Zuo Liangyu's plan was established, so he sent Wang Shuohua to Kaifeng City in a hurry, and told Li Guo that now Zuo Liangyu, the Marquis of Ningnan, had agreed to his request, and asked him to send troops as soon as possible.

At this time, Li Guo had already obtained Li Zicheng's consent to the edict, and seeing that Zuo Liangyu had agreed to his request, he was overjoyed, and immediately feasted and entertained the envoys, and promised that after three days, he would immediately send troops south.

Three days later, he mobilized 60,000 elite soldiers, divided into two divisions, respectively, and settled in Guide Mansion and Nanyang Mansion, since then, the entire territory of Henan is under the control of Dashun State.

Seeing that the Dashun army finally settled in Henan, in order to prevent himself from the invasion of the Tang army from the north, Zuo Liangyu was very determined, and then according to the previous conditions, he gave Li Guo's whole army 300,000 silver, and provided a large amount of silver, grain and ordnance in advance.

Immediately, Zuo Liangyu quickly sent an order to his son Zuo Mengeng, asking him to resolutely defend the main cities of Yunyang and Jingzhou after leading 100,000 elite troops to western Hubei, and never fight against the Tang army without authorization.

After all, he also knew that his son Zuo Menggeng's military talent was limited, and it was absolutely unrealistic to want to fight with the Tang army in the field, so he could only hope that after the Tang army was trapped under the fortified city for a long time, the veterans of the division would automatically retreat.

Zuo Mengeng acted according to the plan, and the soldiers and horses of the second town of the Tang Army, after swallowing the entire Shizhou Wei, saw that Yunyang and Jingzhou in western Hubei were already sufficient, and Zuo Mengeng's defenders were ready to hold on, but did not trade and attack again, but continued to stalemate with them on the outer line, constantly plundering various towns and villages in western Hubei, making the main prefectures and towns in western Hubei become isolated islands in the ocean.

At the eastern defense line, the Tang army did not seem to have moved, and the overall situation showed a temporary calm atmosphere, and it seemed that the trend of this battle situation was similar to Zuo Liangyu's previous estimate.

It's just that Zuo Liangyu, who is a little at peace now, would never have thought that the current calm was just a short period of peace before the storm.

Zuo Liangyu had only been stable for three days before an urgent military situation came from the east.

"Report! Ningnanhou, the sixth town of the Tang Army, is deploying troops and horses, but it seems that he wants to attack the south of Henan in the north. ”

"Oh, such a thing?" Zuo Liangyu groaned slightly, then replied with a smile: "Now the defense of the north has been taken over by the Dashun army, and the Tang army wants to attack them, so let them fight." Ben Hou has invested so much money to invite these 60,000 Dashun troops to come, but it is not for them to come to us for idle meals and nothing to do. ”

Zuo Liangyu stood up, walked back and forth in the room for a few steps, and then instructed the envoy: "After you go back, convey the order of Ben Hou to the two generals Jin Shenghuan and Wang Deren, asking them to tighten the defense line from Macheng to Susong. ”

"Ning Nanhou, the little one has been written down."

Zuo Liangyu nodded, and then admonished: "However, the Dashun army now stationed in the north of Henan is also our friendly army, and it is a loss of hospitality to sit idly by and ignore it completely. You also told Jin Shenghuan and Wang Deren that they should not watch from the sidelines, watching the Tang army and the Dashun army eat dogs, and there should also be a section of the army to prepare troops and prepare to go north to support. In doing so, one shows the attitude of our army and friendly troops sharing weal and woe, and the other is that if the Tang army is defeated in the south of Henan, all these benefits cannot be swallowed by the Shun army alone. ”

"Yes, I understand."

After the envoy finished speaking, he hurriedly withdrew. Zuo Liangyu looked at his departing back, and couldn't help but be secretly glad for his timely arrangement.

If he had been stingy with money and land and had not invited the Dashun army to share the pressure for himself, the current eastern defense line might have begun to collapse from the south of Henan.

In this world, I can't bear children, and I can't trap wolves.

It's just that the development of the battle situation soon exceeded Zuo Liangyu's predetermined assumptions.

It turns out that now the Tang Army is in the west and east, and it seems that there is nothing special about the measures, but in fact, the Tang Army has always used such military feints as a cover, but secretly planning a major breakthrough.

This breakthrough point is Jiujiang City, which is heavily defended by Hao Xiaozhong's troops.

The real purpose of the Tang army is to concentrate its forces and make every effort to take Jiujiang City, the most important fulcrum of Zuo Liangyu's department in the south.

Tang Jun's strategic intention was completely beyond Zuo Liangyu's imagination.

Zuo Liangyu believes that Hao Xiaozhong's department, which is stationed in Jiujiang City, has 50,000 elite soldiers, and there is such a strong city to rely on, and the amount of grain and grass in the city is as much as three years old, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is solid. Even if the Tang army wanted to attack with all its might, it would be at a loss, and in the end it could only be trapped under the fortified city and obediently break the siege and retreat a way.

He completely underestimated the means and determination of the Tang army.

Because, the next key offensive direction of Li Xiao, the king of the Tang Dynasty, was to mobilize all the troops of Huang Degong's division in the ninth town, as well as the two battalions of A and B of Liu Zehan's division in the eighth town secretly transferred from southern Jiangnan, with a total of more than 80,000 elites, as well as all the artillery troops of the two towns, to attack Jiujiang City, which Hao was loyal to.

Li Xiao's plan to fight with all his strength was implemented very secretly and smoothly.

With the cooperation of the two Tang armies in the west and the east, these Tang troops assembled in the south were all concentrated outside Jiujiang City after half a month's assembly, and they quickly made all preparations for battle.

On June 15 of the second year of Chongxing, the largest siege battle of the Tang Army since its establishment officially began.

The morning light surged, the loud swan horn sounded loudly, and the Tang army finally began to attack the city.

Hearing the siege horn from outside the city, Hao Xiaozhong, the defender of Jiujiang City, who was still hungover, woke up from his sleep in an instant.

Hao Xiaozhong rubbed his swollen eyes, and his heart was shocked and suspicious, how could he be so dignified, why did this siege alarm sound? Could it be that today the Tang army began to attack the city?

It's just that this Jiujiang City, the soldiers are strong, and the defense is thorough, how can it be so easy for those Tang troops to attack the city.

At this moment, the door slammed open, and a panting soldier ran in quickly.

"Why are you so rude, trespassing without reporting first, it's really getting more and more unruly. By the way, why is the alarm going off outside?! Hao Xiaozhong frowned, and shouted at the little soldier who reported the news.

"General, it's a big deal, it's a big deal!" The little soldier replied with a frightened and panting face: "The city, there is a large number of Tang troops outside the city, pushing nearly 200 cannons, towards the south gate of my Jiujiang City, shouting all the way to attack!" ”

Xiao Bing's words were like a scoop of cold water, pouring down from Hao Jiaozhong's head, and he stood up from the head of the bed, his eyes wide. The two eyes, which were blood-red from the stimulation of alcohol, were full of expressions of shock and disbelief.

No way?!

Does the Tang army really have the guts and courage to attack my Jiujiang Jiancheng?!

"Let's go! Take Ben to see it! ”

"Yes!"

Hao Xiaozhong, who came to the south gate of Jiujiang City, followed the direction of the small soldier's arm and pointed in the direction of the small soldier, and was horrified to see that in the south of Jiujiang City, from the densely surrounded Tang army array, a total of as many as 180 heavy artillery pieces of the same size were launched, lined up in a straight line, and slowly pushed forward together. These heavy cannons that move forward silently, shining faintly silver in the reflection of the morning sun.

180 steel heavy dragon bombardment guns with a silver gray light were slowly pushed by the Tang gunners to a kilometer outside the south gate of the Jiujiang River. Next, the Don gunners began to fix the gun mounts, adjust the angle of fire, reload gunpowder and shells, and soon made preparations for battle.

These 180 heavy dragon cannons, lined up along the right side of the city wall in the south of Jiujiang City, majestic and majestic, the cannon port of the black hole, straight towards the opposite Jiujiang city wall, its dignified momentum, so that the enemy troops defending the city, frightened to begin to weaken their legs.

Good guys, these cannons look so terrifying, you can imagine how powerful they will be when they are fired.

The main general Hao Xiaozhong, the first time he saw such a terrible cannon in his life, his face was also covered with cold sweat.

At this time, at the head of Jiujiang City, there were many young men and women who were drawn from the people and came to participate in the defense of the city. For these people, it was the first time in their lives to see such a strange and huge cannon, and their faces were not only afraid and worried, but also inexplicably excited and curious.

They chattered in a low voice, unaware that these heavy cannons with huge black muzzles would be the best tools for them to ascend to heaven for free.

Seeing the Tang army coming with artillery so proudly, and the battle-hardened general Hao Xiaozhong, he almost intuitively felt that if the Tang army was allowed to attack the city like this, it would definitely cause extremely terrible damage and blows to the walls of Jiujiang City, and such a result must be prevented before the Tang army began to attack the city.

Hao Xiaozhong quickly thought about it, and shouted at these soldiers and young men who were defending the city: "Everyone panic! In my Jiujiang City, there are enough soldiers and horses, and the defense is thorough, the Tang army wants to capture this Jiujiang City, I am afraid that he does not have such a good mouth! In addition, there are still 2,000 cavalry in our city, and when these Tang artillery is approaching, our army can send cavalry to kill them out of the city, catch them by surprise, and make their artillery a pile of useless scrap metal! “

As soon as Hao Xiaozhong's words came out, the soldiers at the head of the city were greatly encouraged, and the people's hearts were much calmer, and the degree of panic was much less.

It's just that although Hao Xiaozhong said so, he didn't have a bottom in his heart.

Will these Tang army artillery really be wiped out so easily by the cavalry who sneaked out of the city, and will the Tang army commander really guard against such negligence? Could it be just wishful thinking?

Hao Xiaozhong was forced to be calm on the surface, but he couldn't help but sigh quietly in his heart.

Do your best, let it be the fate of heaven.

Hao Xiaozhong took a long breath and quickly began to make battle arrangements, he ordered that the 2,000 cavalry in the city wait at the south gate together, and wait for the Tang army's artillery to get closer, and then go out of the city to raid, and this southern city wall is also guarded by him with elite soldiers.

To his surprise, the artillery of the Tang Army, which was slowly advancing, all stopped when they were eight hundred steps away from the south gate of Jiujiang City. Then these Don gunners were extremely skilled in loading the fixed gunpowder on the spot, measuring the spacing with a gun gauge, adjusting the angle of fire, and began to prepare for firing.

Hao Xiaozhong's eyes widened suddenly.

No way?

You must know that among the contemporary artillery in his impression, the most powerful Hongyi artillery can only hit about 400 paces away, why did these Tang artillery stop at 800 paces away and start preparing to shoot, can their artillery hit so far?

Could it be that it was because the Tang army was afraid of death and was afraid that its own cavalry would sneak attack out of the city, so they stopped at such a distance, planning to bombard indiscriminately without aiming?

Hao Xiaozhong was so cranky, of course, because he didn't know that the accurate firing range of the Tang army's artillery could actually reach 1,000 steps, and the reason why it was 200 steps ahead now was because considering the Jiujiang City, compared to the surrounding terrain, the bottom of the city wall was specially heightened, so the Tang gunners had to consider the elevation angle and projectile degree, and the Tang army would further advance these artillery pieces in order to more effectively break the city wall.

Just when Hao Xiaozhong was suspicious, at this time, they heard faint shouts from a distance in the Tang army's array.

"Ready!"

"Put!"

Hao Xiaozhong saw from a distance that in front of the Tang Army's artillery array, a person who looked like an officer was holding the red flag in his hand and waved it down vigorously. At the same time, he shouted violently, and 180 steel heavy dragon bombers with a huge caliber and 32 pounds of shells fired in unison.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

……

In the continuous huge cannon sound that broke the eardrums, the muzzles of the 180 heavy dragon bombers immediately floated crimson afterburners, flashing dazzling golden fire, and in the dense billowing white smoke, 180 jet-black 32-pound huge jet-black iron bullets, with the whistle of death, slammed into the southern wall of Jiujiang City.

In the dull and heavy sound of huge impact, these 100 jet-black 32-pound iron bullets, as if they had eyes, hit the right side of the entire southern city wall in an evenly distributed state.

On the right side of the southern city wall of the entire Jiujiang City, nearly a hundred big holes appeared in an instant, and at the edge of each big hole, the thick and cracked lines were as dense as spider webs, spreading unscrupulously to the siege, and a large piece of city wall bricks splashed and cracked, and a piece of dust and mist filled the city, and the entire southern city wall was trembling violently as if it had asthma.

On the southern city wall, a large number of Hao Xiaozhong soldiers who were shocked to the ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth bleeding together, everyone was shocked and bloody, and the eyes were shrouded in dust and fog, while the city wall under their feet was shaking violently like a pendulum, and nearly 100 soldiers of the left army who were unsteady on their feet fell from the city wall screaming like broken leaves blown by the wind, and then fell into meat pies.

The Tang army's fierce heavy artillery salvo this time actually caused the southern city wall of Jiujiang City to fall into a lot of chaos in an instant.

Those soldiers of the Left Army who had battlefield experience were in good condition and could barely support them. But a large number of men and women, who were shocked to the point of bleeding from their mouths and noses, and whose faces were covered with dust, and who had no combat experience, screamed in horror, turned around and fled from the road of the city wall.