his fists and bowed, and said to King Qin: "King, this time our army will be able to break through Handan, and Zhao will definitely destroy the country!" The minister firmly believes that in the near future, he will receive good news from General Wang Ling. ”

Yingji nodded, didn't say anything, and looked up in the direction of Handan again.

On the handsome platform built by the Qin army, Wang Ling sat on the main seat, and on both sides stood the deputy general Meng Fu, as well as Wang Jian and many other generals of the Qin army.

The Qin army in front was carrying the ladder and was almost under the city of Handan, and the Qin army in the rear was still lined up in a phalanx from both sides of the Shuaitai and slowly moved forward.

Wang Ling looked at the tall Handan city wall in front of him, raised his right hand and waved, and ordered: "Beat the drums, attack the city." ”

The drums of the Qin army's camp shook loudly, and the Qin army in front shouted with the sound of war drums: "Kill." ”

He carried the ladder, quickened his pace, and ran towards the city wall of Handan.

Most of the Zhao soldiers guarding Handan City were over forty years old, and men between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.

Many young Zhao troops at the head of Handan City were nervous and out of breath when they saw the attack of the Qin army.

Many veterans over the age of forty are calmer.

Because most of these people have fought for Zhao Guo before, they have a lot of combat experience.

A veteran saw that Zhao Jun, who was only fifteen years old in the same village, was trembling all over.

went over and patted it, and the young Zhao Jun's head said, "Second baby, don't be afraid." What are these Qin troops, wait for you to follow me and see how I cut down the Qin army. ”

This Zhao Jun, who is called Erwa, after listening to the words of this veteran, his face was flushed, and he stammered to this veteran: "Uncle Fu, I ...... I'm not afraid, I want to avenge my father and brother who died in Changping. ”

This veteran named Uncle Fu heard this, and his eyes turned red.

Gently patted again, this soldier called Erwa didn't say anything on the shoulder.

It's just that intentionally or unintentionally, he blocked his body in front of this young soldier with two children.

Lian Po, the commander of the Zhao army, saw that the Qin army had arrived in the city, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

In a calm voice, he slowly commanded the herald beside him, "Crossbowmen prepare." ”

At the head of Handan City, the flag flew immediately.

Tens of thousands of crossbowmen above the city, holding bows and crossbows, aimed at the Qin army coming from the city.

Seeing the front army of the Qin army, it had reached the coverage of the crossbowmen of the Zhao army.

Lian Po waved his hand and ordered: "Shoot." ”

The arrows from the head of Handan City suddenly turned into a dark cloud and shot towards the Qin army.

Qin Jun suddenly fell.

Wang Ling was on the handsome platform, and when he saw this, he ordered the official beside him:

"Order, order my crossbowmen to return fire, and the catapult will be pushed forward to hit the Zhao army at the head of the city."

On the stage of the Qin army, the flag fluttered, and the order was passed down.

The tens of thousands of crossbowmen of the Qin army also raised their bows and crossbows and aimed at the Zhao army at the head of the city.

With an order, tens of thousands of arrows also flew towards the head of Handan City.

Suddenly, at the head of Handan City, many Zhao troops were also shot.

Lian Po's face was expressionless, and he said to the herald: "Order, order the people to carry the casualties down from the city." The crossbowmen returned fire. ”

The herald hurriedly said, "No." ”

Immediately, he raised the order flag in his hand and sent an order to Zhao Jun.

The arrows of the two armies of Qin and Zhao were in the air, staggered towards the soldiers on both sides, like dark clouds in the sky colliding with each other.

Wang Ling, the commander of the Qin army, also ordered: "The catapults began to attack, and ordered the siege towers to be dispatched. ”

The veteran Lian Po saw that some of the ladders of the Qin army had been set up at the head of the city, so he immediately ordered: "Rolling wood, rocks, boiling water to fight back, and putting rods to prepare." ”

In this siege, the Qin army attacked very fiercely, and in less than two hours, hundreds of thousands of arrows were fired into Handan City.

The catapult of the Qin army was also pushed not far from the city by the Qin army and began to shoot stones at the head of Handan City.

Under the cover of the Qin army's dense firepower, the Qin soldiers began to charge Handan City.

The infantry was divided into two parts, one part set up a ladder to force the city wall of Handan, and the other part set up a chariot to attack the city gate.

The ladder used by the Qin army to attack the city is not a simple ladder seen by the people, and it has its own special features.

First of all, the ladder built by the Qin State is very wide, and ordinary ladders can only accommodate one person to pass, but the ladder is different, it can accommodate three or four people to pass at the same time.

Secondly, in addition to being wide, the ladder of the Qin State also has an obvious feature, that is, it has fixed measures. As we all know, the longer the ladder, the weaker the stability, so the ladders of the Qin army are equipped with fixing measures.

The ladder of the Qin State is equipped with a lot of brackets on both sides, and such fixing measures ensure that the ladder of the Qin army will not be easily pushed to.

And the new siege equipment used by the Qin army this time, the siege tower, is even more extraordinary.

Underneath the siege tower is a huge four-wheeled base, propelled forward by manpower. The upper part is a tall tower with multiple spiraling ladders inside, covered by thick wooden planks on the outside, and a drawbridge door that can be opened and closed at the top.

In this way, the soldiers of the Qin army can be well protected inside, and when they approach the wall of Handan, they can lower the drawbridge gate, and the soldiers can directly rush out of the tower to fight in the city. It avoids the disadvantage of large casualties of the ladder.

The offensive of the Qin army is extremely fierce!

In addition to the new siege equipment siege towers of the Qin State, the Zhao army is relatively unfamiliar.

For the Qin army's other siege methods, preparations have been made in advance.

For the ladder of the Qin army, Zhao Jun used a pusher, Zhao Jun's pusher is very long, and there are many people who use the pusher, and there is enough strength to push the ladder of the Qin army.

The Zhao army at the head of the city put up a stubborn resistance in the dense rain of arrows, first with bows and arrows to return fire, and at the same time with a push rod to knock down the ladder of the Qin army, at the head of the city with rolling logs and stones to hit the Qin army on the city, and at the same time boiled water with a cauldron and splashed it on the enemy.

Seeing the siege tower coming, Zhao Jun was a little confused at first.

But then Lian Po, the commander of the Zhao army, thought of a way and ordered: "Order, give me fuel and other combustibles, hit this siege tower with a catapult, and then attack me with rockets." ”

"Order, you can dispatch some elites to kill the Qin army that jumped from the siege tower to the head of the city."

The Zhao army, under the orders of the veteran Lian Po, began to stabilize and began to counterattack the Qin army.

The soldiers of the Qin army who jumped from the siege tower to the head of the city were also targeted by the elite soldiers of the Zhao army and specially besieged and killed.

From early morning to evening, at the head of Handan City and under the city, thick smoke billowed out, the sound of fighting, the sound of bows and crossbows, and the shouts of soldiers on both sides, all kinds of sounds resounded throughout the day.

Blood splashed at the head of the city, blood flowed like a river under the city, and the Qin army suffered heavy casualties.

The deputy general of the Qin army, Meng Fu, saw that it was already dark, and said to the commander Wang Ling: "General, it is dark today, can I let the Qin soldiers stop attacking the city?" Fight again tomorrow. ”

Wang Ling's face was expressionless, and after listening to Meng Fu's words, he looked at the Qin army that was still besieging the city, and knew that it was impossible to break through Handan City in one fell swoop.

Wang Ling nodded to the deputy general Meng Fu, and then ordered the herald: "Mingjin withdraws the troops, and our army will fight again tomorrow." ”

Seeing the retreat of the Qin army, the soldiers and civilians of the Zhao State at the head of Handan City all let out excited cheers.

The young Zhao Jun named Erwa suddenly hugged the veteran soldier named Uncle Fu next to him and shouted loudly: "Uncle Fu, I stabbed to death two Qin soldiers besieging the city today to avenge my father and brother." ”

Uncle Fu patted the young soldier's shoulder again, and said to him, "Second baby, it's good." ”

The deputy general of the Zhao army came to the front of the commander Lian Po at this time and said to Lian Po: "General, my cavalry general, I ask for a sneak attack on the Qin army camp tonight, can you allow it?" ”

What Wang Ling, the commander of the Qin army, did not expect was that because of Ji Kang, the Zhao army stationed on the northern border had already dispatched 10,000 elite cavalry to Handan City some time ago.

The commander of the Zhao army, Lian Po, ordered the 10,000 elite cavalry not to participate in the battle and recuperate in Handan City.

Although the soldiers of these 10,000 elite cavalry asked many times today to go out of the city to participate in the battle and attack the Qin army, they were rejected by the commander Lian Po.

Lian Po shook his head and said to the adjutant general, Le Cheng: "No, tell them that they are not allowed to attack without the order of General Ben." ”

After that, Lian Po stood at the head of the city, looking at the retreating Qin army, knowing that the more brutal battle was still to come!