Chapter 249 Fierce Battle

Nations like the Liao and Western Xia were not good at attacking cities.

Not to mention, now we are still in a hurry.

And in Youzhou city.

The generals were also waiting for Zhao Xin’s words.

When can we get out of the city and kill all the enemies?

But Zhao Xin was naturally not in a hurry.

First of all!

Climb up the city wall and determine the location of the enemy’s tent.

then……

Then let the other side attack the city and suffer setbacks.

In addition…

Consume a little more food.

So, wait for ten days, half a month, or even a month.

By the time the Liao soldiers got to the defenders in their city, they no longer had any temper.

Zhao Xin then gave orders to everyone according to the situation.

of course!

During this period, he must have also paid close attention to Yelu Tiebu’s situation.

If Yelu Tie didn’t really want to rebel, he should have provided Zhao Xin with some useful information or useful intelligence.

And finally…

It was just as Zhao Xin expected.

Maybe it was Yelu Tiebu who realized that it was not a good idea to just waste time like this.

So he simply proposed to Yelu Hongji that he should go south to see if he could attack some cities of the Song Dynasty, making it difficult for Zhao Xin to take care of both ends.

Yelu Hongji certainly had some doubts about Yelu Tiebu’s behavior.

But after all, Yelu Tie was not going to go deep into enemy territory, and might be even more dangerous than them.

Then the doubt disappeared, and Yelu Tiebu took more than 10,000 elite troops and some auxiliary troops and went south.

This news quickly reached Zhao Xin’s hands under the cover of darkness that night.

Wait till the next day…

When Zhao Xin climbed up to the city wall again, he found that a lot of Liao troops had indeed withdrawn.

Only then did Zhao Xin consider going out of the city to fight.

In fact, it doesn’t mean that you can’t fight outside the city.

But how can you maximize your own results?

This is what Zhao Xin needs to consider.

Previously, Zhao Xin deliberately left the Liao Kingdom alone and did not attack them, in fact, he wanted them to underestimate him.

now……

The timing is almost right.

You know, the Liao Kingdom had been unable to conquer the country for a long time and its morale had already been frustrated.

If the other side knew that Zhao Xin had taken the initiative to open the city and fight head-on, they would definitely rush over to kill us without hesitation.

By the time……

If he moved the artillery forward, the Liao army would be defeated in two or three minutes. Then the question would be how to reap the harvest.

pity……

Zhao Xin still hadn’t found any way to definitely kill Yelu Hongji.

I originally wanted to ask if it was possible to ask Zhuozhou City to send out an army.

But now, Yelu Tiebu is very likely in the south.

It would be unwise to let them leave the city at this time.

Moreover.

Now that they are still surrounded, it is also a question whether this message can be sent out.

of course!

In fact, for Zhao Xin… whether Yelu Hongji is dead or alive is not the most important thing.

The most important thing is that he must kill as many of the enemy’s elite as possible in this battle.

They also robbed their cattle, sheep, and food.

During wars and sieges, the tents are usually not set up too far apart.

What Zhao Xin was waiting for was a time when the enemy had already set up their tents and it was impossible to run away or fight, and then he would take the initiative to attack.

At least when the fighting started, they definitely had no time to pack up things in the camp.

The most he could do was ride on a horse and run away.

After Zhao Xin was ready, he said to all the generals, “Have a good rest and leave the city for the decisive battle tomorrow!”

The next day.

Early in the morning.

The Liao scouts saw that the Southern Dynasty’s army had opened the city gate on their own.

After reporting this news to Yelu Hongji, Yelu Hongji naturally thought, what are we waiting for!
We must take advantage of this opportunity to seize control of the city gate.

At that moment, someone volunteered.

Yelu Hongji also selected carefully.

But to be honest, most of the people around him were scholars.

There are even poets!

He had not shown any special skills in fighting before.

In fact, the Liao Kingdom, like the Song Dynasty, was in an awkward situation at this moment.

Because there have been no wars for many years, there are hardly any people in the country who know how to fight.

The key is that there is a lack of opportunities to select talents who can fight.

This can only be a random selection, anyway…

Things like this can only be done by close confidants whom you trust.

then……

Finally, he chose his guard officer Xiao Yixin, and asked him to lead two thousand people to go ahead, and the rest of the people naturally followed step by step.

Always available as backup.

On Zhao Xin’s side, it took some time for the soldiers to come out of the city and spread out their battle array.

But it’s okay.

By the time Xiao Yixin arrived nearby, there were already nearly a thousand people leaving the city.

Zhao Xin had far fewer troops than the enemy, so he deployed his soldiers in front of the city gate.

At such a short distance, cavalry is useless.

Xiao Yixin was a little anxious at first, fearing that the Southern Dynasty’s army would run back at any time.

However, the Southern Dynasty army was lined up in front of the gate in an orderly manner, and they didn’t seem to be panicking at all.

Xiao Yixin also calmed down and slowed down his pace.

The cavalry in the front is not very useful.

However, Xiao Yixin still deployed a small number of cavalry on both wings.

To prevent the enemy from retreating, you can send cavalry to charge forward no matter what.

But it’s obvious!
Since they dare to open the city, they will definitely not run away at the first opportunity.

This provided Xiao Yixin with sufficient time to gather his troops.

even……

Not only the two thousand men of Xiao Yixin, but also the countless Khitan soldiers behind them put on armor, formed battle formations, and were ready to fight with the defenders coming out of the city at any time.

Less than two quarters of an hour passed.

Both sides have already stood still.

The attacker must be Xiao Yixin. As Xiao Yixin gave the order, the Liao soldiers attacked towards the city gate step by step.

Zhao Xin also ordered his men to hide the artillery behind the human wall.

Zhao Xin felt happy when he saw that all the soldiers led by Xiao Yixin were wearing fine armor.

Still on the wall, waiting for the other party to approach step by step.

A minister also said to Yelu Hongji: “Your Majesty, could this be a conspiracy? Besides, didn’t they say they have weapons that can attack 200 steps?”

“If we go over there rashly like this, I’m afraid something might happen.”

Yelu Hongji was actually also puzzled. If the Southern Dynasty really had such powerful weapons, why didn’t they use them earlier?

Even when they tried to attack the city, they did not use it.

Does that mean this so-called weapon doesn’t actually exist?
Although what the minister said makes sense, however, if you don’t seize the opportunity given to you, do you really want to besiege the city for a year or two?
Even though they knew it was a trap, they had to go.

The distance between the two sides reached 150 steps.

at last!

Zhao Xin ordered people to move.

The people in front moved aside, revealing the artillery.

Xiao Yixin had no idea what that was.

Anyway, even if it’s a wall, he has to rush over it.

As Zhao Xin gave the order, “Release!”

soon……

Twenty guns, firing at once.

On the opposite side was a dense formation of two thousand people.

When attacking such a target with artillery, one only needs to keep the muzzle level, and then all that’s left is to ignite the fire and see how many are killed.

Twenty artillery pieces fired one after another.

In just a moment, at least two hundred people fell on the opposite side.

can only say……

In just a blink of an eye, the Liao Kingdom was dumbfounded.

Some people were unable to climb to high places and therefore could not see the entire battlefield clearly.

It was normal that he couldn’t see what happened in front of him because of his limited vision. However, the people on his side suddenly became confused, and some of them seemed to be tripped by something.

It seems very weird!
This is not an ordinary thing to be seen on the battlefield.

After the first shot, no one reacted.

Zhao Xin ordered his men to prepare for the second shot immediately.

Although Li Yuan’s army at this time still maintained the composition of cavalry and infantry, in fact, he had basically used them all as artillery.

In normal training, great emphasis is also placed on the training of artillery skills.

Therefore, at the fastest speed, a shot can be fired in less than a minute.

And one minute is exactly the reaction time for the other party.

All enemies that encounter artillery attacks will not collapse at the beginning.

Because there were no orders from officials, soldiers generally stood there motionless.

and……

People behind will also wonder what exactly happened?
The person in front, why did you suddenly trip? And then why did I trip?

This kind of chaos will continue for a while, and some people will have to stand up again.

Some people were standing in the front row, and those who were not hit would wonder what the black round thing was that just flew by.

Why did it feel like I just blinked an eye, and then it seemed to hit one of my own people, and then…

Those who are lucky and standing in the middle will see that the shield bearer in the first row, who was originally holding a shield, now has a strange fracture in his hand.

Moreover, fragments of wood and leather, accompanied by blood, appear before your eyes.

But basically…

This person is dead.

When everyone sees this for the first time, they can’t help but ask in their mind, “What the hell is this?”

By the time they finished thinking, the second round of artillery attack was almost here.

Another round of shelling, nearly two hundred more people.

There were only two thousand people in total, and after two rounds, almost 20% of them were gone.

There were also a large number of people lying on the ground.

How to fight this battle?
In the past, Yelu Hongji only thought that the weapon might be exaggerated.

But now it seems that even this is an exaggeration!

Two rounds later…

Even though the soldiers in front were the elite troops of the Liao Kingdom, they were all wearing heavy armor. Even their palace guards refused to do it.

First, there were too many casualties, and this task could no longer be done.

Second, if I don’t run away early, I will be the next one.

Then they ran one by one, throwing away their armor.

Even weapons and shields were thrown away.

Now I’m afraid I can’t win!

Zhao Xin did not waste time firing the third shot, but immediately used drum sounds to order his soldiers to advance fifty meters.

To make room for the rest of them to come out next.

of course!

After advancing fifty meters, the third round of shelling will continue.

Just keep moving forward layer by layer.

It cannot be said that there was absolutely no one in the Liao Kingdom who knew how to fight.

only……

Even if you have read many military books, you have never seen a fight like this.

Yelu Hongji and hundreds of tribal chiefs and officials around him were all dumbfounded for a moment and didn’t know what to do next.

Behind you is your own tent. Generally, in ancient sieges, tents would not be placed too far away.

But it is precisely because it is not far away that it might become a burden to him in the future.

There was a lot of food in the tent.

If you retreat, all your food will be taken away by others.

What if you fight?
Do you think you can beat the opponent?
However, Yelu Salazhu, an official of the Liao Kingdom, made a quick decision and suggested: “I see that those weapons will only be effective once every fifty breaths. Why don’t we go all out and attack forward?”

Everyone looked at Yelu Salazhu as if he were a fool.

Are you taking the lead?

Someone immediately retorted: “Your Majesty, the enemy is well-armed. We must not take risks lightly!”

Yelu Hongji also looked at Yelu Salazhu, and then said to him: “I will give you 5,000 soldiers and horses, you can go.”

Yelu Salazhu looked at Yelu Hongji and was also dumbfounded.

Is there any emperor like you?
You are obviously afraid of death!
Yelu Salazhu could only say that he was very disappointed with Yelu Hongji’s character.

But they are all Khitans, there is nothing we can do!

In fact, Yelu Salazhu could be considered as a member of Chongyuan’s party, but he had some relationship with Chongyuan, but not too deep for the time being.

And Yelu Tiebu also asked someone to hint to him whether he should join him in the rebellion.

At that time, Yelu Salazhu was a little hesitant.

Because if you want to say that Chongyuan is rebelling, then I have no problem helping Chongyuan, but what kind of person are you, Yelu Tie?
Are you worthy of me joining you in a rebellion?

Besides, rebellion is punishable by death, and he hasn’t lived enough.

However, now after suddenly hearing what Yelu Hongji said, Yelu Salazhu had completely given up on Yelu Hongji.

I can only regret why I didn’t listen to Yelu Tiebu’s advice.

Yelu Salazhu then tried to take back his words and said, “If Your Majesty does not personally supervise the battle, how can the soldiers on the front line be willing to fight for their lives?”

What I mean is, you let me go, but you want to run away. How can you possibly win if you are so timid?

Yelu Hongji also realized that his words seemed a little inappropriate.

He immediately reassured the other party and said, “I will supervise the battle from behind and fight to the death with you!”

Then someone else wanted to persuade him, but finally stopped.

perhaps……

Fighting hard is also a good strategy.

only……

Who wants to be that person?

You know, many of them have already seen the miserable situation of the two thousand people in front of them.

Now ask who is willing to charge forward.

And with two thousand people escaping back, this panic will only continue to spread further in the army.

If the soldiers of Liao Dynasty really had such willpower, they would not have lost so badly when fighting against Western Xia because of a sandstorm.

Yes!

Although this idea is good, there is a severe lack of people who can carry out this task.

This is not just a problem of generals, but a problem that everyone from generals to soldiers lacks the will to counterattack.

Then Yelu Salazhu said: “Five thousand people are not enough, it’s better for everyone to charge together!”

That’s basically no hope.

but……

Yelu Hongji seemed to still intend to trust Yelu Salazhu for once. He asked people to convey the order to everyone, asking them to rush forward regardless of the consequences until they defeated the enemy.

Sometimes, Yelu Hongji still has some qualities that make him a wise ruler.

then……

Then Yelu Salazhu was also greatly encouraged!
You take two thousand, I take two thousand, anyway, no matter what.

Let’s all rush forward together!

Zhao Xin was also a little surprised when he saw this scene!
But just thinking about it, I understood what the other party wanted to do.

Immediately have someone take out the cannons on the city wall, don’t cover them with cloth, push them all out. There are a total of one hundred cannons on and under the city wall, fire them!
The brutal siege was about to begin.

The Liao soldiers came like a tide. At this moment, you don’t even need to look at the formation. Anyway, you just need to charge forward.

The roar of artillery fire continued one after another.

nowadays……

It depends on who can’t hold on first.

Yelu Hongji was also making a desperate attempt this time. The elite cavalry he brought with him were now all transformed into elite infantry, and they all rushed forward.

Loyal ministers such as Yelu Salazhu, Yelu Yixin, Xiao Hanjianu, Xiao De, and Yelu Liang also joined the charge.

After all, they are the elite of the country, and they are led by the ministers before them, so they still have some morale at the beginning.

But the question is, how long can such morale last?

Seeing that they had all abandoned their shields, Zhao Xin ordered the cannons under the city walls to be replaced with shotgun shells for rapid firing.

The artillery on the city wall remained unchanged.

It takes about a quarter of an hour.

More than 30,000 elite troops of the Liao Kingdom were forced to fight back.

They did rush close, but the problem was that it was useless even if they got close.

Zhao Xin directly asked everyone to hold a string of caltrops and throw them in front of the artillery formation.

If you come, you will step on thorns.

So more than 30,000 people were immediately beaten back.

However, Zhao Xin really didn’t expect that the other party would dare to charge forward. This was simply insane.

Even though they are already a bit far away from the city wall at this time, and crossbows and arrows are a bit difficult to reach, and they are a bit exhausted, this is not a reason for you to charge.

After a while, they saw Liao soldiers, many of whom were limping back.

The Liao Kingdom did have capable people who saw through the weaknesses of artillery at a glance.

But this capable man forgot that even if Zhao Xin only stationed one or two thousand men at the city gate, as long as their morale did not collapse, they would have to fight for half a day.

It also wasted a lot of his caltrops.

So now if Zhao Xin wants to kill him, he has to pick up the caltrops first.

As the sound of flintlock muskets rang out, a large number of corpses piled up in front of the position.

There must be at least hundreds or thousands of them.

(End of this chapter)