Chapter 3318 The battle situation is unpredictable
The two vanguard armies of Ashina Simo and Xue Wanche leaned against each other on the left and right, and launched a fierce attack from the north and west of Dacheng Mountain City. Cheng Mingzhen led his headquarters to form a frontal formation from the northeast to southwest of Dacheng Mountain City. The armies belong to each other and attack the mountain city of Dacheng.
Tens of thousands of troops were displayed on a small battlefield, with cannons rumbling and war horses neighing, and snowflakes swirling and flags flying in the north wind, creating a majestic atmosphere.
Goguryeo defeated the Sui army several times, and based on its experience, it was found that the mountain towns greatly slowed down the Sui army's advance, which caused the Sui army to miss its fighter planes and lack supplies, which was actually the root cause of the defeat. Therefore, from King Yeongryu until Yeongaesomun came to power, Goguryeo continued to repair strong mountain fortresses over the years. Not only did it connect many mountain fortresses in the north to form the "Goguryeo Great Wall", but it also built three fortresses based on the terrain near Pyongjangseong. Layer-by-layer defensive positions, with fortresses built against the mountains as the core, build defense lines layer by layer.
Dacheng Mountain City is the last line of defense outside Pingrang City.
Although they relied on the fortified city, the Goguryeo army did not dare to allow the Tang army to attack the city unscrupulously. After all, the Tang army's firearms were too powerful. They often rushed to the city, dug out a few city bricks, stuffed gunpowder into them and ignited them, which could blow up a large area of the city wall. .
Therefore, the Goguryeo army could only use its own shortcomings and attack the enemy's strengths, and had to go out to the city to fight bloody battles with the Tang army, preventing the Tang army from easily approaching the city wall.
However, because it is backed by a fortified city, it can get full support from the city, and it can change the formation and adjust the deployment at any time. Therefore, on the battlefield against the Tang army, which has better soldier quality and tactical literacy, it is actually possible to fight back and forth without being defeated by the Tang army. The charging array collapsed in one strike.
The battle was fierce.
The Tang army had already been tortured by the severe cold weather in Liaodong. They just hoped to finish this battle as soon as possible and return to the Tang Dynasty to spend the winter. Therefore, their morale was high and they fought bravely. The Goguryeo army knew that Dacheng Mountain City was the last line of defense outside Pingrang City. , once the mountain city of Dacheng fell, the Tang army's troops could reach Pingrang City, and there would be no way to recover by then. Therefore, the three armies were brave and fearless of death.
The two sides fought bravely on the open ground at the foot of the city, and the battle was extremely brutal.
However, no matter how brave the Goguryeo army was, they could not withstand the thunderbolts and sharp crossbows of the Tang army. Their formation was gradually compressed by the Tang army, and they continued to retreat under the mountain city, resisting stubbornly.
……
Li Ji arrived at the front line, a hundred feet away from the battlefield. Cheng Mingzhen, who was in charge of the command, came up to him from a distance and raised his hand to salute.
Cheng Minzhen, who has passed his destined age, has a stout figure, a square face and a wide mouth. His gray beard not only does not give him the slightest sense of aging, but gives him a sense of strength that "gets stronger with age."
Li Ji would never underestimate him.
Although Cheng Mingzhen is not famous, that is because he has guarded Youying for a long time and has a tolerant and low-key personality. In terms of his ability to march and fight, he is worthy of being ranked among the most powerful generals in the empire, especially in running the army. The method is even more unique.
The two of them greeted each other, and Li Ji looked at the battlefield in the distance and asked in a deep voice: "How is the battle going?"
Cheng Minzhen wiped his frozen face, and even his lips seemed to be no longer in control. He said in a loud voice: "The King of Goguryeo resisted very tenaciously. Although the Yuan Pure Land is not well-known, it is not as well-known as Yuan Gaisuwen, but it is also a well-known one." Soldiers, relying on strong city steps We have a strong fighting force. However, we are at an advantage. The three armies have sent nearly 70,000 troops to besiege the mountain city of Dacheng. Yuan Jingtu's troops are too small, and it is difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. It will be a matter of time before the city is broken. It only depends on how many days it can last. ”
The mountains and rivers near Pingrang City are very unfavorable for large army operations. The Tang army has hundreds of thousands of troops but they cannot be put to full use. They can only take turns to fight among each department to maintain the army's combat effectiveness and morale and fight against the enemy. The military continued to exert pressure.
Li Ji nodded.
The Battle of Pingrang City was a tough battle, and we had already expected it. Fortunately, despite the severe cold weather and inconvenient transportation, the navy was still able to continuously transport food and supplies to the front line, allowing the army to maintain morale for a long time.
Otherwise, once the attack is frustrated, the morale of the army will be shaken, and a slight mistake will lead to a defeat. How can it be possible to capture the outer defenses of Pingrang City one by one as steadily as it is now, and peel off its hard carapace layer by layer until Advance to Pyongyang City?
The more the war persists and deepens, the more important the navy becomes. I really don’t know how the generals who originally rejected the navy will face the navy’s military exploits after the victory and return to the court...
The two of them stood in the back formation, hearing the rumbling thunder and the sound of more than 100,000 soldiers from both sides fighting, communicating about the situation on the battlefield and constantly dispatching troops.
In fact, no matter how good the commander is, he can only make some fine adjustments at this time. It is impossible to think of large-scale tactical and strategic adjustments...
In the distance, a guard ran over quickly, stood in front of Li Ji, and saluted: "Changsun Dalang sent back the news. Your Majesty invites the British Duke to go to the Chinese army's tent to discuss matters."
Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to Cheng Mingzhen and said: "Continue to increase the rotation of the army, continue to increase the pressure on the enemy, and never let them get a chance to breathe. We are well prepared for this battle, and it must be decided as soon as possible. Capture the mountain city of Dacheng, otherwise it will be delayed for a long time and something may happen.”
Now he feels more and more that the situation is about to change, and the source of the change is Changsun Chong.
There is no real evidence, just a vague feeling. However, in this life, from a son of a wealthy family to a bandit in Wagang Village, and now to being under one person and the head of the Prime Minister, he has long been called an outstanding person. His understanding of the current situation and world affairs has been tempered by countless critical juncture experiences. Cognition makes him very clear that often this seemingly unfounded feeling can often be unrestricted by vision, information, and other conditions, until it reaches the heart of the problem.
He could not prevent His Majesty Li Er from accepting the news sent back by Chang Sun Chong, nor could he distinguish the authenticity of the news sent back by Chang Sun Chong, so he could only do his best to push the battle forward faster. The greater the disparity between the enemy and us, The closer we are to victory, the less likely the backlash from the news sent back by Chang Sun Chong will be.
*****
Ping Rang City.
The streets and alleys are full of soldiers with helmets and armor in neat formations. They patrol the whole city from time to time. If they encounter people who walk into the streets without authorization, they will capture them on the spot and send them to the government for interrogation. Once it is confirmed that they are fleeing privately, After leaving the city, the whole family will be taken to the execution ground together, and their heads will be displayed to the public.
Hundreds of thousands of Tang troops came southward and surrounded Pingrang City on the east, north and west sides. The sound of rumbling firearms exploding could be heard faintly. Several defensive lines outside Pingrang City collapsed one by one. At present, the Tang Army had already After attacking the mountain city of Dacheng, they were about to reach the foot of Pingrang City. Everyone in the city, from the princes and nobles to the traders and foot soldiers, was shrouded in huge panic.
The strength of the Tang army has long been proven to be far from comparable to that of the Sui army. Goguryeo was able to survive several attacks by the Sui army, but now facing the more powerful Tang army, it lost cities, territory and armor along the way. There is no chance of turning defeat into victory at all.
Not many people are willing to live and die with Pyeongrang City. Everyone tries their best to escape from Pingrang City. However, Yeon Gaesomun has begun to rule by an iron-blooded tyranny. Whoever dares to escape privately or make trouble, affecting the morale of the military and people in the city, will suffer the consequences. There is only one, and that is death.
Moreover, the whole family was beheaded together, without mercy...
Under the brutal high-pressure rule, the air in Pingrang City was stagnant, people were panicked, and they were suppressed in a bloody fear.
Da Mo Li Zhi Mansion.
As the Tang army continued to destroy the defense lines outside Pingrang City and approached Pingrang City step by step, the power of the royal palace had been completely frozen. All military and political matters must be submitted to the Damolizhi Mansion. Youyuan Gaisuwen drafted an order It was promulgated, making Damolizhifu the center of the entire Goguryeo.
Now Yeon Gaesomun is the real combination of military and political power, the actual controller of Goguryeo. The only difference is that he did not take the last step...
The officials and military generals coming and going were in a hurry, but they were all respectful when entering and exiting the palace. Everyone knew that Yeon Gaesumun was cruel, and even the slightest carelessness at this time might offend this devil-like figure, resulting in The end must be extremely miserable.
Changsun Chong was sitting in the signing room on the side of the main hall, opening the window slightly, and felt a little solemn as he watched the officials and generals in the hall reporting various news to Yuan Gaisuwen.
At present, the Tang army is already storming the mountain city of Dacheng, and the last line of defense outside Pingrang City is in danger. At this time, Yuan Gaisuwen did not let him move to Anhe Palace to support Yuan Pure Land, but transferred him to Pingrang City to sit here in Da Mo. In Lizhi Mansion...
What exactly is the intention? (End of chapter)