It wasn't until the next day that Liu Yanqing finally came back.

The generals of all the ministries looked at him with resentment in their eyes, this old man had escaped from the battle more than once.

But people have a relationship in the court, and it's okay to bury nearly 100,000 troops in Liao, and they can be rewarded when they return to Tokyo!

Reconvening the generals for a meeting, Liu Yanqing first praised Wang Yuan and noted his great achievements in defending the camp.

Wang Yuan said: "I have a fierce general under my command, named Han Shizhong. He once led his troops to capture Fang La, and made meritorious contributions during the invasion of Liao, and he also had merit in defending the camp this time. ”

"Well, I've made a note of this person." Liu Yanqing said perfunctorily and no longer mentioned Han Shizhong.

In fact, after Han Shizhong beheaded Fang La, his military exploits were greedy by Xin Xingzong, and his reputation had already spread throughout the Western Army. First, the military exploits were too great, and second, the merits of being robbed were sympathized, and this kind of news spread very quickly.

But Xin Xingzong was Tong Guan's absolute confidant, and the generals of the Western Army did not dare to mention this matter publicly, for fear that Tong Guan would be jealous and hated because of this.

Yang Weizhong, who had a broken lower leg, sat crookedly in the tent at this time: "The thief is definitely not a fairy magic, in my opinion, it must be a kind of artillery cart, and it can fight three or four miles at most." ”

In fact, the maximum firing range of the four guns in the main village is less than three miles.

The reason why it was possible to fight so far was because the stockade was located on the mountain. Condescendingly, and firing upwards at an angle of 45 degrees, the shells fell far beyond the normal range.

Liu Yanqing's face was a little ugly, he would rather the thieves know the demon method, if it was a gun, it would be too embarrassing.

Liu Guangshi took over the conversation: "The thief has such a sharp weapon, how can he break through the thief village?" ”

Yang Weizhong said: "If you want to come to such a sharp weapon, it is not easy to make it, and the Zhu thief has been fighting for almost a year, and he has only built a few planes." It can be informed that although the whole army is strong, it takes a long time to shoot once, and it can only hit a few people each time. Let them not be afraid of any magic and immortal magic, so that they can avoid panic in the whole army. ”

Liu Yanqing instantly became even more annoyed, if this matter spread throughout the army, where would his face go?

The dignified general was so frightened by a few artillery trucks that he abandoned the army and fled.

Yang Weizhong said: "Now the morale of our army is low, there is not much foot armor left, and most of the divine arm crossbow has been lost. It is necessary to boost morale and motivate the warriors to attack the thieves' village with heavy rewards. ”

That being said, how many people are willing to give their lives?

The terrain is really disgusting, and none of the several passages from Shaanxi to Hanzhong are easy to open.

The difficulty of Fu Luo Road is second only to the Meridian Road in the east!

In the next half month, Liu Yanqing set up the Chinese army's position farther away, and the "artillery carts" of the thieves really could not attack.

But the Western Army organized many attacks, and they were all attacked by artillery. Although the direct casualties were not large, they greatly affected morale, and each attack did not even approach the cottage, and was defeated by falling rocks, rolling logs, bows and arrows halfway up the mountain.

Liu Yanqing had no choice but to appease the soldiers: "Don't be discouraged, before I sent out the army, I asked people who knew history. In all dynasties, from Hanzhong to the south, there was no one who could quickly take it, and it took a few months to say the least, and a year or two to fight more. It's been less than a month since we've only started, and there's always a chance to break through the bandits. ”

The generals were even more speechless when they heard this, how could there be such an encouragement to the soldiers?

Liu Yanqing suddenly said: "I know that there is an old road on Fu Luo Road, and it is even more difficult to walk in disrepair. We didn't take the old road when we came, but when we got here, we could also follow the mountain, and maybe the thieves there would be better to fight. ”

Yang Weizhong said: "The army cannot be temporarily transferred, otherwise our army's food supply will not be guaranteed." Even if you want to go west, you can only send two or three thousand elite surprise attacks. ”

The two of them were talking about a surprise attack on Huaishu Pass, and the old road of Fu Luo that went straight to Huaishu Pass, even the smugglers were disgusted.

From the end of the Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, Huaishuguan has not been repaired, and only the wall foundation remains when Zhu Guoxiang took over. It took several months to re-ram the earth and restore it, and now only 3,000 rebels are stationed.

If the Western Army takes the Huaishu Pass, it can go straight to Zhenfu County along the river.

After occupying Zhenfu County, it can threaten Yangzhou City to the west, and cut off Yang Zhi's grain route to the east.

But in guest combat, unless it is absolutely necessary, it is generally not a surprise attack.

Because success or failure is not in your own hands, but depends on whether the enemy is negligent. Even if you can make a surprise attack to capture Huaishu Pass, you have to make a surprise attack to capture Zhenfu County.

And Zhenfu County, at this time, was the material transfer station of the Yangzhou Righteous Army. Not only is there a large amount of military rations hoarded here, but there is also a reserve force on standby at any time, Yang Zhi will support Yang Zhi when he is in danger, and Huaishuguan will go to rescue Huaishuguan when he encounters officers and soldiers.

On the contrary, it is Yangzhou City, the army is very empty, and only some officials maintain law and order.

Liu Yanqing couldn't make up his mind and planned to take another look at the situation.

……

The pursuit battle that day strengthened Yang Zhi's stubbornness.

A large number of routs stormed the camp, and the Western Army was able to stabilize it, which shows that there are capable people among the enemy generals, and the morale of the Western Army is not bad.

Yang Zhihe's generals were naturally afraid of the Western Army and had no confidence in winning the field battle.

So he couldn't hold on.

This move made Liu Yanqing disgusted. Even he sent elite feints to lure and set up ambushes in hilly areas, but it had no effect at all.

Because Yang Zhi is too cautious, or too cowardly.

The main village pursued the rout resolutely but did not cross the river, and the rebels of the two deputy villages chased them down the mountain, and they would also be recalled by Yang Zhi's order Mingjin.

In this way, the confrontation lasted another month, and if you start counting from Xuqing, it has been more than two months since Liu Yanqing led his troops south.

Not an inch has been built, and the life is stuck here.

A messenger came from Fengxiang, but it was sent by the eunuch and the prison army to ask Liu Yanqing why there was no news.

Liu Yanqing could only answer that the terrain of the thief village was dangerous and difficult to break, but he had already won several small victories, and it was only an overnight moment to capture the thief village.

Finally sent the envoy away, and Liu Yanqing convened a meeting of the generals again.

Yang Weizhong said: "I can only attack regardless of the dead and wounded. ”

In a word, heap with human life.

And whether it can work or not, you can only leave it to fate, which is more difficult than attacking the city.

At the very least, you can use a variety of equipment to storm the city, and you can dig tunnels, mounds of earth, or smash stones with giant leveling cannons.

But it's all cottages, you can't use any equipment, and it's hard to level the artillery.

Liu Yanqing muttered in a low voice: "Can the Western Army in our hands still attack?" ”

Yang Weizhong was speechless in an instant.

The Western Army is a collective term composed of the forbidden army, the box army, the fan soldiers, and the township soldiers.

The forbidden army and the box army belong to the regular army, and the number is relatively small.

Both the soldiers and the township soldiers were recruited temporarily, and the soldiers were the armies of ethnic minorities.

In the Shaanxi and Gansu regions, there were a large number of ethnic minorities, who probably belonged to the Han nationality during the Tang Dynasty, but gradually became tribal since the end of the Tang Dynasty. or out of compulsion, or out of livelihood, he fought as a soldier in the Great Song Dynasty and Western Xia.

The soldiers on the side of the Great Song Dynasty were often cut off by friendly soldiers.

So the imperial court specially set the rules that the soldiers must tattoo words on their faces, so that the guys who kill friendly soldiers and risk merit cannot succeed.

However, there were many rural soldiers in the western army, because the border areas were barren and it was very difficult to supply military rations, so it was impossible to support a large number of troops for a long time. So in the event of a war, he drew Ding as a soldier in Shaanxi, and in principle, one of the three strong men should be drawn.

Therefore, the Shaanxi men of the Northern Song Dynasty, regardless of the usual peasantry, are very likely to have been on the battlefield.

When fighting against Western Xia, it was often used as cannon fodder by the Fan soldiers, and then by the township soldiers as cannon fodder, and the forbidden army and the box army were put into the box army at critical moments.

This combat system, after hundreds of years of Song and Xia battles, has gradually honed a strong army.

At its peak, the temporarily recruited Shaanxi township soldiers did not need any training at all, they put down their hoes and picked up weapons, and they could fight against the Western Xia when they were pulled to the battlefield.

However, after Song Huizong ascended the throne, he frequently used troops against the Western Xia, and the long-term arrears of food and salaries led to the decline of the elite of the Western Army.

And the defeat of the Liao Dynasty has buried countless people.

Many of the Shaanxi township soldiers recruited now have never fought, and they were brought up by the death of their father and brother. The regular armies of the forbidden army and the Xiang army are also very little, and many of the township soldiers who fled back from the Liao State were directly replenished into the regular army.

There is no energy left!

There's no going to fight a tough battle!

In the event of a setback, even the regular army will flee.

In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Western Army could still carry it, in fact, thanks to Zhang Jun.

At that time, a large number of Shaanxi people fled south, and Zhang Jun used Sichuan money and grain to train Shaanxi township soldiers to rebuild the Western Army. Although the name of the army has changed and is no longer called the Western Army, in fact, the composition of generals and soldiers has not changed significantly.

And in this time and space, how can there be Sichuan money and grain for military training?

"Straight sissy thief!"

Liu Yanqing slapped his thigh depressedly: "This Zhu thief father and son, a good official is not appropriate, what kind of rebellion do you have to make." The thieves occupy a favorable location, and our army is on an expedition, how can it be easy to defeat it? The eggless prison army came to urge again, this is to roast you and me on the fire! ”

Yang Weizhong said: "It's better to delay it a little longer, maybe Hanzhong will be in chaos." Or the thieves are running out of food and grass, and it is not too late to attack when the time comes. ”

Liu Yanqing smiled bitterly: "Our grain road stretches for hundreds of miles, and it is all supported by new wheat, and it will only be us who is short of grain and grass." ”

Without the urging of the eunuch and the army, Liu Yanqing would continue to confront, but now he has to make a decision.

Liu Yanqing said: "Select 3,000 elite soldiers to attack Huaishu Pass, if you can defeat it, the battle situation will have a turnaround." If the surprise attack fails, the whole army will storm the cottage. Sooner or later, it will have to be attacked, otherwise there will be no way to give an account to the officials. Rather than dragging it out to lower morale, it is better to attack early and have a two-point chance of winning. Who is willing to lead a surprise attack? ”

No one spoke.

Wang Yuan said: "I have a fierce general named Han Shizhong." ”

Liu Yanqing immediately remembered this person: "Just let him go and give him 3,000 soldiers!" ”

Han Shizhong was robbed of credit by Xin Xingzong, and Xin Xingzong was afraid that the matter would be "exposed", so he always pressed not to be promoted. This person is dead when he dies, and it can be regarded as an explanation to Tong Guan.

If Han Shizhong is lucky enough to make a great contribution, he will snatch the credit when the time comes.

Wang Yuan went back to Han Shizhong to speak: "You have always wanted to make meritorious contributions, and now the opportunity has come." But it's unpredictable, run if something is wrong, don't be desperate. If you make a miraculous achievement, Yang Dutong and I will try our best to keep some for you. ”

"There is no such thing as fighting a war without fighting hard!" Han Shizhong held the knife and smiled.

He seemed very impatient before, but now that the opportunity for meritorious service has come, he has become light-hearted.

(PS: The thunderbolt cannon of the Song Dynasty was not an artillery, it was a catapult that threw incendiary bombs.) ）

(Lao Wang was brainwashed by "Future Negatives", and he felt uncomfortable if he didn't listen to it for a day, and he had a new understanding of the lyrics every day.) Highly recommended! ）

(End of chapter)