Chapter 3496 Fierce fighting
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, famous generals emerged in large numbers.
At the founding of the country, the strong national power led to a strong military, continuous external expansion, and continuous wars; at the end of the dynasty, the world was in chaos, with heroes from all walks of life vying for power, and countless famous generals who were famous throughout the ages emerged.
However, among these famous generals and commanders, the one who can be recognized as the number one is none other than Li Jing.
This is not only because of Li Jing's meritorious achievements, but also because of his profound knowledge in the art of war and strategy, such as "Mirror of the Sixth Army", "Yin Fu Ji", "Jade Account Sutra", "Proverbs for Overlord", "Secretary of Tao Qian", "Bing Qian" "New Book", "Gong Jue", "Li Weigong's Art of War"... countless books that can break the art of war strategy have been passed down to later generations, and have had a profound impact on the art of war since the Tang Dynasty.
So when Li Jing in the Tai Chi Hall explained the current occupation and subsequent situation, no one was unconvinced.
In fact, if the situation develops according to Li Jing's speculation, it might not be a bad thing. The title of the Eastern Palace was conferred by His Majesty Li Er in the Golden Code, and it was justified. As long as the imperial city could be defended and the Eastern Expedition army returned to Chang'an, the final victory would be achieved.
Of course, because of this, the rebels gathered by the Guanlong clan will launch a crazy attack before the Eastern Expedition army returns to Beijing, striving to capture the imperial city and depose the East Palace.
After all, once the mutiny fails, the consequences will be extremely serious that the Guanlong clan will never be able to bear...
Li Chengqian let out a long breath, held Li Jing's hand, and said with emotion: "When Gu was born, the world was not yet peaceful, and there were wars and dangers everywhere. It was just that he had been sheltered by Emperor Gaozu and his father, and he had been well clothed and well-fed since he was a child. I have never suffered any setbacks before suddenly encountering this kind of situation. The situation is really chaotic and we are in a panic. Fortunately, you all love me and are loyal to the country and help me face the crisis. I will never forget this kindness. I also hope that you will do your best to put down the rebels as soon as possible so that the people of Chang'an can be saved. Suffering from military calamity ”
Having said this, he stood up and bowed to the ground in front of the ministers in the palace.
"Your Highness! How to do this?"
"I cannot bear such a great gift from His Highness!"
"This is a matter within the scope of my duties, and I will not hesitate to do so even if I die!"
The ministers hurriedly avoided it, refusing to accept such a great gift from Li Chengqian, and tried to persuade each other one after another. However, although he looks frightened on the face, he is very caring in his heart. Li Chengqian's words here are equivalent to a promise. These people who share the joys and sorrows with him today will definitely not forget them when they become the great treasure in the future...< br>
As a minister, words such as "loyalty to the country" are actually a bit hollow, too noble and ethereal for ordinary people to understand. Everyone in the world is interested in profit. After working hard for half a life, once you stand in the court, isn't it just for the power in your hands?
In fact, no matter whether they are on the East Palace side or attached to Guan Long, all they are seeking are interests.
Li Chengqian sat down again and said to Li Jing: "Although Duke Wei's analysis is reasonable and I admire him very much, in the final analysis, Xuanwu Gate is too important to allow any mistakes, so I still sent General Li Junxian to support Duke Guo." , to ensure nothing goes wrong.”
He was still worried about Xuanwu Gate, but Li Jing had always claimed that Youtun Guard was enough to guard Xuanwu Gate, and he couldn't reiterate it again, so he said hello to Li Jing first to avoid misunderstanding.
Li Jing nodded and said: "Your Highness is wise, and that's what it should be. As the saying goes, 'Everything depends on man, and everything depends on Heaven.' .”
Li Chengqian was pleased and told Li Junxian to lead his "Hundred Cavalry Division" to Xuanwu Gate immediately to help Guo Duke Zhang Shigui defend the city.
*****
Outside Xuanwu Gate, a fierce battle was going on.
Outside the Right Guard camp, countless Zuen Guard soldiers came to attack and charged against the Right Guard's fierce artillery fire and bullets. It's just that this kind of charge looks extremely fierce, but in fact, the formation has already been scattered under the bombardment of artillery. When they rush to the front of the Youtun Guards, they have to face the fire of muskets and crossbows. Under the heavy casualties, the soldiers are afraid and almost They all hid from the front of the right guard position and tried their best to extend to both sides.
This made the charge of the Zuo Tunwei seem fierce, but in fact it avoided the reality and did not cause too serious impact on the formation of the Right Tunwei...
Moreover, the Right Guards placed their cavalry on both wings, which was very maneuverable. Faced with the obstruction of the charge, the Left Guards soldiers had to disperse to both sides to maintain suppression.
The tide-like Zuo Tunwei seemed to have hit the mainstay in the river. The waves splashed and the momentum was overwhelming, but it was difficult to shake the Right Tunwei's position.
The Right Guards were on the defensive at this stage, using only long-range artillery bombardment supplemented by close-range fire from muskets and crossbows. They always maintained strong damage to the soldiers of the Left Guards who were rushing towards them, resulting in huge casualties for the Left Guards, which was extremely tragic. .
Chai Zhewei, who was holding the line at the back, saw his troops like moths flying to the flame. Once they rushed to the front of the Youtun Guards, they were shot and killed. He was so anxious that he shouted loudly on horseback: "Speed up, and then Hurry up! Mom, why haven’t you eaten yet? Are you running so slowly? Do you want to be used as a target for Youtunwei?”
"Where's the Thunderous Thunder? Where's our Thunderous Thunder? Come on, come on, blow up the right guard position for me!"
"Why are you waiting so long? Hurry up, gather together, and rush forward for me!"
……
Chai Zhewei never considered himself a shallow person. Although he could not be said to be "unchangeable even when Mount Tai collapsed", he still had a deep understanding. But now, when his troops charged forward and encountered a near-massacre-like blockage by the Youtun Guards but were unable to make any progress, he finally couldn't help but lose his composure.
This army is the team he relies on to seize more power. Every time one person is killed, his own strength will be weakened, making it more difficult to achieve his dream of "promoting generals and becoming prime ministers" and "ruling the world".
How can you still stay calm?
Li Yuanjing, who was beside him, remained silent. He felt his throat dry and his whole body trembling as he watched the artillery shells dragging orange lines of fire in the sky and then falling into the array.
There is no doubt that the Zuotun Guard is not a first-class strong force among the Sixteen Guards, but this army is fully staffed, has sufficient weapons, and has been training outside the Xuanwu Gate for a long time. He is at his peak.
However, such an army, suddenly mobilized, was beaten to a bloody head in front of the Youtun Guards whose strength was inferior to their own.
Just looking at the strength and weakness of the two armies facing each other in front of us, the reason cannot be clearly shown by the number of troops. The fundamental reason is that there is a huge difference in combat power between the two sides.
Especially firearms equipment.
The power of artillery is well known all over the world. However, the Zuotunwei does not have a single one, but the Youtunwei is equipped with dozens of them. Just because the latter is Fang Jun's direct army, it can attack on a large scale despite the limited number of artillery in the country. equipment, resulting in a situation of crushing Zuotunwei as soon as the war started.
Secondly, there are muskets. The left guard only has a few hundred guns, and the soldiers are obviously unfamiliar with the operation. It is impossible to inflict powerful damage on the enemy with the intensive three-stage attack tactics like the right guard.
As for the Zhentian Lei, the left guard was equipped with a lot of equipment. Before the war, Chai Zhewei also emphasized the use of Zhentian Lei. However, the development of the battle situation was completely different from Chai Zhewei's previous instructions... Even the right guard was in front of the formation. If you can't rush forward, even if the thunderbolt is so powerful, what's the use?
Not only was he disappointed with Chai Zhewei and Zuo Tuen Wei, but he was also frightened by the tyrannical fighting power displayed by Right Tuen Wei.
With such an army guarding the East Palace, would he still have a chance to succeed?
Therefore, although Chai Zhewei frantically urged the army to attack, he could not help but said: "The Imperial City has been besieged by the Guanlong rebel army, and Xuanwu Gate is our only chance. If we cannot capture Xuanwu Gate, everything will be lost! No matter how high the price is, we must defeat the Youtun Guards and capture the Xuanwu Gate!”
Chai Zhewei, who was wielding a riding crop for a victory and scolding his subordinates, turned around when he heard this. His red eyes made Li Yuanjing feel trembling, thinking that he was about to fall out...
Chai Zhewei, who was still there, just glanced at him and nodded: "Don't worry, Your Highness, the Youtun Guard has too many firearms and is best at defense. It is inevitable that there will be a stalemate where the battle begins. This has been expected for a long time. However, as our offensive unfolds, the strength of our troops will increase." The advantages will be fully demonstrated, and Youtunwei will not be able to hold on for long.”
After saying that, he ignored Li Yuanjing and continued to direct the army to attack.
In fact, he already regretted it in his heart...
The left and right guards were separated by a wall and lived next to each other. Sometimes they could even see the opponent's movements clearly, so Chai Zhewei thought he had a clear understanding of the combat power of the right guard. The right guard was equipped with more firearms and the soldiers were more young and strong men recruited from the army. They were indeed stronger than the left guard. But this time Fang Jun went out to control Hexi and took away the elite of Youtun Guards. Even if the remaining 20,000 people were not considered a mob, they must be some crooked melons and cracked jujubes. However, the Zuotun Guards were fully manned and ready to attack. How could they not be victorious under a sudden attack?
(End of chapter)