Han Shizu

Chapter 2140 Sejong Chapter 15 Central Asia Storm·Battle of Mingcheng

What Liu Min was waiting for was the most suitable fighter opportunity. What he was observing was the main force of the Eastern Expedition Army, which was more than 100,000 people and was attached to the back of Marvell's army. That was a huge army with the elite of the Ghaznavid dynasty as its core.

As the leader of the Han people in Central Asia, as the leader of the Anxi Kingdom, and as a capable and capable commander, Liu Min's strategic vision has already evolved compared to twenty or thirty years ago. His vision, mind, and capacity are all very large, and they are all based on a foundation that transcends ordinary military categories.

At that time, Liu Min was also very good at finding opportunities and seizing key points. From the beginning, he targeted Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud and the Ghaznavid army of nearly 100,000 people.

To combat the YSL coalition's plan for the second Eastern Expedition, we must first defeat the Ghaznavid Army, the most fundamental support for this enemy's invasion. Liu Min knew this very clearly.

Therefore, from the beginning of the mobilization of troops, his goal was clear and unambiguous, taking Mahmoud and the Ghaznavid army as his hunting targets. In contrast, the forward force led by General Mavir of the Ziyar State The nature of ysl, no matter how crazy he is, how many jihadists there are, are not in Liu Min's eyes.

However, it is indeed not that easy to find an opportunity to defeat the enemy with one strike and complete the victory in one battle. This requires excellent patience, keen judgment, strong ability to withstand pressure, and perhaps a certain amount of luck.

But no matter what, what Liu Min did at that time was like a seasoned hunter with amazing patience, quietly dormant, waiting for a fighter opportunity. And this fighter plane obviously required the sacrifice of the Mingcheng defenders to create.

As for the safety of all the officers and men below Liu Wentao who had been adhering to Ming City since the Haidong Economic Strategy, it was somewhat insignificant in the grand game of the "War between Han and Yi".

In this regard, Liu Min's heart is very hard, and he even has a completely cold mentality. Why was it willing to hand over a large territory in Haidong to Beiting for management? In the past few years, Beiting has gained so many benefits from the Haidong area. These are not without cost, nor are they simply to maintain the deep friendship between brotherly countries. , this requires corresponding responsibilities and missions. To stick to Mingcheng, to be precise, is to take responsibility and reward.

Regarding this point, Haidong Economic Strategy envoy Liu Wentao was actually well aware of this, so he did not leave himself an escape route from the beginning in terms of defense matters. Those who are also aware of this naturally include Liu Wengong, but it is clear that it is clear, but it is difficult to truly understand and accept it.

Different from the step-by-step training of the princes and grandsons of the Central Empire, in the Anxi Three Kingdoms, or in most of the feudal states, it is very common for all clan members to encourage young people to grow.

Therefore, when Liu Wentao died, Liu Jikun resolutely fulfilled his father's orders and shouldered the important task of defending the city. He took the bloody Han sword left by Liu Wentao and stood on the city wall, being exposed to the arrows and stones. He commanded calmly and coldly. Definitely.

The most dangerous time for the Mingcheng attack and defense was obviously the days after Liu Wentao's death. In any war of any era, the death of a general can declare the war to have failed.

During the defense period, he was even more calm and unhurried, commanding on the front line for a long time, and even took the lead and participated in the fighting personally. He stayed away from the city for several days and nights, and stayed up for days and nights. Finally, after holding on for twenty-five days, he died of his injuries. Only thirty years old.

It is conceivable how Liu Wengong, the king of Beiting, felt when Liu Wentao and the elite soldiers of Beiting under his command were treated as sacrifices and left to guard Mingcheng. Under such circumstances, it was obviously a bit embarrassing for him to take care of the overall situation, especially when Liu Min even sent symbolic reinforcements but did nothing to relieve the pressure on the Mingcheng defenders, which made Liu Wenggong even more dissatisfied.

At the same time, the more than 6,000 Han troops in the Haidong area (increasing from the initial 3,000 to 6,000 year by year) are all the elite soldiers of the Beiting Kingdom, the backbone of the army. You know, the entire Beiting Kingdom can barely mobilize two people. Ten thousand Han troops were on foot and cavalry.

After all, even the Han people wish they could divide one into two. As a descendant of the Tian family, he must also shoulder the corresponding responsibilities and missions. He has to withstand the test since he was a child. If he cannot withstand it, he can only be eliminated. Rice bugs.

After all, Liu Wengong is not only the eldest brother of Liu Wentao, but also the king of Beiting Kingdom. He must also look at this matter from the perspective of Beiting Kingdom's interests. In the past few years, Beiting has indeed gained a lot of benefits from the Haidong area, but they have also put in hard work in "management" and essentially helped Anxi consolidate the territory in Hezhong. They deserve everything they get and do not owe it. What is Anxi country?

In contrast, the Mingcheng defenders suffered huge casualties, with more than half of them dead and everyone injured. The heaviest loss was the death of Liu Wentao, the commander of Haidong Economic Strategy. As the son of King Zhao Liu Fang, his military talents were naturally far from being comparable to that of his father, but he still won the hearts of the military with his tenacity and strength.

As a result, Liu Jikun not only developed a deep affection for the Beiting Kingdom, but also acquired an excellent military and political vision under the influence of his influence. Especially during the years when he accompanied his father to guard Mingcheng and manage Haidong, his military and political practice Ability has made great progress.

Liu Jikun, on the other hand, started working earlier. At the age of eleven, he officially followed the expedition, served as a staff officer, and administered affairs. His position as inspector was not a false title given to the children of nobles.

In one month, the YSL coalition suffered tens of thousands of casualties and suffered more than 20% losses under the iron wall defense of the Mingcheng defenders. If it were not for the support of a group of fanatical jihadists and relying only on the weak elites of the so-called Ziyar Kingdom, they would have been defeated long ago. Just collapsed on myself.

There are two reasons that allowed Mingcheng to continue to persevere. One was the instinctive resistance, and the other was the emergence of a figure who came to the rescue in times of crisis - Liu Jikun, the son of Liu Wentao and the inspector of the hospital.

With the death of Liu Wentao, Liu Wen lost a younger brother and Beiting lost a pillar, which was a heavy blow. In fact, this incident was also the beginning of the separation between Anxi and Beiting. Of course, that was an afterthought.

Liu Jikun was the eldest son of Liu Wentao. He was born in the 990th year of Kaibao () and was only fourteen years old. Although he is young, he has been with his father and uncle since he was a child. From the beginning of his consciousness, he has experienced the relatively desolate and barren environment of Beiting, and has witnessed the process of Beiting Kingdom starting from scratch, from scratch to gradually improving.

However, even if Liu Jikun was ordered to do so at the critical moment, he could only hold on for a few more days. On the 29th day of the siege, the Mingcheng defenders were at the end of their strength and were on the verge of collapse. Of course, the YSL coalition forces outside the city will not fare well. Their military morale and morale have also been completely destroyed by the long-term fierce battle and huge casualties.

In the end, Mingcheng's attack and defense had become a battle that measured endurance, willpower, and reinforcements. On the contrary, the direct battle scenes were reduced and the intensity was greatly reduced. This was also an important reason why Liu Jikun was able to persevere.

After reaching this level, the old hunter Liu Min couldn't sit still anymore. After all, he couldn't really sit back and watch the fall of Ming City, especially when the city was obviously undefendable, let alone the strategic point of Ming City. Fall. That is to say, King Liu Wengong of Beiting and King Liu Ye of Kang each led 60,000 troops from their country to attack Mingcheng in two groups, while Liu Min led his own army to retreat. When the Han army took action, the Yisl coalition base camp almost acted in unison. Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud hurriedly sent troops and horses to support Maweil. At the same time, he mobilized all his troops and headed north to Mingcheng.

For the same reason, he could not just sit back and watch the collapse of Marvell's army. After all, Marvell's army, which had besieged Mingcheng for a month without defeat, was actually in a dangerous situation after the bloody battle. It doesn't take much, just a fresh army of thousands of people, to defeat it. This is impossible for Mahmoud, who is good at conquest, not to notice.

Obviously, while Liu Min was hunting, Mahmoud was also fishing, and his target was naturally the main elite of the Three Kingdoms of Anxi. They also thought about the good thing of settling the world in a battle. However, Liu Min remained motionless for a month, which made Mahmoud very helpless.

Of course, he finally chose to mobilize troops. In addition to Marvel's constant urging for help, it was also because Mingcheng's defense was indeed so fragile that it could be pierced with one finger. If you can't catch the big fish, then take the strategic point of Mingcheng first and then plan later.

Both sides are willing to lay heavy baits, but neither side is willing to let their baits be swallowed by their opponents. In the end, it is still a battle of physical strength. First, Liu Wen, the king of Beiting, personally led 10,000 cavalry, regardless of horse power and physical strength, and rushed to Mingcheng first, attacked the enemy directly, and easily solved the siege of Mingcheng. Then he launched a rush attack on Marvell's army, and was joined by subsequent troops. Under the attack, Marvell's army quickly collapsed.

Then YSL reinforcements arrived, and they immediately launched a counterattack against the Beiting Army, suppressing it with their numerical advantage. Afterwards, the cavalry under the command of King Kangju Liu Ye arrived and also entered the battle.

In addition, Marvell took in some of the defeated soldiers, organized and rejoined the fighting, and the follow-up infantry from both sides arrived one after another. In the autumn and winter of the eleventh year of Yongxi's reign, under the Ming City, the Han-Yi War broke out. The first battle involving more than 100,000 people between the two sides was a melee between infantry and cavalry.

This battle lasted for three days and nights, until both sides were exhausted, and then they got away from each other. Of course, it was also related to the arrival of the Chinese armies of both sides led by Liu Min and Mahmoud in Mingcheng.

So as you can imagine, the real climax of the "Battle of Mingcheng" has arrived. After everyone regrouped, the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms totaled 110,000, the YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army 160,000, and nearly 300,000 people on both sides, twenty miles south of Mingcheng. In a wilderness, they set up their formations with gongs and drums facing each other, and started a decisive battle.

This battle, which consisted of a series of battles, lasted longer, lasting seven days and six nights, and in a short period of time they were evenly matched.

The Three Kingdoms Allied Forces, especially the Han army's high degree of organization and the power of its equipment, are incomparable to the mixed YSL Allied Forces. But the YSL coalition also has its advantages. The large number of jihadists who are not afraid of death is a topic that can never be avoided. At the same time, it is also inseparable from the outstanding command of Mahmoud and his Ghaznavid generals.

Excellent leaders often have a group of elites gathered around them. Just like the upper class of the Three Kingdoms of Anxi is filled with many talented people, and the subordinates of the Beiting Kingdom can even stand out as young as 14 years old, the Ghaznavid Dynasty also gave birth to a group of elites. A general who can conquer battles.

On the other hand, the decades of the Han army's western expedition not only contributed to major changes in the political, cultural, and religious landscape of the Dashi region, but also had a particularly obvious impact on the military.

For example, the use of gunpowder and firearms. In the eleventh year of Yongxi's reign, sharp weapons such as artillery, rockets, and sky-shattering cannons were no longer the exclusive property of the Han army. For example, the Ghaznavid Dynasty was vigorously developing gunpowder weapons, and even had some inferior imitation artillery. It also began to apply gunpowder in various war scenarios. The southern expedition to the Indus River Basin resulted in a large number of experiments.

The Battle of Mingcheng was an unprecedented "Gunpowder War". Both sides used gunpowder weapons on a large scale and intensively. To be honest, such a war had never happened even in the Han Empire, which was the birthplace of gunpowder. Even the Empire The locally produced gunpowder and weapons are enough to plow the surrounding countries. This is probably the problem of having no opponents.

Therefore, it is very appropriate to describe the battlefield outside Mingcheng as filled with smoke and thunderous. Of course, given the current limited quality and power of gunpowder, it is no longer realistic to rely on it to completely control the development of the battle. After all, this is nothing new. For those who are prepared, it is just as powerful as a sword in the hand. Just a murder weapon.

Of course, the effectiveness of different murder weapons is completely different when used by different people. Obviously, the artillery and firearms from the Three Kingdoms caused more serious casualties to the YSL Army.

However, what ultimately determines the outcome of the battle is the close combat, cavalry battle, and infantry battle accompanied by the sound of explosions. The emergence of artillery and the large-scale application of gunpowder on the battlefield only mean the progress and innovation of military technology, but the era of cold weapons is far from over. Therefore, both the war process and the results are rich in "traditional" things.

The outcome of the Battle of Mingcheng ultimately ended with the victory of the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces. If the highly organized, well-trained, and well-equipped Han armies of the Three Kingdoms were the basis for victory, then there were two other factors that dominated the final outcome of the battle. result.

One is the 3,000 Guards Cavalry that Liu Min never used no matter how critical the various fronts and fortresses were. They were also the last remaining force in the entire army. One is that the defenders were resting silently in Ming City for several days without being noticed. While the battle was in full swing outside the city, Liu Jikun quietly prepared less than two thousand combatable soldiers.

The target of these two troops is the commander of the YSL Army, Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud's central army. These five thousand men did not succeed in defeating Mahmud's Guards Army. However, when the commander-in-chief was attacked and the high banner began to waver, what the five thousand troops shaken is the morale and morale of the hundreds of thousands of troops.

The anxious battle situation changed as a result. As Mahmud was forced to leave, the YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army retreated and retreated for hundreds of miles.

PS: The "Han-Iran War" in the 11th to 12th years of Yongxi's reign was regarded as the fifth large-scale war between the two civilizations.

The first time: Liu Min marched westward, restored the broken leaves, and destroyed the black sweat;

The second time: YSL world formed the first coalition army for the Eastern Expedition, with the intention of restoring the Black Khan, and with the strong support of the Central Empire, they repelled it;

The third time: Anxi Governor's Western Expedition, defeated the Talas, defeated YSL's Eastern Expedition, and captured the towns in the eastern part of the Samanid Dynasty;

The fourth time: the Anxi Three Kingdoms Allied Forces marched westward to destroy the Samanid Dynasty and take the land in the river;

The fifth time: the second ysl Eastern Expedition led by the Ghaznavid dynasty in the 11th year of Yongxi's reign.

(End of this chapter)