The combat effectiveness of an army is affected by many factors: weapons, training, actual combat experience, command quality.

Fighting spirit is also important.

If you have no fighting spirit, no matter how sharp your swords and guns are, no matter how rich the actual combat is, and no matter how good the art of war is, it will be in vain.

Liu Chengdong realized at this moment how helpless it was for the soldiers to lose their fighting spirit.

Too many people have seen it, and there is no possibility of hiding the news. When the soldiers, young men and people of Deqing County learned what was thrown into the city and realized the desperate plan of the Fang La army, the battlefield situation immediately tilted towards the side of the Fang La army.

When Fang Tianding ordered the whole army to attack, the cooperation that the defenders in the city had cultivated over the past few months was no longer good, and there were all kinds of mistakes from the battalion commander, the capital head, the commander to the soldiers, and many of them were low-level mistakes.

The timing of the slap was not right. The first batch of Fangla troops who attacked the city suffered few casualties, and their morale rose again.

In the ranks of archers, the problems of empty space, inability to draw the bow, and mistracking of arrows emerged one after another, and the threat to the Fang La army was greatly reduced.

The small stone throwing machines at the base of the city walls, as well as the few crossbows, three-light cannons, and bed crossbows at the head of the city, are still firing, but they are also very substandard......

After throwing stones on his own people twice in a row, Liu Chengdong ordered all the stone throwers to stop firing, and all the lightly wounded went to the city, replacing the people with young people to transport supplies.

At this time, only half of the defenders at the head of the city barely maintained their combat strength, and most of the remaining soldiers were greatly disappointed. Many soldiers looked at Liu Chengdong from time to time, not knowing what they were thinking.

The auxiliaries and the young men who participated in the defense of the city were even more panicked, and the short spears and forks in the hands of many young men became fire sticks. Some people wanted to surrender or escape, but Zhang Yongnian had already brought the reserve team to kill, and before he could engage the Fang La army, he killed the deserter Liwei first.

"Fang Lajun is mad and hacks them to death! There is the owner of the village in the north, and Han Zhao, the commander will let us survive! ”

While wielding the hook and sickle, Zhang Yongnian kept repeating these two sentences.

In less than half an hour, there was already Fang Lajun climbing the ladder and falling to the top of the city to fight.

Liu Chengdong divided nearly 100 personal soldiers into five teams and sent them all to the places where the fighting was most intense. He clenched his broadsword in both hands and stood among the thirty most senior soldiers, taking a life with each sword.

The sword technique used in the battle formation is not so much a martial art as a combat skill, emphasizing the simplicity of the moves and the killing of one hit.

Seeing that Zhang Yongnian not only looked for the armored Fang Lajun to slash, but also did not forget to boost morale, Liu Chengdong nodded fiercely: This kid has finally come out of experience, much more powerful than a few protégés of my cheap son-in-law!

A small number of Fang La's troops also appeared in Dongcheng and Beicheng, constantly harassing and probing in order to contain Liu Chengdong's already small number of troops as much as possible.

Xicheng suddenly made a commotion, and quickly returned to the situation of shouting and killing.

Zhang Yongnian, who was further west, sent someone to investigate and soon reported to Liu Chengdong. It turned out that Fang Tianding's orphan army was not afraid of casualties, and actually took advantage of the lowest morale of the officers and soldiers to enter the city in large numbers.

Fortunately, there were three men stationed in the northern city, using the three-bow bed crossbow at the corner of the city wall, and shooting indiscriminately regardless of the enemy and our place, Liu Yuan was able to reorganize the team and drive the orphan army who dared to fight but was weak off the city wall.

"Corner shots, cross shots. Hey, the cheap son-in-law is learning something in Mengxue, it's very good! Liu Chengdong learned the rough battle report, and he didn't forget to sigh while slashing.

Xiong Dachun from Dongcheng sent a letter to ask if he wanted to retreat north along the ridgeline from outside the east gate, meaning how much he could live and how much he could live.

Liao Shikai, who had been hiding in the passage of the lower city, actually put on a broken armor at this time, ran over with half a shield in both hands, squeezed to Liu Chengdong's side and said, "General, make plans early!" ”

Liao Shikai, a scholar, suggested that Liu Chengdong retreat directly from Beicheng and run into the mountains and forests to survive.

Both retreat options have their own advantages and disadvantages. Xiong Dachun's plan can protect more people to run away, but if it doesn't work, you can also enter the mountain halfway; Liao Shikai's plan focuses on Liu Chengdong's own safety, after all, the north of the city is the kind of cramped and rugged terrain, how many people can get out smoothly?

Most of the soldiers around Liu Chengdong were the children of Mingyue Zhuang, although they were ashamed of Liao Shikai's behavior of encouraging Liu Chengdong to get out of the shell, but they did not despise it excessively.

First, they also feel that the safety of the old village owner and the owner-in-law is the most important, and secondly, they are the children of Mingyue Zhuang, and they will definitely be able to run away with Liu Chengdong and have the best hope of surviving.

Who wants to die?

Liu Chengdong looked at the sergeants near and far, sensed the panic, fear and cowardice in them, and slowly shook his head. He knew that as soon as he withdrew, there would be a great rout on the city wall, some of the soldiers would be killed, and the rest would take refuge in the Fang La army.

"There are too many Fang La's troops, if they retreat here, most of the children of Mingyue Zhuang will be killed or wounded." Liu Chengdong has his own analysis of the battle situation, "There are also thousands of people in the city, who will also fall into the hands of Fang Lajun." The people of Deqing County have spared no effort to defend the city, and my Liu Chengdong is not so dark-hearted. ”

"There are also soldiers who were caught up by the Fang La army. If they die, it will be a hundred, and the bones will fall to Fang Lajun, and their families will be liquidated sooner or later. Thousands of soldiers, but there are tens of thousands of families behind! ”

"Han Zhao won't care, and besides, there is my cheap son-in-law...... Let's hold on here first, and then retreat separately. ”

Liu Chengdong's decision to die rather than retreat was quickly spread throughout the city by several heralds.

More and more Fangla troops climbed to the top of the city, and the two sides fell into a fierce battle. The soldiers of the defenders who were completely discouraged were discouraged, and about thirty percent of the soldiers and most of the young men were waiting for the moment when Fang La's army fell into the city, their own side fled, and they ran for their lives.

The spring breeze spread the sound of fighting to the distance, and the flag erected by Liu Chengdong was even more dazzling in the fireworks.

The art of war is cloudy: victory and defeat are common things in soldiers.

When the army is defeated or about to be defeated, whether it is a desperate battle or a "temporary retreat" has its own particularity.

Like Liu Chengdong's practice of raising a banner when the army is in danger, it is to tell everyone clearly: Lao Tzu would rather die than retreat, and live and die with the soldiers.

There have also been unsophisticated warriors, who put on a banner to fight to the death, but after boosting the morale of their subordinates, they slipped away. When this happens, the military general will not be a man, and it is inevitable that a disgraceful record will be left in the history books.

Liu Chengdong is obviously not that kind of pit goods.

The herald shouted Liu Chengdong's bold words and walked through the city head of the group fighting. Everywhere they went, the morale of the officers and soldiers and the young and strong people was boosted, and the battle situation once again reached a stalemate.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Fang Tianding personally led 300 fresh troops to the city and attacked Liu Chengdong.

The real test is coming.

"Mr. Liao!"

Liu Chengdong shouted.

"Hey, general, please command."

Liao Shikai hid under the pillar of the city gate tower, poked his head out of his shield, and responded.

"I didn't want to use it, but it's just a shame." His eyes were fixed on Fang Tianding, who rushed over with people, and Liu Chengdong sped up his speech, "Those Kong Ming lanterns that were sent in a few days ago, put three to the sky." It's going to be all red, remember! ”

"Kong Ming lantern, red, three, written down. I'll do it right away! Liao Shikai, who was middle-aged, repeated, almost leaning back, swaying from side to side and descending the city wall.

Liu Chengdong tied his right hand and the single knife together in three or two clicks, and pulled it with his teeth, and the tightness was just right.

Knives, axes, guns, sticks, whips, hammers, boring, bones, and ...... Fang Tianding took dozens of elites and rushed straight over with all kinds of weapons.

Liu Chengdong was the first to let out a shout, pointing the tip of the knife somewhere in front of the left. Then the battle roar was shocking, and Liu Chengdong's personal soldiers were not afraid at all, and they all chose their opponents.

It seems that two mudslides meet head-on, Fang Tianding and Liu Chengdong collide together so impartially!

In the spacious front yard of Deqing County, Liao Shikai, who had just raised the third Kong Ming lantern, was startled and turned his head to look at the section of the city wall where Liu Chengdong was.

From such a distance, you can clearly hear the battle cries and the sound of weapons clashing, and you can imagine the fierce battle over there.

"The commander of the army of thousands of people actually fought like a small soldier. It's better to read, it's too dangerous for a gentleman not to stand under a dangerous wall. General Liu must resist it, otherwise the whole family will definitely die. ”

Liao Shikai sighed, depressed beyond measure.

"However, although these three Kong Ming lanterns are big, how many miles can anyone really see them? If so, how many reinforcements can they bring? ”

Liao Shikai, who was powerless, shook his head and sighed, squinting at the three Kong Ming lanterns in the sky, with doubts and hopes in his heart.

Liao Shi happily thought: Is General Liu's son-in-law reliable?

The situation is urgent!