Chapter 106: The Battle of Xiaoguan

Geng Bingwen's face was gloomy as water, and he looked at Xiao Guancheng. I secretly said in my heart, "Hurry up, hurry up, or one step slower."

Geng Bingwen is naturally not for Xiao Guan.

It was impossible for him to know that Mei Yin had rebelled, and it was impossible for him to know that Mei Yin had put his mind on Xiao Guan.

However, there may be many small roads in Guanzhong, but there are only a few places that are convenient for the army to attack, and Xiaoguan is one of them, and it is also the place where the great wars have always been located.

Geng Bingwen naturally knew that Xiao Guan was important.

There is something going on in the northwest, and it is easiest to get out of Xiaoguan in Guanzhong.

Geng Bingwen came out this time, originally for the war in Ningxia.

It's been so long since the war began. Geng Bingwen has only led the army here, which is already slow.

In fact, according to Geng Bingwen's thoughts, he had to find a way to support as soon as he knew that Ningxia was going to war.

Without him, without Ningxia and Gansu, Guanzhong is the battlefield.

Countless histories have proven this.

Geng Bingwen was ordered to guard the pass, so he naturally had to think about the overall situation. Do your best for the sake of Daming. It's just that a lot of things don't mean he can do whatever he wants.

Changing generals on the spot is taboo for soldiers.

Yes. Geng Bingwen's qualifications, status, and even influence on the Guanzhong army are above Song Sheng. Song Sheng Yulin was defeated, and he was even more powerless to resist. It can even be said that Song Sheng was Geng Bingwen's subordinate before.

Geng Bingwen replaced Song Sheng, and Song Sheng categorically could not resist.

But this time and that time too.

Even if Song Sheng is willing, following Song Sheng's soldiers, Song Sheng's own team is willing. There is always no right or wrong in personnel struggles. Geng Bingwen came over, and he didn't arrange people to promote himself. There are many things that you can't do if you want to. If Song Sheng doesn't stand up for his own people, Song Sheng will not follow if he wants to use people in the future.

Therefore, regardless of whether Song Sheng wants it or not, Geng Bingwen wants it or not. They all need some friction between them.

Even if the relationship between Song Sheng and Geng Bingwen is good enough, they can communicate properly with each other and reduce friction. But only less. Not to mention, such an important official position as guarding Shaanxi is a handover between county orders, and it also takes time and running-in.

It is natural for Geng Bingwen to delay time for this.

It can even be said that Geng Bingwen is fast enough.

But compared to the unpredictable dynamics of the battle, it is too slow.

It's slow, one step is losing, one step is losing.

Geng Bingwen is not worried about Xiao Guan. When he understood the composition of Mei Yin's department, Geng Bingwen was not worried.

In Geng Bingwen's view, today's army is divided into several levels, and the first class is the new army, whether it is the new army in Beijing or the new army in Nanjing. The entire army of firearms is armed with a considerable number of artillery. Beijing claims to have 600,000 such an army, but in Geng Bingwen's view, it is only about 450,000, because although the Northern Army was organized and trained early, it does not mean that all the formations and training have been completed, and the establishment of the 12 armies is too large.

And Nanjing has more than 100,000. Now it is still increasing rapidly, especially after the establishment of the Xuzhou Iron Works, a considerable number of firearms have been replenished nearby.

Increased editing speed.

The second class is the army of semi-firearms.

It is the army that has increased a considerable number of firearms, cold weapons and hot weapons. Ranged with firearms, melee hand-to-hand combat. These armies are the majority of the armies of the Southern Army. There were also other armies of the Northern Army.

The third class is a pure cold-weapon army. There may be some firearms as an embellishment, but in essence, firearms are not the main force of combat.

It can even be said that the combat effectiveness can be distinguished by the number of firearms in the army.

Not too accurate, though. But it's not bad.

And Mei Yin's department, based on the Xining Army. Xining Wei plus the army of several thousand households nearby. There were also some Tusi's troops, with a total strength of just over 10,000, and Mei Yin surrendered some troops along the way. But the Northwest itself has a small number of firearms.

Mei Yin's army was essentially the Ming army of the Hongwu era.

Not in the heart of the north-south confrontation

district, in many ways has fallen behind.

Geng Bingwen has no problem with taking Xiao Guan, the problem is time, he didn't send troops for Xiao Guan. It is to support the battle of Ningxia and to protect the northwest.

Even if it cannot be completely preserved, it is necessary to hold one or two important places, and cannot allow the northern army to run rampant.

At that time, the Northern Army will not put pressure on Guanzhong from one direction.

This is what Geng Bingwen does not want to see.

Now that Xiao Guan is obstructed, if it is too long to waste time, then Geng Bingwen's idea will be ruined first.

Geng Bingwen waved his hand, and the army surged.

At the head of Xiaoguan City, there was even more artillery fire.

Although it is said that Xiaoguan is more of a defense in the northwest, there is not much defense in the southeast. But in such an important place as Xiaoguan, there are naturally a lot of firearms. Geng Bingwen wants to take it, but it is not so easy.

Battle of Xiaoguan,

It was fought for three days in a row.

Under the command of Geng Bingwen, the army was divided into twelve batches, day and night.

Although it hit a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, it hit Mei Yin's three inches. Geng Bingwen is too familiar with defending the city and understands it too well. Because of this, what is Mei Yin's biggest problem?

As a dangerous pass, although Xiaoguan is better than defending against the southeast, it does not mean that there is no defense capability in the southeast. At least compared to the normal level, if it is much better.

Coupled with a considerable number of firearms, there is still a certain advantage in defending the city.

Geng Bingwen's numerical advantage could not be brought into play.

But day and night, Geng Bingwen has a lot of manpower. Separate batches are also enough to siege the city, and Mei Yin's department is at most more than 10,000. These more than 10,000 men and horses are certainly enough to defend the city. But in the face of Geng Bingwen, who kept attacking day and night, it was really difficult to support.

Only in this way can the numerical advantage be brought into play.

More numerical advantage is also Geng Bingwen's only reliance.

After all, he went out to support Ningxia, and he didn't want to fight a siege battle.

Although some artillery was brought, it was all lightweight. It was simply not enough to destroy the walls. And it takes time to build engineering equipment on the fly, or to transport heavy artillery from the rear.

And what Geng Bingwen lacks is time.

In this way, the corpses under Xiao Guan City were layer after layer, and it was too late to collect the corpses. After all, it takes time to collect the corpse, which is equivalent to giving Xiao Guanchengtou a chance to breathe.

After three days of bloody fighting.

Mei Yin's eyes were bloodshot and her spirits were extremely excited. He didn't close his eyes for almost three days and three nights. His spirits were exalted, but in reality the corpse was extremely tired.

Even if Mei Yin occupies a favorable location, under the three-day bloody battle, Mei Yin's department is converted by more than half. It's getting to the point where it's hard to maintain.

It's not that I can't fight anymore.

And Mei Yin's control ability has reached the limit.

If Mei Yin had been in Xiningwei for a few years, Xiningwei would have been blessed with Mei Yin's favor up and down, otherwise it would have collapsed long ago. After all, the ability of an army to endure heavy casualties without collapsing is the best test of a general's ability.

Now it's Mei Yin's limit.

Mei Yin sighed and said secretly in her heart, "Let's go. It's me who is too greedy. I just hope that my capital has lost so much, and I don't know how much status I can have."

Mei Yin was worried that he would add to his paintings, and the original position of the prince of the country was very likely to fly at this time.

This made Mei Yin extremely worried.

It's just that no matter how he thinks about it, he has no choice. If you don't retreat and fight again, let alone your status, even your life will not be saved.

------

After Mei Yin's withdrawal.

Geng Bingwen was also relieved when he saw Xiao Guan's city gate open.

Although it is said that Ci is not in charge of the army, the number of casualties this time is too large.

Twelve batches, attacking day and night. But there was a lack of siege equipment, only simple long ladders, light artillery cover. That's what you fight for.

The Mei Yin army at the head of the city was lost by more than half. Geng Bingwen's casualties were even higher than those of Mei Yin's department.

Geng Bingwen's casualties were at least three times that of Mei Yin's. And it was too late to collect the corpse, which affected morale. At least several of Geng Bingwen's guards have lost their combat effectiveness.

Isn't Geng Bingwen distressed? It's just that the war can't be delayed for a moment.

It's just that not long after Xiao Guan was taken, a piece of information was handed over to Geng Bingwen, and Geng Bingwen took it over to take a look. He was stunned for a moment, and then his hand was loosened, and the letter fell into a pool of blood.

On this letter, there is only one news, that is, Guyuan City surrendered to the Northern Army.

The soldiers of the Northern Army had already arrived not far north of Xiao Pass. Xiao Guan has become the front line.