Chapter 4316: Fight to the death
After a debate in the court, it was finally decided that Li Jing would send one of the Sixth Army of the East Palace to the south to cross the Yellow Canal, and then pass through Fengqiyuan and Hongguyuan to approach Shenheyuan, blocking the rebels' road north to Chang'an, and at the same time dispatch all the troops in Guanzhong. The garrison moved towards Chang'an to encircle and suppress the rebels.
But this argument made Li Chengqian more and more aware of the advantages of the "Military Aircraft Department". Every military matter was reported to the "Military Aircraft Department". The emperor commanded the military aircraft minister to consider the pros and cons and handle it with full authority. It was extremely efficient, rather than leaving it to the court. In the hall, the civil and military ministers were allowed to argue endlessly and criticize each other...
Li Jing returned to the big tent outside Chunming Gate, immediately gathered his generals, and sent his deputy Liu Yanjing with 10,000 infantry to go south to Shenheyuan to stop the rebels.
Before leaving, Li Jing told the young general: "When you are leading an army for the first time, you should be calm and cautious. You do not seek to defeat the rebels with overwhelming force, but only seek to reduce losses by fighting steadily. If the situation is unfavorable, you should focus on preserving your strength and not rush forward."
Liu Yanjing is the second son of Liu Dewei, the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice. His family background is that he was best at officialdom. At this moment, he heard the song and knew its elegant meaning. He immediately issued a military order: "This trip is for the honor of the last general. I will never do it for personal honor or disgrace." Putting Paoze in danger is not because we are afraid of death, but because we want to die well."
Li Jing nodded happily and allowed Liu Yanjing, who had just reached the weak position, to lead his troops to the expedition. Then he symbolically sent people to deliver a message to the Xue, Liu, and Zheng coalition forces, asking them to speed up to catch up with the rebels and pursue them one after another...
Then all the troops led by Donggong Liu who were scattered on the Bashui defense line were transferred back, and they surrounded Chang'an City with tight defenses inside and outside, striving to be impregnable and foolproof.
We are already prepared for Liu Yanjing to be unable to stop the rebels, and the rebels will take advantage of the situation and rush to Chang'an City...
*****
On the Shaoling Plain, rain fell on the corpses everywhere. The hot blood was cooled by the rain, and it meandered downwards on the mound.
The two armies took out the hillocks on the edge of the soil and started a desperate fight. One side held on here and took advantage of the terrain to fight to the death. The other side was eager for success and wanted to completely crush the enemy and move forward, because after the hillocks, the terrain suddenly dropped. Fanchuan, so more than 10,000 people could only surround the mound and besiege it on three sides. However, the tide-like offensive encountered a strong sniper attack on the mound, like waves hitting the rocks. Although the momentum was shocking and earth-shaking, it was still difficult to shake it.
In wars in the cold weapon era, there are many factors that determine the outcome of the war, including equipment, supplies, time, location, people, quality of soldiers, and ability of the commander... But the most important of them is definitely the morale of the army.
When it is impossible to create a generational gap in equipment, an army that has been fighting for justice in its heart, has a clear strategic purpose, and can regard death as home or even be determined to die can erupt with powerful combat power that is enough to make up for the gap in military strength to a certain extent. .
Five thousand people stood firm, knowing full well that they could not stop the incoming rebels, just to give Chang'an more time to prepare and deploy troops. No one flinched from the battle, and the troops were firmly arrayed and waved at the enemy who rushed forward. Blade, when one falls, the people behind him immediately fill in. Even if the casualties are heavy and the blood flows like rivers, the morale never drops.
Liang Jianfang was fighting on the front line. The horse in his hand had been replaced by a Mo knife. He was holding the handle of the knife with both hands and slashing hard. His square face was glaring with murderous intent. His armor was splattered with donated blood and flesh, and he looked like a murderer. He was like a god, with corpses lying everywhere in front of him and blood flowing into rivers. The soldiers around him protected his wings, and from time to time he resisted the hidden arrows shot by Lengzi.
Such a brave performance naturally greatly improved the morale of the soldiers under his command. The whole army fought bravely to kill the enemy and was not afraid of death. The position was as solid as a rock and was difficult to shake. It blocked the enemy ten times their size under the hillock, making it difficult for them to take an inch forward. .
In contrast, the morale of the guards on the right was sluggish, and their offensive dropped sharply.
Although the armies of the Sixteenth Guards belong to different groups, they are all in the Tang military system and have a lot of contact with each other. Not long ago, they went on an expedition together to attack Liaodong. Unexpectedly, within a few days, they turned against each other and turned against each other. The corpses of the murdered Paoze piled up in mountains. The cruelty of the battlefield inevitably made everyone have a question in their hearts: What are we doing to kill each other like this?
Soldiers of the Tang Dynasty were not afraid of death, because even if they died on the battlefield, they would still receive corresponding pensions and meritorious service. They could enjoy their wives and children and be exempted from taxes. The court and the countryside would take good care of their wives and children.
But the soldiers who died in this war were not engaged in foreign wars, so will there be the same kind of pension after death in the past?
No one is unafraid of death. The reason why the soldiers on the right guard on the hillock looked down upon death under the leadership of Liang Jianfang was because they had loyalty in their hearts and fought for the emperor, the empire, and to prevent the country from falling into the hands of the traitors. , the sense of honor of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty was definitely the pinnacle of all dynasties.
The guards on the right under the mound are completely different. Although it is claimed that His Highness the King of Jin has the edict of Emperor Taizong in his hand, and that the prince usurped the throne and persecuted his brothers... But in the final analysis, the emperor sitting in Taiji Palace now is the former prince. That is where the righteousness lies.
Even if the soldiers who are illiterate understand the crime of killing the emperor, success will be enough, but what if they fail?
Everyone is just a top soldier. Even if they desperately support King Jin to ascend the throne, the generals and captains will be promoted and make a fortune. What will they gain as soldiers?
The benefits were not proportional to the risks, and naturally the determination to fight to the death was greatly reduced. After attacking for an hour, as the rain became heavier, the offensive gradually slowed down. No matter how Su Jia scolded and cursed or even sent out a team to supervise the battle, he could not reverse the situation. .
The two armies were trapped in this hillock on the edge of Shaolingyuan...
……
Five miles away from Duqu, the right guard army was temporarily repairing here, waiting for the front army to annihilate the enemies blocking the way before setting off again. However, the battle that was originally thought to be resolved in half an hour, still had no results after an hour.
In the rear, the King of Jin sent people to ask over and over again why he hesitated to move forward, and asked the right guard to clear the road quickly so as not to delay the fighter plane. This made Yuchi Gong furious and cursed under the makeshift awning.
"What on earth is Su Jia doing? There are only five thousand enemy soldiers who are trapped in a dead end. They can be defeated with a single charge, but it takes so long. It is extremely incompetent!"
"Ask Su Jia if he can bite down the enemy? If not, let him come back and I will take action myself!"
However, no matter how angry he kept sending people to urge Sujia to do so at any cost, the news of annihilating the enemy never came. Instead, the former army suffered heavy casualties and low morale...
Yuchi Gong didn't care about saving the face of his deputy general Su Jia. The military situation was so fierce that he couldn't delay the opportunity to fight. Otherwise, if something went wrong, it would be all over. He immediately broke camp and set off, leading the Chinese army to advance in a mighty way.
When they rushed to the mound, they wanted to scold Su Jia, but while riding on horseback and looking at the tragic conditions on the mound under the dark sky, they finally swallowed the words that came to his lips.
How many years have passed, and I have never seen such a tragic battlefield. The two sides were fighting madly around a small hillock. The slopes were densely covered with corpses. The soldiers of the right guard stepped on the corpses of Pao Ze when they advanced to attack. Donating blood from the hillock. It flows down from above and mixes with rainwater to form small streams...
Seeing Yu Chigong's arrival, Su Jia quickly rode his horse to the front. He dismounted and knelt on one knee in the muddy water. He said in shame: "The general is incompetent and failed to complete the military order, causing the army to delay. Please punish me, commander-in-chief!"
Yuchi Gong's face was gloomy: "At this time when we are employing people, I allow you to give up your merits when we attack Chang'an. I order your front army to retreat and temporarily repair on the side until I, the commander-in-chief, defeat the enemy!"
"Here!"
Su Jia was extremely reluctant. This was regarded as an extremely insulting thing in the army, but he had been unable to annihilate Liang Jianfang, which caused a serious delay in the progress of the army. Now facing Cheng Yaojin, he had no confidence at all and did not dare to say anything. ……
He immediately led the exhausted and casualty-stricken former troops to retreat from their positions, and repaired and treated the wounded on the spot in front of the woods on the other side.
On the hillock, Liang Jianfang, who was fighting hard with blood-red eyes, suddenly relaxed in front of him. He slashed his sword into the air and almost staggered. Looking closely, he saw the enemy troops who had been fighting in melee for more than an hour like a tide coming from the hillock three times. The direction retreated, and behind them, another army that was ready to go and in serious formation slowly moved forward.
Suddenly getting out of the tense battle, a burst of exhaustion and emptiness hit him uncontrollably. Liang Jianfang's majestic body swayed, and his eyes were blurry. He used his knife to pound the ground to stand still, and turned his head to look around. Suddenly, he felt a sense of sadness. Well up in my heart.
Almost half of the three thousand men who had followed him for many years were killed or injured, and only a thousand or so of them were left standing, and almost all of them were injured. Many of them needed the help of Pao Ze to barely stand. But even so, they held their chests up and raised their heads, looking directly at the rebels slowly advancing under the hillock. There was no trace of fear on their scarred and bloody faces.
Liang Jianfang let tears fall from the corners of his eyes and roared: "We have fought hard and fulfilled our duties as kings and ministers. If anyone is unwilling to continue fighting, please leave immediately. I will never complain a word. From now on, Yin and Yang are separated, and humans and ghosts are on different paths. I can only think of my deep friendship with you. I am proud of you in this life! "
Three thousand soldiers withstood ten times the enemy for two hours. In any case, they were given an account by the emperor. Now even if some people leave in fear of the battle, they cannot be treated as deserters.
However, what responded to him was a moment of silence. Rain fell heavily under the dark night, and a tragic fighting spirit filled the hills unbridled.
I don't know who it was, but suddenly shouted: "Fight to the death!"
Then, countless people responded: "Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
If they could escape, they should have fled the moment they stepped onto the hillock. Since the battle has been going on so far, the dead man next to him, Pao Ze, has blocked countless knives for him, so how could he escape before the battle?
Nothing but death, nothing to fear.
Liang Jianfang burst into tears. He held the Mo Dao tightly and raised it high, shouting with splitting eyes: "Fight to the death!"
The guards on the right who were slowly gathering up under the mound were startled by the earth-shattering shouts that suddenly erupted from the mound, but their steps never stopped for a moment. The three sides of the mound were surrounded by a dense tidal wave. (End of chapter)