Yuan Hao led the army to Pengyang City. This village was built relatively early, built in Xianping six years, and completed almost forty years. Twenty miles to the east is Ping'an Village, seventy miles to the west is Dongshan Village, forty miles to the south is Weizhou Xinzhai, and fifty miles to the north is Qianxing Village.

Only one river Ru River passes, forming a long and narrow river valley area, on the abundance of water and grass, far less than Sanchuan Village, in addition to this narrow river valley, all around are low and continuous mountains. But its geographical location is very important, and it is an important transportation hub from Zhenrongzhai to Yuanzhou to Qianxingzhai.

Therefore, many villages built in the Song Dynasty were annihilated one by one, and this village remained and developed into a county town until the descendants of a thousand years...... Yuan Hao led the army to Pengyang Village with a fierce attitude, and it was not his forte to attack the city, but at this time, the northern wilderness of Jingyuan Road became his world. An army of more than 100,000 roared in, and no one dared to fight with him. Zhang Qi didn't dare, he was forced on Fulin Road, who wants to often rate 3,000 against 30,000? It's not 30,000, it's 100,000, or even more.

But his eyes narrowed.

The geographical location of this village is very important, and it was built early, and the scale is very large in the Zhenrong army villages, and only the Zhenrong village and the Dongshan village can be compared.

But it's still an earthen wall.

As long as it is an earthen wall, there is a way, the siege is not good at long, and Yuan Hao has a natural fear of those tall brick and stone walls of the Song Dynasty.

But he saw some subtle changes, and many small holes were opened in the upper part of the wall more than two zhang high. The holes are not big, so I don't know what they are used for. There is also a row of fences behind the wall, which is at the same level as the head of the city.

Seeing the arrival of his army, a young man in white disappeared in a flash.

It's a little far away, and I can't really see it, but I can see that it's a round face.

Sideways asked a young general beside him: "Wei Mingxiong, that person is the little prime minister of the Song Dynasty?" ”

"Like." He participated in the Battle of Shimenchuan with Ye Liyu and saw Zheng Lang, but he was far away and couldn't see clearly, so he could only answer like this.

Yuan Hao continued to observe the terrain, and the north of Pengyang City was the Ru River, which was built against the river, and it was impossible to make an idea about the water source. No matter how great the ability is, it is impossible to cut off the Ru River. Even if it is cut off, because it is close to the Ru River, the groundwater resources are abundant, and wells can be dug to get water. There was a slight open area to the south, but it was not very large and not conducive to a large army attack.

A little frowned, and when he was thinking about how to attack, suddenly there was a noise at the head of Pengyang Walled City, and there was a Song army playing tunes, holding suona and blowing indiscriminately.

"Is this trying to mess with me?" Yuan Hao snorted coldly, and led the guards to climb a relatively high mountain peak in the south to have a bird's-eye view of Pengyang City. The village is not a small area, and there are some buildings and many horses in the city.

Silently estimated, there are about more than two thousand war horses. Very similar to intelligence. In addition to the horses, there were two or three thousand soldiers, and four or five thousand people who poured into the city from all directions for refuge. Although the area of Pengyang City is not small, it is still a little noisy at this time. Yuan Hao's eyes were fixed on something.

On the basis of the original city wall, the Song Dynasty did some expansion, it may be because of human resources problems, not completed, only half of the construction, and added a thick wall foundation in it, about one zhang high, half to two zhang wide.

This means that it is more difficult to destroy the wall. But there was another thing that puzzled him, and there were many low fences erected on the city foundation later, which may have played a role in strengthening the city foundation. But in addition to the fence, there are some wooden strips that linger on the fence and the old city wall. It was too far away, and even though his eyesight was good, he couldn't see what it was. When you come back on horseback, you have to set up camp.

Old-fashioned, digging everywhere.

The Battle of Shimenchuan seems to be difficult to replicate, but it is not impossible to replicate. Again, Yuan Hao didn't believe that the Song Dynasty would be well-intentioned, and shouted himself to the city wall to avoid danger.

He Congmiao said: "Your Majesty, you can't dig like this. ”

Is it possible to dig up all the ground in front of Pengyang City?

Especially in this area, although it is a river valley, the river valley is too small, and there are many mountains and rocks behind, if the Song Dynasty buried that kind of thing, dig a pit and a ditch to solve the problem. However, the Tangut themselves had to throw the whole ground aside, and they didn't know how deep to dig to be safe. This is obviously not a no-go.

"What do you say?"

He Congqiao brought a person, if Zheng Lang saw it, he would be surprised. It's Gao Yanai.

"Gao Zheng, what do you have in mind?"

"Your Majesty, in fact, this new weapon is a firecracker."

"Nonsense."

"It's a firecracker, improved from the formula of the firecracker, the formula minister doesn't know, but knows that it necessarily needs a fuse to ignite. If it can be lit at any time, there will be no such small baggage in Gaopingzhai, and His Majesty has also seen with his own eyes that after those small bags are thrown with a stone thrower, there are fuses like firecrackers burning. ”

"Shimenchuan is under the ground."

"You can use bamboo pipes or other things, and then seal them with oiled paper and fire paint to prevent moisture and moisture."

"What are you going to say?"

"Dig a trench."

"It's up to you."

The scene of the upcoming ** will begin.

Watching the Western Xia people digging trenches outside the city, the Song army in the city was beating gongs and drums, and it was very lively. Zhang Fangping asked Wang Yuan in a low voice, "Is it useful?" ”

Wang Yuan turned his head to look at the soldiers and people behind him, and also said in a low voice: "My heart is a little calm." ”

Zhang Fangping nodded secretly.

Zheng Lang is giving credit, but wealth and danger are sought, after this battle, he will make a great contribution, but seeing hundreds of thousands of Western Xia troops pouring all over the mountains, Zhang Fangping's face was still a little pale. His face changed dramatically, and the other soldiers and civilians were similar. Only after Wang Yuan passed through the battle of Fulin Road, he was accustomed to it, and he could calmly assist him in commanding the soldiers.

Turn an impending brutal defensive battle into a joke first, and the hearts of the soldiers and the people will be at peace.

It seems to have achieved an effect.

A trench was dug from the Ru River to the foot of the mountain. It is not required to be detailed, only to be reached in depth, which can play a tentative role. As the trench took shape, there was a sudden shout, and some soldiers saw the legendary bamboo pipe along the mountain.

"Retreat, retreat." Yuan Hao immediately ordered.

Immediately the people rolled over and there was chaos.

The soldiers of the Song Dynasty at the head of the city finally let go of the fear in their hearts one by one and laughed uncontrollably. Yuan Hao was shocked, but he didn't understand. The battle of Shimenchuan is the special terrain of Shimenchuan, it is the first time that no one is guarded, and this is the result.

It can't be taken as a rule, success is good, failure is unknown, just the cost of those gunpowder is unknown. It had to be returned to square one and used as a clumsy grenade. War is still the age of cold weapons. The appearance of tubular weapons has no effect, unless the entire steel, gunpowder and lathe technology is invented one after another, but it will have some effect, such as now, those few bamboo pipes are just the idle hands arranged by Zheng Lang to Pengyang City, and they are used as pranks.

Yuan Hao sent someone to sort it out slowly, and the bamboo pipe was gone for a while. A false alarm!

The more this happened, the more suspicious Yuan Hao became, and ordered to dig deeper, digging several zhang, until the groundwater poured in, and then stopped.

At the head of the city, the Song army became irritable and shouted loudly: "Yuan Hao dog thief, you dug the wrong object, and the fuse was put on from the Ru River." Drain the Ru River. ”

If it was really from the Ru River, Song Jun would not have reminded him. But the war, true and false, false and true, who can say clearly, besides, Zheng Lang behaved very cunning in the last battle, and Yuan Hao was not at ease. He also ordered a large excavation along the riverbank.

It was getting dark, and Yuan Hao had no choice but to order the soldiers to set up camp on various mountains first. No matter how capable they are, the Song people can't put gunpowder under the rocks.

When night came, seeing the embarrassment of the Tangut people today, the soldiers and people in the city calmed down a little.

Zhang Fangping meditated in his heart, and another day passed.

Staying up for a day is a day's merit, there are really not many soldiers and horses in the city, only 2,500 people, facing the weight of 100,000 troops, insisting on not losing the city, the more days you survive, the greater the merit will be.

But they haven't fought yet.

So he found Wang Zhi and Wang Yuan's brothers, Wang Zhi has fought on the battlefield several times, and he is also an important general in the surprise attack on Tiandu Mountain. Wang Yuan didn't make much credit, and he could only be regarded as a humble guest in Zheng Lang's family before. This is the last battle, giving Zhang Fangping a chance to make meritorious contributions, and Zheng Lang also gave Wang Yuan a chance to make meritorious contributions.

Not too much. Moreover, Wang Yuan also killed several Western Xia people in Fuzhou, and the merit has not been awarded so far.

Zhang Fangping didn't know that this was Zheng Lang's deliberate seizure, for fear that people would gossip behind his back, and in the last battle, the surname Suo was released together. Over the years, Zheng Lang has always asked them to read more military books, Han Xinhuo is sick and does not read military books, that is because people are born with extraordinary talents, as ordinary generals, it is good to read more military books. Whatever the gossip is, it's the last battle.

The two of them were looking into the distance at the head of the city, and in the distance the Tanguts were setting up temporary camps. 100,000 horses, mighty, almost filled more than a dozen mountains. All kinds of flags fluttered in the afterglow of the evening.

"What are you looking at?"

"Zhang Zhizhou, it's so windy."

"Is there something wrong?" Zhang Fangping asked puzzled.

In late autumn, severe northwesterly winds often blow in the northwest, and the weather is normal.

"Zhang Zhizhou, look at the mountains and forests again."

Zhang Fangping stared at the mountains and forests with his eyes, the mountains and forests were half yellow, and the mountains were pale, but he still didn't understand, and asked, "Wang Zhi, what did you say?" ”

"How did Lu Xun defeat Liu Bei?"

Don't be too clear about this history, Zhang Fangping wanted to say, but suddenly his eyes widened, and after a long time, he said in a daze: "Why didn't Xingzhi think of it." ”

"My father-in-law is not an immortal," Wang Yuan said angrily.

A few bamboo pipes are pure mischief, who would have thought that Yuan Hao would actually station a large army in the mountains and forests. Of course, now it is too late to mobilize other troops to cooperate, Yuan Hao attaches great importance to the scouts, and once he comes to Pengyang City, he uses the advantage of troops to besiege Pengyang City, and there is no way to send the news out. Unless there is a second Wang Ji in the army, is that possible?

It's too late, tomorrow during the day, once all the trenches are dug up, Yuan Hao will come to Pengyang City, and he will not continue to stay in the mountains and forests and set up camp in the mountains and forests stupidly. But there is still a chance, this place is different from Sanchuankou, the mountains are endless, because there are few plains and river valleys, and the population is sparse, the environmental damage is not bad, the mountains and forests are luxuriant, and some mountains still have a large number of dead branches and leaves. Once a fire catches fire, the fire will quickly ignite the surrounding mountains and trees by the wind.

But he stared at the Xixia camp in the distance with his eyes, and felt sorry in his heart, really no one could have thought that otherwise, under Pengyang City, the victory would be decided in one battle. Why do you need such a big and complicated plan?

"There are too few soldiers," Zhang Fangping said hesitantly.

"One blow back to the city."

Zhang Fangping stood at the head of the city, also looking into the distance, the wind was tighter, with the sound of ghosts crying and wolf howling. The banners on the top of the city were also crackled by the strong wind. Lu Xun's burning of Liu Bei was magical, but there were too few Song soldiers in the city.

"Only tonight, after tonight, the opportunity will not come again. Although we only have more than 2,000 soldiers in the city, all of them are cavalry, and we can also reward the people who pour into the city with generous gifts to encourage a group of people to join. There are not many of them. ”

Zhang Fangping didn't hear it and said, "Focus on safety." ”

"We know."

Zhang Fangping agreed, and the three of them walked into the city and went to the village to discuss.

Time is tight, immediately gather the soldiers and people of the whole city together, and are not afraid of leaking, Zhang Fangping directly said the plan, divided into two batches, one group is two hundred people, and the third watch is hung down the city wall with ropes, sneaking into Longshan upwind, and starting to set fire in the dense woods. This part of the population requires half of the local hunters and is also the most dangerous task. Therefore, a heavy reward was given, and after the war, each person was rewarded with 50 catties of tea and 50 horses of silk. The rest of the people gathered together, rested immediately, got up at the third watch, watched the enemy's movements, and if the fire was fierce, they took advantage of the chaos to attack.

Under the heavy reward, there will be brave men, who will not do it. Not only was the gunpowder package set on fire, but the gunpowder was not used as an explosion, but as an ignition. Each person brought more than 20 catties and quickly set fire to the place with a lot of dry forests.

Many people took part enthusiastically, and only two hundred soldiers were taken, gathered, and then ordered the whole city to rest.

Yuan Hao didn't expect Song Jun to have such a bold plan, he was discussing a problem with his ministers in the tent, and Zheng Lang was not in Pengyang City. In, Pengyang City Bike, not there, immediately turned his eyes to the first back city.

Ge Huaimin's 25,000 infantry troops were what Yuan Hao wanted most. There was more to think of, otherwise he would not have sent Wu Hao to sneak into the south.

Several important ministers looked at each other. It is difficult to say, although the Western Xia army came quickly, Zheng Lang wanted to leave Pengyang City, and there was time. But according to this person's surname, he will not leave Pengyang City alone. After thinking about it for a long time, but didn't figure it out, Yuan Hao said a little angrily: "Everyone rest." ”

This battle made him feel very twisted. Unlike before, his army has not yet arrived, and all kinds of intelligence are coming in a steady stream, although he has entered the Song realm, it is as if he is on his main battlefield. Moreover, there are many villages outside the city, which can capture the people and supplement part of the supply with materials. And this battle was a complete subversion with the battle of Haoshuichuan.

Thinking of this, I looked at the south again.

The demarcation line of the Song army on Jingyuan Road is very clear, the first line, the second line, and the third line. When they arrived in Jingzhou, Weizhou, and Yuanzhou, the people behind them would not move them into the city. Where the people are densely populated, they cannot be resettled in the city.

But when he went deep into the rear of Jingwei, he couldn't make up his mind either. Yang Shousu ridiculed Zheng Lang for only daring to bring the army to Weizhou and Mingsha City, and immediately collected the army and returned. However, before Yuan Hao annihilated the main force of Jingyuan Road, he dared to drive straight in?

It depends on how Wu Hao is over there.

Thinking of this, I fell down to rest.

The wind was tighter, and when the third watch came, Zhang Fangping never fell asleep. Zheng Lang's original plan has been changed, he is the highest official in Pengyang City, and he is responsible for all the consequences. Even at this time, he hoped that the rumors would subside, and the plan had to be aborted. But the rumors did not subside, and it seemed to be a little louder.

The arrow is on the string and has to be sent.

Wang Yuan personally led the team, and two hundred carefully selected strong men carried the dismantled gunpowder on their backs, slid down the rope down the city wall, and dived northwest by the sand willows on the bank of the Ru River. Enter the sand willow forest and disappear immediately. Zhang Fangping looked up into the distance again, and there were dots of light flashing in the distance. It was the bonfire of the Western Xia camp.

The light of the fire swayed in the night wind, sometimes big and sometimes small, and occasionally a desolate singing voice came. If it weren't for the war, this scene would be a bit dreamy.

Zhang Fangping and Wang stood straight at the head of the city, motionless in the face of the cold northwest wind.

Wang Yuan has gradually entered the destination. Occasionally, scouts from the Tangut people passed by, and one by one they immediately lurked. The weather was cold, and the vigilance of the Western Xia scouts decreased, and they walked out of the city on foot, with the local Fan Zi as a guide, avoiding the three waves of scouts, and came to the northwest of the Western Xia camp and gained the upper hand. Looking below, Wang Yuan waved his hand, and the two hundred people lined up in groups of ten and dispersed one by one.

What kind of soldiers will be used. Changing Ge Huaimin's command, his generals never dared to do this.

It was an imaginative strategy.

After learning the chirping of night birds three times in succession, Wang Yuan commanded with the sound of birds and began to set fires.

Originally, a lot of dead branches and leaves were collected, and with the effect of sulfur and flame nitre, the fire quickly rose.

Twenty squads left the ignition point, retreated to the rear, and quietly approached Pengyang City with the help of dense mountains and forests.

The firelight was soon discovered by the Tanguts, and some people screamed.

Yuan Hao was awakened in a daze, hastily draped, and at this time, the fire had spread into a sea of fire by the sound of the wind, rolling towards his camp.

Yuan Hao may not know Lu Xun's story, but he knows that it is not good. After many years of campaigning and some command experience, he quickly issued one order after another. First, let the scouts look around to see if there were any Song troops from other directions.

As soon as the fire burned, everything was chaotic, and if tens of thousands of Song troops came to cover it, it would be defeated.

Then he ordered all the supplies to be transferred to the valley in front of Pengyang City, including the army, and retreated to the valley together. Regardless of whether the river valley is in danger anymore. As soon as the order was given, the fire rushed over. Wake up countless forest birds, let out a terrible chirp, and fly south. There are also many animals running around. A black blind man who had just entered a tree hole to hibernate was also awakened by the firelight, rushed into the barracks in panic, raised a bear and shot several soldiers to death, and was finally killed.

Yuan Hao gave the order, but the entire army was in chaos.

Wang Zhi saw it clearly at the head of the city, and shouted, "Kill." ”

The gate of the village opened, and a total of 3,000 people, including some selected people, rushed over on horseback.

The Western Xia army was moving towards the river valley one after another, and was suddenly killed, and many people had their real surnames revealed, and fled in panic.

Wang Yuan was retreating to the village, and when he saw this scene, he looked in the dark again, and there was a large pile of materials moved down from the mountain not far away. He whispered, "Let's rush up, burn that batch of supplies, and then retreat to the city." ”

The enemy was in confusion, and they had made a great contribution to this battle, and they all nodded excitedly.

Wang Zhi was leading the army to fight, Wang Yuan suddenly appeared, 3,000 people compared to 100,000 troops, it is really nothing. But at this time, everything was messed up, and most of the Western Xia soldiers didn't even know where their respective commanders were. There were also some Tangut people who had no time to retreat and were trapped in the sea of fire and rushed out desperately. Wang Yuan took advantage of the chaos to open a bloody road, and came to the batch of grain and grass, and happened to have the arson weapon flint in his arms, and set the grain on fire while fighting bloodily. After a while, the fire rose again in the valley. Wang Yuan said: "Withdraw." ”

It's burning, don't fight with you, go back and retreat.

Wang Zhi also saw them, and led his men and horses to kill them, covering for them. Until Wang Yuan withdrew from the encirclement, he divided the men and horses into two teams and continued to strangle.

At this time, Yuan Hao was also a little dumbfounded, the mountain was burning, the mountain was burning, what was wrong?