In Wei Hou's laughter, the capable Wei craftsmen and handymen seemed to be faster, perhaps by coincidence, as soon as Wei Hou's laughter stopped, the first catapult stood up completely, and the craftsmen were pulling the telescopic adjustment, and the long lever went up and down, as if they were greeting Handan City in the distance in their own unique way.

Two hours later, it was already noon, and it was supposed to be the time when the wife who was cooking at home was waiting for her husband who was out to work to come home for dinner, or when she carried a lunch box to deliver food to her husband who was too late to come home, but at this moment in Handan City, no one inside and outside could take care of eating.

If you look down from the sky, the crowd of people who are as dense as ants are obviously separated by a long rectangular wall, like Changti who has stopped two groups of ants from fighting, but at this time, this Changti seems to be crumbling and in danger.

"Bang", another flying stone smashed on the tower, the dark cyan tiles fell like a torrential rain, the wooden pillars and beams collapsed again, the whole tower has collapsed in several places, maybe accept a few more waves of flying stones, this tower will completely become a pile of scum.

"Your Majesty, let's go, I'm afraid it's too late if you don't leave!"

Behind a remnant of the women's wall, several general guards in bronze armor were leaning over to protect a middle-aged man wearing a gorgeous coat and bronze armor, but the shields in the hands of the armorers were not pointing forward, but protecting the top, looking nervously at the castle tower that seemed to collapse at any time.

No wonder these generals or nurses in armor were so nervous, it was Zhao Hou himself who was tightly protected under him, and Zhao Hou had been on the tower of the South Gate of Handan.

But at this time, Zhao Hou also had to leave.

"Hulala!" Another piece of tiles fell down with the wood, and it actually fell less than one person behind Zhao Hou, and some small fragments smashed on the shields of the guards, smashing the group of people a little shorter.

"Let's go, go down." Zhao Hou finally said hatefully, raised his body slightly and looked out from the battlement of the female wall, only to see that more than 100 tall instruments in the Wei army under the city were still pouring stones on the southern city wall of Handan, and the flying stones drew a beautiful curve in the air, and then smashed on the wall of Handan, which was two miles wide.

This is the last picture that Zhao Hou saw on the city wall, and then, surrounded by ten armor soldiers, a group of people bent down and went down to the city, quickly climbed over the collapsed female wall, and crossed over one after another Zhao Bing's corpses, a group of people cautiously walked to the side of the stairs, at this moment, another flying stone actually hit the female wall behind a group of people, and the splashed bricks and stones were like water splashes, and also smashed on Zhao Hou's group of people, fortunately Zhao Hou was fine, and quickly went down the stairs after getting up, but Zhao Hou didn't notice, The last two soldiers behind him were forever above the city gates.

At this point, there were finally less than ten soldiers left on the south gate who were hiding behind some intact female walls in fear, while avoiding the flying stones that might fly in front of them, and the city towers that might fall behind them, while watching the actions of the Wei army under the city. At this time, there is chaos up and down the city wall, some soldiers are shouting and running down, running into the city, some generals are shouting that they are not allowed to go down the city, from time to time there are flying stones over the city wall and smashing into the city, either a house collapses, or several people are killed, and the people who are stoned to death are blurred with flesh and blood, miserable, even if the flying stones do not hit anything, it is a pit when it falls on the ground, and it is scary to look at.

And it wasn't until Zhao Hou's feet fell to the ground that a group of soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, but looking back at the half-collapsed city tower, everyone became nervous again, so they pulled Zhao Hou and walked more than two hundred steps into the city, which was beyond the distance that those flying stones could reach, so they temporarily found a spacious restaurant and requisitioned it as a pre-war command post.

Zhao Hou was a little unbearable, his body was covered with ash, and the beads of sweat and dust on his forehead were mixed together, just like a farmer.

"It's not that the widow is lying on the city and not leaving, it's true, it's true,"

Zhao Hou thought for a moment before he continued, "I really didn't expect it, this flying stone is so powerful, I can't believe it if I haven't seen it with my own eyes." ”

Zhao Hou wiped the beads of sweat from his face and said again, "This is a catapult?" The catapult used to defend the city in Luoyang the year before last? I didn't take it seriously before, but I can't believe it, it's so powerful. It was only half an hour, and many women's walls were destroyed, and even the city tower was about to collapse. ”

As he spoke, Zhao Hou wiped his face again, and said with a crying voice, "Zhuqing, Wei Hou is going to destroy my Zhao Kingdom!" Ladies and gentlemen, how do you deal with it? How to deal with it? ”

I don't know if Zhao Hou left tears, but he couldn't tell whether there was sweat or tears on his face, anyway, they were all mixed with dust.

A group of generals didn't dare to answer, maybe some were frightened by the flying stones, and some didn't know what to say for a while.

However, the silence was soon broken, noisy footsteps sounded, several soldiers in armor escorted an old man and ran in, as soon as the old man entered the house, he ignored his breath, and said, "It turns out that the king is here, Fang Cai is on the east city wall, and he has to go down the city, remembering that the king is still at the south gate, so he hurried over to see, fortunately, the king is safe, and in the future, the king will still preside over the overall situation in the palace, and the front line will be handed over to the ministers." "This old man turned out to be the head of the city guard, Zhao Xiangtai Wuwu.

"If I were in the palace, how could I see that the Wei army was attacking so fiercely? The flying stones alone killed many of my soldiers, and even the city tower was about to collapse! Zhao Hou suddenly shouted, feeling a little hysterical.

"Your Majesty, when the enemy army is attacking, how can there be any immortals?" Tai Wuwu took a few deep breaths and said after calming down his breath a little. "As long as the walls are still in my hands and the enemy soldiers are outside the city, nothing will happen."

After thinking about it, Tai Wuwu added, "The king should go back to the palace quickly, as long as the king is fine, then Zhao Guo is fine." ”

There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Zhao Hou sighed and shook his head and said, "This flying stone is so powerful, how long can the Handan city wall last?" The catapult is a few hundred paces away, and the crossbow can't shoot enough, but how can it be good? "Zhao Hou obviously knows some military affairs, but he can't stand up to the backwardness of science and technology, and he can't fight back when he is only beaten.

And listen to Tai Wuwu said, "Don't worry, the old minister has observed, this flying stone can knock down the female wall, can knock down the house, can smash the city tower, but never smash the city wall, as long as my soldiers hide behind the city wall, they can be fine, and when the Wei army throws flying stones, its soldiers can not get to the city, must stop throwing stones, at this time my soldiers return to the city guard, as long as the response is appropriate, there should be no doubt about holding Handan, as long as the time is long, the Wei army's catapults will be lost, and my army will return to the court, the advantages and disadvantages of the momentum will turn immediately, and they can force back the Wei army. ”

When Zhao Hou heard this, his eyes immediately rolled, "You really can't smash the city wall?" ”

"Yes. The city wall of Handan is built of layers of rammed earth, and it cannot be poured. Tai Wuwu gritted his teeth and said. In fact, what Taiwuwu didn't know was that the best rammed earth city wall, but even the cannons of later generations were difficult to collapse immediately, during the RB invasion of China, many city towers were destroyed, but the city wall is still there.

Zhao Hou's eyes widened, and he also began to think.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, a scream suddenly sounded outside, getting closer and closer, different from other noisy screams, this time the scream was obviously from the same person, sad, and half loud.

Tai Wuwu frowned, and finally couldn't help but rush out, and came back after a while, "Your Majesty, it was the golden soup prepared in the city that was smashed by a flying stone and splashed on a soldier under the city, and the half-sound was not extinguished, and the soldier actually ran this way." The old minister had ordered the soldiers to go up to the city to extinguish the fire in Jintang. ”

It didn't take long for the screams to stop abruptly, as if their necks had been broken, and no one in the room asked why, but a desolate atmosphere permeated the house, and under the constant cries outside the house, it made people have to have a sense of apocalypse.

It was Tai Wuwu who broke the deadlock, "Your Majesty, why don't you send the dead out of the city in the middle of the night, carry the things that ignite the fire, and destroy the Wei army's catapults." ”

"Feasible." Zhao Hou agreed very simply this time, and it seemed that he was scared by the catapult.

"Let's ask the king to go back to the palace first." Tai Wuwu insisted.

A general in the house also knelt down, "Please go back to the palace!" ”

After Zhao Hou thought about it, he patted his thigh, and said with a half-cry, "Okay, the widow will go back to the palace, and Handan City will get rid of Zhuqing!" With that, he left the house in a hurry.

In fact, even if the monarchs of the Warring States period appeared on the battlefield more than the emperors of later generations, but the defense of the city did not necessarily have to be Zhao Hou here, but Zhao Hou thought that today was the first day, which could boost morale, or maybe he could talk to Wei Hou, and the two princes might be able to solve the matter by talking, but Wei Hou has always been in the army, and Zhao Hou was not given a chance at all, in fact, the Wei army came this time, and Zhao Hou also sent envoys, but they were either imprisoned or driven back.

However, Zhao Hou didn't expect the Wei army to launch an offensive on the first day, and it was so fierce, so after Zhao Hou figured it out, he quickly withdrew to the palace, and the matter of defending the city was left to the professionals.

Now as soon as Zhao Hou left, Tai Wuwu in the house coughed lightly, and immediately sat on the main seat as soon as his waist straightened, and a group of professionals held a temporary emergency meeting on the battlefield.

I only heard Tai Wuwu say, "The most important thing at the moment is to ensure the morale of the army, just now what I said to the king, you have all heard it, you must convey it, and the general who did not come must also say, to ensure that every soldier knows that the city wall will not collapse, even if it collapses, as long as it can be repaired as quickly as possible, the city wall will not be lost, the city wall will not be lost, and Handan will be safe." ”

"No!" A group of generals hurriedly said yes. As Zhao Xiang, Tai Wuwu is still very prestigious, whether it is in the court or in the army.

Then, we need to take immediate measures. In my opinion, when the Wei army threw stones, only a small number of flexible soldiers were left in the city to observe the movements of the Wei army, and if the Wei soldiers attacked, they would immediately issue a warning, and then select elite soldiers to prepare spears and bows and crossbows, hide behind the city wall that flying stones could not hit, and be ready to go to the city at any time to guard. Then withdraw the other soldiers out of the range of the flying stones, and be ready for battle at all times. Tai Wuwu continued.

"No!" The crowd will give up.

"All the dwellings within the range of the flying stones behind the city wall must be evacuated." Tai Wuwu added. "I'll arrange this with the Yi Pawn."

"Finally, once the Wei army stops throwing stones, immediately arrange for the people to go to the city to repair the city wall, clean up the debris, I will find someone to prepare bricks and lime in the city, if the bricks outside the city wall are damaged, when the Wei army does not attack the city, find some hanging baskets to release the people out to repair. It is important to ensure that the walls do not fall. ”

"No!"

"Go ahead, I've only said so much just now, but now that Handan has suffered such a strong enemy for the first time, the army's morale is unstable, and the soldiers are frightened, if you want to restore order, you have to work more hard to live up to your majesty." Saying that, Taiwu Wu arched his hand in the direction where Zhao Hou left.

"No! We will live up to your wishes! The generals quickly left after giving up, and soon only Taiwu was left in the house.

After sighing and straightening his armor, Tai Wuwu also called up the guards at the door and strode out.

Besides, on the side of the Wei army outside the city, since the first flying stone smashed on the city wall of Handan, Wei Hou's laughter has hardly stopped, even at noon, Wei Hou's lunch is also on the high platform, and even while drinking, watching the Handan City is like a turtle, and he can't even stick his head out when he is beaten. Yes, who wouldn't be arrogant when they watched themselves fight so much that the other party couldn't raise their heads?

Zhou Bian and others bid farewell to the Marquis of Wei and got off the high platform at near noon, rode back in the rear of the army, found a place to set up a camp, and settled lunch in the tent of the monarch and ministers.

Lunch was dull, and no one spoke. It wasn't until the guards came up and cleaned up that no one had the intention of going to take a nap.

After all, it was Ning Yue who opened his mouth first, "Handan must not be lost, otherwise the momentum of the Wei State will become overwhelming!" ”

"At that time, I was helpless. However, with the catapult alone, Wei Hou couldn't take Handan. Zhou Bian gritted his teeth and said.

"Does the king have a plan?" Fan Yu hurriedly asked.

Zhou Bian couldn't help but smile bitterly, "I don't have any clever plans, but I'm just puffing up." ”

There was silence again, and after half a sound, I only heard Ning Yue sigh, "It's a pity that the Wei people don't let our people leave, and I don't know what happened there. If it is said that troops are sent to save Zhao State, there is only Qi State. ”

"Believe it, he knows what this king means, and he also wants to do something." Zhou Bian lowered his head and said.

The tent was silent again, and I don't know how long I sat down, and the monarchs and ministers didn't know what to say, but after all, there was still no good way, if you want to say that you regret showing the catapult in Luoyang, the monarch and the minister don't have it. It's just that the situation in front of me still has to be broken, and the people in the escort team have been watching the battle situation on the front line, and send the latest situation back from time to time, fortunately, walking back and forth among the Wei army, except for someone to follow, the Wei people are not restricted, so Zhou Bian and the others are slowly not so nervous, because the flying stone attacked for a few hours, in addition to smashing the city tower and smashing down the female wall, it only killed a lot of people, and the worst situation, that is, the city wall of Handan was knocked down, but it did not appear.

At about four o'clock, the attack from outside gradually stopped, and the craftsmen began to disassemble the catapult simply, and after half an hour, the young general of the Wei army came to ask the royal family to pull out the tent, and the army of more than 100,000 people surrounded the people who were pushing the heavy catapults, and slowly retreated, and the day's attack was finally over.

When it was dark, the army returned to the camp, and there was inevitably another burst of cooking in the pot, and the barracks were full of smoke, but today, in the entire barracks, there was a lot of laughter, yes, no one was injured today, so Zhao Guo couldn't raise his head, who wouldn't be happy to see such a result?

When it was time for dinner, Wei Hou sent someone to invite him, and Zhou Bian and his party had to take off their military uniforms, change into formal clothes, and go to the banquet.

Before he got closer, he heard laughter in Wei Hou's handsome tent, and he didn't have to think about talking about today's results. At the door of the handsome tent, Ning Yue suddenly stopped, and after straightening his clothes, he smiled at Zhou Bian and the others and adjusted his state, and then asked Zhou Bian to walk in first.

In the tent, the monarchs and ministers of Wei State were really full of laughter, compliments came and went, and the generals also laughed and talked openly.

"Come, Zhou Jun, sit next to the widow." Seeing Zhou Bian and the others walk in, Wei Hou beckoned.

"The banquet hasn't started yet, so I'm waiting for Zhou Jun." After sitting down, he only heard Wei Hou laugh.

"Come on, let's get started!" I saw that after Wei Hou waved his hand, immediately a musician in the army played a breaking array music, and a line of robed maids rushed in. Wei Hou also enjoyed it, and there were maids with him in the army, but he hadn't seen them before, maybe they were brought from Daliang, or they were captured around Handan.

"Come, Zhuqing, Zhou Jun, please raise the lamp, for me today's Wei army siege artifact is beginning to show its majesty, dry this cup!"

Suddenly, there was a lot of scrutiny in the tent, which of those generals was not a bold person, and the shouts kept rising. Wei Hou also kept smiling, while accepting the generals' respectful invitations, he also raised a glass to invite Zhou Bian from time to time, and the army was lively, as if he had already broken through Handan City. Wei people are just like that, Zhou Bian couldn't help but think.

Unexpectedly, after three rounds of drinking, I saw Wei Hou raise his hand, and the sober general immediately put down the wine glass, and the already drunk lieutenant was also persuaded by others, and the tent slowly quieted down.

I only heard Wei Hou say, "Today is only because the catapult is beginning to show its majesty, so it is drinking and having fun, from today until the attack on Handan, the army is not allowed to drink again, if there is a violation of this order, just like this lord." After saying that, Marquis Wei put the wine jue in his hand on the ground in front of him, pulled out the long sword on his waist and slammed it down, the bronze wine jue immediately turned into two halves, and the residual wine that had not yet been drunk in the jue splashed up and hit Zhou Bian's body on the side, which scared Zhou Bian a lot.

There was silence in the tent, and after a while, the generals hurriedly said yes.

At this time, I saw Wei Hou Youyou and said, "Today, all the Qing have also seen the majesty of the catapult, what do you think about this?" ”

Suddenly it was a compliment, but the Wei people were pragmatic after all, and slowly talked about the use of catapults, and today I saw the majesty of catapults, and I didn't think that there were really many generals who had their own ideas.

I only heard a young general say, "If the catapult is carried back and forth every day, not only is it a waste of time on the road, but the daily installation and dismantling of the catapult may also cause premature damage to the catapult, so it is better to install it outside the southern city wall of Handan, and the army is also camped here, and dig a ditch in front to build a wall to prevent the Zhao army from going out of the city to attack." ”

As soon as these words came out, some people immediately echoed them, and even Wei Hou was a little moved, but soon some people objected, "If you build a wall, you can prevent the Zhao army from sneaking attack, and don't you also lock us up inside the wall, how can my soldiers attack Handan City?" Do you have to throw it with a catapult? ”

Immediately, there was a burst of laughter, but Zhou Bian's heart moved, and he secretly remembered the whimsical ideas of the ancients.

The young general's face was also flushed, but his views also had supporters, and he quickly replied, "Building a wall is naturally to leave a door, just need to protect the catapult, and leave a passage between the catapults for soldiers to enter and exit, and build a wall to seal the Zhao people in the city, and if you can't enter or exit, then Handan City will be broken just around the corner." ”

As soon as everyone thought about it, it was reasonable, and they immediately added that this time they were unified, and the monarchs and ministers of Wei actually set the next siege plan in a banquet, and in the laughter of Wei Hou, this pre-battle dinner was joyful.