Chapter 528 Eloquence
It is already the tenth day of August, and Santai has been besieged for almost half a month.
Taobao's attack was so fierce that after ten days, more than a thousand people had been killed and injured, but they still could not touch it.
This terrain is too deceiving.
Santai is based on the city wall and is itself a part of the city wall. Half of the building is inside the city and half is outside the city.
Logically speaking, it is relatively easy to capture from the city, because the entrance is inside the city, but the problem is that there is only one spiral slope road to the stage - the slope is also a hillside road, which is actually a spiral mountain road.
The slope is not wide and is easy to defend. When walking on the first section of the slope, people can stand on the slope above and shoot arrows from a high position, which is very troublesome.
To put it bluntly, Santai is a bit like the docks built on the mountains like Yiyang Yiquanwu, or three docks connected together by suspended bridges.
In history, at the end of the Jin Dynasty, Liu Yan led thousands of people to defend Santai, causing Shi Le to give up the attack.
There is a water source on the platform. The only weakness may be food, but there is a huge ice chamber in the ice well platform, which goes directly to the ground for several feet (total depth of 15 feet). Not to mention food, meat is stored Some.
Difficult.
Of course, the fight can definitely be defeated. Who can withstand repeated wear and tear and long-term siege? Didn't the Tang army capture a fortified city with dangerous terrain like Shibao City at the cost of tens of thousands of deaths?
The question is this, how much are you willing to pay?
If you don't want to attack by force, then besiege them for a long time. There are more than 3,000 defenders in Santai and they are unable to break out. However, if you do this, it will look a bit ugly.
Taobao focuses on Bingjing Terrace in the north.
According to intelligence, there are more than 1,500 defenders on the stage. Except for more than 500 people who temporarily broke up after the city was broken, the remaining 1,000 people are Jie and Han warriors selected by Hu. Used to protect family members.
After attacking for ten days, there were more than a thousand casualties. He felt that he had only killed and injured more than a hundred defenders, which was very deceiving. If it weren't for the fact that Jin troops were practicing in array in the Tongjue Garden every day, he wouldn't want to fight.
Of course, he was just thinking about it.
As a general who is experienced in military affairs, he knows very well that as time goes by, there will be fewer and fewer arrows in Bingjingtai, and by then the number of casualties between the two sides will not be so disparate.
As time goes by, there will be fewer and fewer wounded soldiers on Bingjingtai, which is short of medical treatment and medicine, and the casualties will become larger and larger.
As time goes by, the defenders will become more and more tired and their combat effectiveness will become lower and lower.
In short, it’s consumption.
There are no reinforcements outside the garrison - or so it seems - and there is no way to escape. As the food, arrows, and personnel decrease day by day, there will always be a day when it can no longer hold on.
The drums rumbled and the flag was waved. Zhi Xiong glanced at Taobao with a troubled expression, and then attacked again with hundreds of soldiers.
Taobao's people were sitting on the ground outside, licking their wounds.
At this time, a team came to Tongjue Park.
The leader was wearing a brand new official uniform. After dismounting, he walked slowly outside Bingjing Terrace.
Taobao took a look, isn't this Liu Da, Liu Fudu, deputy governor of the Yi Cong Army?
This kid has been very proud of himself recently and has become the best among the descendants, which makes Tao Bao a little jealous.
However, his face seems a little ugly today.
There were two more people following behind him. They were Liu Hezhu and Liu Hedu, father and son. They were the leaders of the Jie tribe who had been moved by Shi Le to farm and herd in Dalu Ze, Julu County. They were also Liu Da's uncle and brother.
Why are they here?
Ignoring the doubts in his heart, Taobao stepped forward to greet him.
San Liu responded with a cursory salute, and after looking at each other, Liu Haozhu sighed and said, "Fudu, let me go up with you."
Liu Da nodded.
"Aren't the two generals gone..." Taobao asked cautiously.
He is from Fanyang, and is from the Wuhuan tribe. He is considered a local powerful man, so he knows some words, but he is not from the same family as the Liu family and his son, and their relationship with him is not very close.
"Guangzong's begging army surrendered, and the begging army in Daluze also surrendered. Fudu sent people to persuade them to surrender. I thought about it, Chen Gong was already in the Northern Expedition, and Dahu was so defeated. How can we defend Xiangguo? The autumn harvest is around the corner. Mr. Chen no longer needs to transport grain and grass over long distances. He can just harvest them wherever he goes. Even if we help Da Hu, we can't cut off Mr. Chen's grain route. So we might as well surrender. It's over, so we don't get attacked by Chen Gong and the begging army."
"The begging army really surrendered?" Tao Bao asked, a little surprised.
"The Beggar Army already has a grudge against Hu, so what will happen if they don't surrender?" Liu Hezhu looked at him strangely and said, "I'm afraid they have already sent troops to march westward to besiege Xiangguo. No. Knowing how many soldiers Da Hu has on hand now, I think it’s very dangerous.”
"You won't join the war?" Taobao asked.
Liu Hezhu was a little embarrassed and said vaguely: "Mr. Chen was considerate and did not force us to send troops."
Taobao understood.
The tribe of Liu's father and son was moved to Dalu Ze in the south of Julu County. From Dahu's conception, this was the core force that helped him stabilize the central area of Jizhou.
But after Yecheng was defeated, the Liu family and his son were disheartened. With no hope for Da Hu, the nearby beggar army is ready to move again, and there are constant rumors of killing officials and returning to the Jin Dynasty. Do you think they are panicking?
If you are not careful, Shangdang will not be able to return to his old place. He will be besieged from all sides until he dies.
In fact, they have no choice. It is better to surrender early and pull Chen Gong's tiger skin. They will have the same status as the beggar army, that is, a vassal force, and they can get a temporary respite.
As for whether he will always be loyal to Mr. Chen in the future, it’s hard to say.
In fact, Taobao doesn't even know his own future, so he just takes it one day at a time.
Who is truly loyal these days? Too little, too little.
"Did Mr. Chen send troops for the Northern Expedition?" Taobao asked again.
He has been paying attention to the situation in the city, but there is nothing happening. But there were still some Jin troops stationed outside the city, but this was beyond his knowledge.
"I heard that a general named Hou Feihu was sent to lead more than 10,000 people northward." Liu Hezhu said.
"Dahu is abandoning the city and fleeing again." Taobao sighed.
The Beggar Army is made up of all the people. If it grows in strength, there will still be tens of thousands of people. It will attack from east to west with great momentum.
Chen Gong sent people from south to north again, attacking from both sides. Dare Hu dare to defend Xiangguo?
Tao Bao felt he didn’t dare. He might only have a few thousand people at hand.
But I can’t say for sure——
“Where is Liang Fuchun?” Taobao asked again.
"In Yanci, I heard that more than ten thousand men were recruited and driven to attack the city. Shao Xu and his son personally went to the city to supervise the battle, and it has not been broken yet." Liu Hezhu said: "Liang Fuzhen may have to withdraw his troops, but the main reason is The war situation in Yecheng took a turn for the worse.”
"What will he do?"
"Most likely he will return to Anping first and wait for Liu Cong's order."
Taobao nodded.
Although Chen Gong captured Yecheng, in the final analysis it was still in southern Hebei.
There are still remnants of Liu Han in central Hebei, such as Shi Le and Liang Fuzun.
To the north of the remaining Xiongnu forces, there was Wang Jun of Youzhou, and Duanbei Xianbei who was forced to retreat to the interior.
The situation is very complex, and sorting it out will not happen overnight.
How long can Mr. Chen stay in Hebei? If the main force withdraws, what will happen to the surrendered troops? Are you going to defect to Liu Cong again? Is it reliable?
Taobao felt that his head was going to explode. Chen Gong defeated Shi Le, and his elite troops and generals were about to withdraw. If the Xiongnu came, how could they resist?
Thinking of this, his morale suddenly dropped, and he was no longer so active in attacking the three platforms.
At this time, the hundreds of troops sent by the Zhixiong faction retreated in chaos, losing about 200 people, and their morale was extremely low.
"Don't panic. Chen Gong has recruited another two thousand men in the city and handed them over to you. After a good rectification, you can still fight." Tao Bao said to Zhi Xiong with a bitter smile.
Zhixiong didn't say anything, his face was a little pale.
Taobao took a look and found that he had been hit by an arrow in the shoulder, which had penetrated the nail leaf. He was quite unlucky.
Over there, nephews Liu Hezhu and Liu Dabo had already stepped forward to shout.
Tao Bao tried his best to cheer up and ordered hundreds of soldiers, planning to step forward and snatch the two of them back if something went wrong.
However, after some negotiation, Liu's uncle and nephew were let in and went to the Bingjing Terrace.
Taobao subconsciously took a few steps forward and watched from a distance.
Zhixiong, who was being treated for his injuries, also stood up curiously, put up a pergola with his hands, and looked at the high platform.
******
"Whoosh!" An arrow flew and Liu Da's helmet fell to the ground.
"Sister, don't kill me!" Liu Da shouted hurriedly.
A tall woman with a sinister face came out from behind the ramp, holding a walking bow in her hand.
She looked Liu Da up and down, and sneered: "Promoted?"
"Demoted." Liu Da said awkwardly: "I was originally General Weiyuan, but now Just the deputy governor of Yi Congjun."
"What are you doing here?" asked Liu.
“Come and save sister.” Liu Da took a few steps closer and said with a flattering smile.
Mr. Liu was not afraid of him either, and placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword.
She has killed people more than once, and she is not a weak woman without the strength to restrain a chicken.
"If you only have these words, you can go back. If I don't kill you this time, I won't hold back next time." Liu said coldly.
"Sister, why is it like this!" Liu Da was determined, and simply walked to Mrs. Liu, pointed at the wounded soldiers who were being carried back, and said: "Bingjingtai lacks medical treatment and medicine. If you are injured, If you are injured, you can only suffer. If you are lucky, you can recover as before, but if you are not lucky, you will die. If the whole army surrenders, you can avoid a killing, and the injured son can be healed, wouldn't it? How beautiful?”
Liu didn’t waste any time and just drew his sword and struck.
Liu Da's hair stood on end and he jumped to avoid the sword.
Ms. Liu looked at him coldly.
Liu Da was a little angry and cursed: "What a cruel woman, even close relatives can do it. What kind of ecstasy soup did Shi Le fill you with? Damn it, if you don't persuade me, I'll leave now. Turn around and let me go." Tao Bao rushes and fights hard, even if eight or ten people are replaced by you, one day he will be able to replace all the people on Bingjing Platform."
Liu Hezhu pulled him behind him and sighed. Said: "Ye Na, what do you want in this life?"
Ms. Liu was a little stunned by this question.
What do you want in this life? It seemed like she had fantasized about it.
She doesn’t want the rouge and fancy clothes that ordinary women like. What she wants is the supreme status and the pleasure of having power and controlling the overall situation.
To this end, she actively helps her husband make suggestions and sort out internal affairs.
For this reason, she actively helped her husband to recruit troops and provide more comfort.
For this reason, she once told her husband in private that Liu Cong would definitely not let Liu Yi take over the throne. Liu Han might be in great turmoil by then. If the situation in Hebei was stabilized before then, based on this, Or do something good.
She is very ambitious, and these are her favorite things.
"Ye Na, Shi Le will never have another chance." Liu Hezhu said: "I am standing here today, you probably know it, right? All the beggars and soldiers are rebelling, and they want revenge on Shi Le, and Chen Gong Send 100,000 elite troops north to attack Xiangguo. If Shi Le doesn't want to die, he has to run away. "
" What?" Liu's heart was shocked, and the energy he had managed to maintain in the past few days had a tendency to dissipate in an instant.
She is not a woman who knows nothing.
She just knows it too well.
The hatred between the Beggar Army and Yecheng is as deep as the sea. Once the husband's power declines, it would be strange if they don't jump out to take revenge.
The most important thing is that his uncle Liu Hezhu has also rebelled. There is no longer anyone reliable in the huge Hebei.
The Xiang Kingdom will most likely not be able to defend it, unless the husband is determined to die and goes to the tower to supervise the battle, putting himself to death first and then placing his hope on outsiders.
But is there such trust between him and Liu Cong?
Liu Hezhu took a few steps forward, looked at the soldiers behind Liu, and shouted: "Motu, you are my shepherd son, and you were lucky enough to be selected as a personal soldier of Dahu, so you don't recognize me?"
Mo Tu was so frightened by Liu Hezhu's momentum that he subconsciously took half a step back.
"Your family is still in Dalu Ze, so you don't care about it?" Liu Hezhu pressed forward step by step: "Taobao has killed so many people. If he continues to fight, he will become angry and sue Mr. Chen. I will also I can’t protect your family.”
Mo Tu’s face turned pale and his hands hung down from his waist.
"Yi Mogan, back then you were raising horses that were too thin and Dahu wanted to kill you. Who begged for your favor?" Liu Hezhu looked at a military academy officer again and asked, "You said he would definitely do it." To repay my family's kindness, haha, that's nice. I'm asking you to put down your equipment and lead people down the mountain to surrender. Are you willing?"
"I..." Yi Mogan mumbled, not knowing how to answer. .
Liu Haozhu named two more people, making them blush and speechless.
"Don't be stupid." Liu Hezhu's tone slowed down and he sighed: "Think about it for yourselves. Outside the west wall of Bingjing Terrace, there is the Jin Army barracks. There are also Tao Bao, Zhi Xiong, and Cheng Xia under the stage. You have no choice but to die. Don’t expect Liu Cong’s army to come to help. Even if it comes, you may not be here.”
"Da Hu can recruit the young men of Yecheng, but Chen Gong can't? Recruit 10,000 people, divide them into ten teams, and besiege them day and night. They will fight to kill them all. What will you do? He didn't kill any of his own people, and he still has Once the hidden danger is removed, what's the use of resisting fiercely? Maybe you can help him. Tao Bao's soldiers are all gone. Chen Gong tells him to go wherever he wants. He has no ability to resist at all, even in his dreams. Wake up with a smile."
"I really made Mr. Chen anxious, so he recruited soldiers from various tribes to attack Santai. To be honest, I don't dare to disobey the order after I get to Dalu Ze, so I can only be honest. Bring troops to fight. When the time comes, some of your own people may be your relatives and friends. Can you do it? "
"Just surrender, I will keep you safe. The Lord is a magnanimous person, and he agreed. Tao Bao, Zhi Xiong, and Cheng Xia can only swallow this breath and will not cause trouble for you."
After saying this, Liu Hezhu stood there. Look at everyone.
Liu Daze was stunned.
He never thought that his uncle's eloquence was so good. He was not a defender, so he was almost convinced...
"Danglang!" Someone threw away the equipment.
Liu, Liu Hezhu, and Liu Da all looked at him.
His face turned pale, and he hurriedly picked up the weapon and said, "I am tired from fighting for a long time, and I can't hold it firmly."
"Dang Cang! Dang Cang!" One after another, some people threw away their weapons.
"I'm really not sure." The man said anxiously.
No one cares about him anymore, because hundreds of people have abandoned their weapons and are planning to surrender.
There are more than a thousand soldiers on the Bingjing platform. You look at me and I look at you.
A gust of wind blew away something called morale.
(End of this chapter)