Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

Emperor Shi convened everyone to discuss it, and everyone felt that it would be fine to send them away with just a few things, and now that the capital city will be broken soon, there is no need to make extra troubles.

Emperor Shi thought about it for a long time, and now it is difficult for him to touch the things on the grassland. There are still many things to deal with in Liaodong, Hetao, Hexi Corridor, and the Western Regions, but they can't give them the image of Qin as a threat.

So they asked their envoys to go back and tell their tribal leaders that if they want a reward, they can come and get it by themselves.

After the news of Emperor Shi was brought back by the emissary, Li Chuyun also went to the west to direct the battle in person, and dispatched artillery to occupy the high ground outside the city, making preparations for a battle.

Two days later in the afternoon, probably because they were dissatisfied with Emperor Shi's rhetoric, or because they wanted to show off their power to blackmail something, all the people in the grassland gathered to go out of the valley and cross the west road outside the city, but their speed was not very fast. Unlike an all-out attack, they simply want to cross the avenue that the Southern Emperor stipulates that they cannot cross to exert pressure and gain bargaining chips.

But they obviously stayed on the grassland for a long time, and they didn't know what the Qin army was, let alone why the Qin army was able to fight to Shangjing.

Not long after they left the valley, hundreds of field artillery deployed on the western highlands began to roar and howl. The crossfire formed by the shells in the western valley wove into a dense network, whistling and hissing endlessly.

The screams and neighing of war horses everywhere caught the visitors on the prairie off guard, and the dense formation greatly increased the hit rate of the shells. In just a quarter of an hour, the west side was completely defeated, leaving behind a large number of corpses. Running in the valley, the Qin army's artillery fire also began to extend to the valley to the west, continuing to hit their backs until they retreated into the valley.

Then the Qin army who had been preparing for a long time rushed up and captured the fallen and injured large numbers of people on the spot.

In the brief exchange of fire, 500 people were killed in an instant, and more than 800 people were injured and captured when they fell off their horses, which frightened all the visitors from the west. what.

The Qin army did not launch a pursuit either, and their focus has been on besieging the city in Shangjing.

A few days later, the leader of the Zoubu Department took a few people and asked to see the emperor of Qin without weapons. After entering the big tent, he knelt down and cried loudly, saying some words he could not understand.

Han Derang translated for him: "They knew they were wrong and should not have made a provocative move, so they begged the forgiveness of the mighty and invincible Southern Emperor, and returned the captured brothers to them, and they will be enshrined for generations, just like the Liao Kingdom. "

Emperor Shi agreed to their request after understanding it. He knew that these were definitely not all the forces on the grassland. They were obedient to the Liao Kingdom, and they would not bring many people. A small lesson, temporary deterrence is the purpose of Emperor Shi. As for He didn't care whether they would honestly pay tribute in the future, but asked them to retreat immediately and go back to the grassland, so as not to affect the situation in Shangjing.

The other party repeatedly nodded in agreement, and then Emperor Shi also ordered the captives to be released.

The leaders of the tribe dared to take risks for these captives with deep affection. At first, Emperor Shi was a little moved. The brothers in the grassland were very affectionate, but after the captives were released and handed over, they killed more than 300 of them on the side of the road. , taking only their horses.

Emperor Shi didn't know what to say for a while, so I was so moved by the damn thing!

However, they did keep their promise, and began to retreat to the northwest valley that day. Li Chuyun was worried and sent scouts to investigate. By the next day, fifty miles north of the valley, they had disappeared, and they had gone far.

With the retreat of the tribal army in the northwest, Shangjing completely lost its last hope. The defenders in the battle city in the west of the city could also see clearly from the top of the city. At first, when the tribal army headed east, they were all excited, thinking that reinforcements were coming to rescue them. Unexpectedly, after a few days, all the reinforcements from the west also retreated.

By this time, Shangjing has become a completely isolated city, and there will be no more reinforcements!

Chapter 546, Bloodline Maintenance

The wind was very strong at the head of the city, and it fell into a dead silence.

Xiao Siwen was wearing a leather armor with a purple official uniform inside. The reason why he was dressed this way was because he had to maintain defense at the top of the city during the day, and from time to time he had to enter the palace to report the situation to His Majesty. Now almost no one in the capital can use it.. ....

It is now certain that among the high-level pillars of the Liao Kingdom, Prime Minister Yelusha of the Northern Mansion, General Yelu Xiezhen, Han Derang, Gao Xun and many other generals were captured by the Qin army. West rescue.

A large number of middle and low-level officers with rich experience and experience in opening up territories and attacking various countries were killed by Shi Congyun in the battle of Sanguan more than ten years ago. Many dignitaries and dignitaries arrived in Shangjing when the Qin army arrived Before the siege was formed, the family and private soldiers fled to Montenegro, Northwest Grassland, Da Xianbei Mountain and other places to avoid disaster.

So much so that Xiao Siwen didn't dare to entrust the city defense to these recruits who had no war experience.

A few days ago, they were still cheering, because from the top of the city, they could already see the western tribal army arriving outside the city and moving towards the city wall. At that time, everyone at the top of the city burst into cheers, reinforcements are coming!

Even Xiao Siwen himself felt that the turning point had come. Even if the clan army in the northwest could not compete with the Qin army, as long as they caused enough pressure and threatened on the flanks, the Qin army would not be able to siege the city for a long time. It's all possible!

However, their cheers soon stopped, and the cannons outside the city were loud, and the menacing tribal army was beaten to pieces in less than half an hour, and retreated across the board.

The cheers and enthusiastic atmosphere at the top of the city gradually subsided, and soon turned into a terrifying silence.

After a few days, the tribal armies to the west withdrew, retreating back into the valley....the last hope was dashed.

After that day, the city was completely silent, and many defenders were downcast. Looking at the Qin army surrounded by darkness, no one could speak for a while.

A sense of despair spread across the city.

In the distance, the cavalry of the Qin Army was patrolling the periphery, and the siege troops built siege vehicles and ladders not far from the city head, apparently telling them with great fanfare that the siege was imminent, and even if it was right under their noses, they had nothing to do. During the day, all soldiers only dared to hide behind the parapet for fear of being hit by shells.

Xiao Siwen patrolled around, and returned to the Princess's mansion under the family guard, and found someone sneaking outside the door, and when he passed by, the figure over there quickly walked away.

He wondered for a while, and probably guessed something, but he ignored it. The situation has reached this point, and it is not surprising that there are many things.

Just after entering the mansion, his wife Yelu Lu Bugu, who was once the eldest princess of Daliaoyan Kingdom, came to greet him with a worried face, and asked about the situation outside.

The eldest princess is Xiao Siwen's cousin, and marrying him is considered a marriage, so she has always had a high status in the family.

Xiao Siwen didn't hide it from his wife, and said directly: "The tribal army from the northwest was beaten away by the Qin army..."

The wife looked surprised, and immediately understood what this meant. She suppressed some emotions, but she still couldn't help the tears from her eyes, but she didn't make a sound all the time, for fear of disturbing her busy husband.

Xiao Siwen took her hand and comforted her while walking inside: "Lu Bugu, things are not that bad, we still have a way out. Qin's emperor Shi Congyun has already arrived outside the city, and he led the army himself."

"That's not worse..." The wife couldn't help crying anymore, and threw herself into his arms.

Xiao Siwen stroked her back comfortingly, "Have you forgotten, Hu Nian is the concubine of the emperor of Qin. She also said in her family letter that Shi Congyun loved him very much. With the emperor's flesh and blood, as long as she is here, my family may be able to live together." preservation."

"Then Your Majesty..." After all, the wife is a direct descendant of the Yelu family, so she immediately thought of His Majesty in the palace.

Xiao Siwen sighed: "Up to now, I can't guarantee anything about my family, let alone outsiders..."

He then told his wife, "We need to protect and protect Yanyan these days. Shi Congyun seems to have a special liking for Yanyan. She will always be safer at home, and don't let outsiders in."

wife one

I was a little confused at times, but I nodded and followed suit.

Xiao Siwen is also hesitating in his heart, he has always been a speculator, and he also understands in his heart that the northwestern clan army has retreated, and there is no room for resistance in Shangjing, and the city will be broken just around the corner...

He had thought about hoping that there would be rescue in the east of Liaodong, but he was soon dismissed by the letter persuaded by the Qin army to shoot into the city. The Qin army said that their emperor had arranged for the generals to go straight to the west of Liaodong, conquer Jinzhou, and Gao Xun was captured. Yelumo fled back to Liaoyang with his troops and dared not return.

He couldn't help but believe these words, because thinking of the disastrous defeat of the West Route Army and the Central Route Army, he felt that these things were reasonable and reasonable. .

Xiao Siwen heaved a long sigh. He thought about opening the city and surrendering himself, but it was difficult for him to do such a thing. Anyway, he was a member of the Xiao family, but if the Qin army came in and the army was chaotic, it was hard to say how to protect himself.

He thought about leading the army to break through the siege, but the Qin army was tightly besieging the city. Looking at the thousands of tribal cavalry troops who were completely defeated by the Qin army within a few quarters of an hour, he lost his courage and was in a dilemma for a while. sleepless.

........

Outside the capital, in the imperial tent of the Chinese army, Emperor Shi had already begun to consider how to deal with the capital.

It is more than 1000 miles away from Youzhou, Liaodong has not yet fallen, and Hetao has not been taken back, so he is not very interested in this place. The main reason is to eliminate the Liao ruling group, otherwise he would not send troops to this bitter cold place.

In the future, it will probably be ruled by Jimi, not directly under the central government. Emperor Shi didn't take it too seriously. He had already made up his mind, and he also wrote it clearly in the letter of persuasion. When the army entered the city, no one left behind.

Of course, it is a bluff to say that there are no pieces of armor left, but it is certain to liquidate and execute the resisters and loot them all. This place is too far away, and the Queen Mother Qin Army's large corps probably will not come again.

However, in mid-July, a letter from his family was sent from Daliang to the army, which slightly changed Emperor Shi's determination.

It was his concubine Xiao Hunian who sent it here. Besides saying some missing words, he also said that their son was born, and they were waiting for him to go back and get a good name.

Emperor Shi walked out of the tent, looked at the not-so-correct handwriting, and thought of Xiao Hunian's naive and naive expressions that were difficult to write one by one. Also changed a lot.

In my heart, I gave this largest city north of Yanshan more tolerance, perhaps because of the blood connection, or perhaps because of the kindness and love for Xiao Hunian, Emperor Shi's sense of indifference towards Shangjing was eliminated in his heart, and he considered this matter more seriously. life and death of people on the land.

Many problems cannot be imagined out of thin air. Only through personal experience can one understand the subtle changes and gaps and the great differences they may bring. Just like this time, Xiao Hunian's affectionate letter accidentally saved many lives.

Chapter 547: Unexpected and even more unexpected

In mid-July, all the siege equipment of the Qin army was almost ready.

The reason why they were not in a hurry to attack the city was that they occupied a few Liao army camps outside Shangjing, where there were not many troops left behind, seized a lot of supplies, and sent another battalion north to Huaizhou to occupy the Heishan palace of the false emperor of Liao. There were also a large number of seizures, cattle, sheep and horses, gold and silver treasures, and a lot of grain.

Big enough for the military to use for months, so this is no rush at all.

In addition, many female family members and nobles, royal relatives and nobles were also captured, most of whom were concubines and concubines of the late Liao Dynasty founder Yelvjing.

Most of the young ones were rewarded to the meritorious soldiers in the army, and many of the remaining nobles were temporarily detained as hostages.

The people below asked the officials tactfully for instructions. They captured more than a dozen princesses and princesses of the royal family of the Liao Kingdom.

Emperor Shi waved his hand, and joked at the time: "No, I told you earlier, when you break the city, I will catch Xiao Chuo to warm the bed, and give credit to all the soldiers of the three armies for being the emperor's matchmaker, hahahahaha!"

Everyone laughed, this word quickly spread in the army, it actually played a role in boosting morale, many soldiers have asked to fight, begging to be the vanguard to attack the city, vowing to be the matchmaker of the emperor.

Emperor Shi was very pleased, they were all loyal ministers who were loyal to the country!

However, they did not rush to start attacking the city, but asked about the remaining shells and gunpowder. At this time, food and grass were not a problem. At home, supplies are difficult, and he is most worried about ammunition.

There are [-] troops outside the capital, and these are the elite main force of the Qin army. If you can lose as little as possible, you will lose as little as possible, and the best way to reduce losses is to make up for them with firepower.

On July [-]th, heavy rain fell, and the Shali River surged for several days. The Qin army rested and temporarily gave up the attack plan.

Five days later, the weather turned fine and the sun was hot. Although it was much better than the humidity in Lingnan, the sudden widening temperature difference between day and night still made many soldiers sick.

But the seasoned veteran also saw an opportunity.

Wang Shenqi asked to see him, and then pointed out that the city wall of Shangjing was imitated from Youzhou. It was made of bricks on the outside and rammed earth on the inside. Exposure to the sun is the most vulnerable time,

He has observed the northern city wall, which is the weakest place. If the artillery is used intensively, it may be able to take the opportunity to open a gap.

And after more than a month of hard work, the artillery unit used cattle, horses and manpower to pull twelve naval guns from Beikou and transport them to the front line. Compared with the field guns that are more portable and have weakened firepower, the naval guns are more powerful and have a longer range. Far, but too heavy, no boats are inconvenient to maneuver.

Now with the support of naval guns, the Qin army's firepower has been greatly strengthened.

Emperor Shi did not make a conclusion immediately, but called the commander of the artillery unit and the coach Li Chuyun to discuss it. After discussion, everyone felt that this strategy could be tried.

Emperor Shi asked them about their ammunition reserves, and the artillery unit reported that according to the current usage, they could still fight for at least a month. Emperor Shi thought about it and agreed that they should try the tactic of using concentrated firepower.

On the second day, the Qin army and the north of the city gathered seven artillery battalions, more than 100 field guns and twelve naval guns, and concentrated their firepower to bombard the city wall in the west section of the north of the city.

The violent artillery sound echoed at the foot of Daxianbei Mountain, and it was like a thunderstorm all day long. Many birds and animals in the mountains in the distance were frightened and fled. The Liao army at the head of the city was terrified. Only ruins remain.

However, the casualties of the Liao defenders were not too many. First, the Qin army mainly fought against the city wall. Second, the Liao army was already experienced, and they hid in the corner when they heard the sound of the cannon.

After continuous shelling, by noon, the brick wall outside the center of the western section of the city wall had been blasted to pieces, and collapsed after the first round of shelling in the afternoon.

Accompanied by a loud crash, the dust filled the air, and the other side of the city wall was soon covered by a large amount of dust, and it was impossible to see anything within a hundred steps. The eyes of people from all over the place converged on the collapsed city wall section.

It wasn't until two quarters of an hour later that the dust slowly dissipated, and everyone could clearly see the situation on the other side of the city wall.

However, everyone's excitement quickly dropped a lot, because the degree of damage was not ideal. On the other side of the city wall, only the outer brick wall structure collapsed, and the rammed earth structure inside was exposed, but the main body of the rammed earth wall was still solid and did not collapse.

The artillery of the Qin army fell into disappointment. Many of them were craftsmen and knew better than the Liao people. The outer brick wall shell was not what the Qin army artillery was afraid of. If it was only the brick wall, their artillery would not be afraid at all.

The so-called easy to break, the brick wall is indeed strong, but it is also very brittle, and it will be easily broken into powder fragments when encountering stronger and harder shells. They have tried it, even if it is two feet thick Brick walls, after repeated bombardment by artillery, will also collapse because the bricks are gradually crushed and fall off.

However, Shangjing City was built by Han craftsmen in imitation of Youzhou City. The brick wall is only its shell. Inside the city wall is a rammed earth structure with a narrow top and a wide bottom. The widest part at the bottom is nearly two feet, and the narrowest point at the top is more than one foot.

Such a thick layer of rammed earth is what shells are most afraid of. Although the earth wall does not look as strong as bricks and stones, these thick rammed earth can absorb shells very well. The right type of wall.

Sure enough, for the next half a day, the Qin army's artillery positions were fully fired, and they bombarded the collapsed hole one after another with great momentum. Although some rammed earth was knocked out and several small-scale collapses occurred, there was no major progress.

In the evening, they reported the matter to Emperor Shi, and the atmosphere in the big tent was somewhat depressed. Wang Shenqi blamed himself very much, saying that he had not thought carefully, resulting in wasting so much ammunition and still not firing in.

Emperor Shi didn't blame him, and said bluntly: "You are just giving an opinion, and the final decision is all my own."

The artillery commander next to him stood up and interjected: "Guys, we have come up with a good idea. Now that the brick wall outside the collapse hole has been knocked down, the rammed earth inside may not be afraid of shells, it's terrible to dig!

Officials, as long as they are sprinkled with water, we will use crowbars and shovels to escort the soldiers there, and it will not take long to dig it down. "

These words stunned several people, yes, rammed earth walls are not afraid of shells, terrible shovels!

Emperor Shi laughed and stood up, "I haven't figured out such a simple thing. The outer brick wall shell has collapsed, so just dig it out!"

Everyone slapped their heads and laughed.

"Damn, this road is too dependent on cannons. Now that there are no cannons, I can't even dig soil!" The titan Jing Si who was listening on the side complained.

Emperor Shi was also filled with emotion.

Indeed, this battle was different from the past. After more than ten years of development in the Qin army, the artillery finally changed from quantitative to qualitative. From before, it could only be used as an auxiliary unit for surprise soldiers.

In this decisive battle between Qin and Liao, the artillery unit became a strategic unit that could determine the outcome, so that the entire army seemed to suffer from a severe fire dependence. Once the strongest artillery attack failed, they forgot to turn their heads.

The rammed earth wall can withstand the terrible impact of shells, but without the protection of the surrounding masonry wall, just dig it directly.

However, there is one thing that Emperor Shi and the generals of the Qin State did not think of, that is, the people of the Liao State did not understand artillery as well as they did, so in terms of damage effects, the soldiers and civilians of the Liao State did not agree with their understanding.

The soldiers and civilians of the Liao Kingdom at the top of the city and inside the city were trembling with fear from the non-stop sound of artillery throughout the day, and Xiao Siwen, who was supervising the battle, was even more frightened.

When he witnessed the northern and western part of the city wall being directly collapsed by the artillery of the Qin army, the rumbling sound of the collapse was deafening, the city wall under his feet shook, bumped like a horse, and dust rose into the sky, covering a large part of the city wall.

Xiao Siwen's face turned pale from fright, and he couldn't stand upright. Fortunately, the soldiers around him supported him, but they were also terrified!

Originally they thought that the city walls of Shangjing were impenetrable, and Qin Jun's artillery could not do anything to them. They could run horses on the top of the city wall, and the bottom of the city wall was more than two feet thick. He never expected that Qin Jun took a long time to knock down their city walls!

Their cannons are so terrifying that they can knock down half of the city wall in half a day. If they continue to fight, won't they be completely knocked down after going up to the capital city wall in a day or two!

They have no way to stop them, and no one dares to challenge Qin Jun's artillery with flesh and blood!

Such fear instantly shrouded everyone's hearts, not only Xiao Siwen, but many soldiers and generals in the city thought so.

They do not understand the principles and parameters of artillery, nor have the experience of using artillery, and they cannot be compared with Qin craftsmen in fields such as engineering and architecture.

Judging only by what they saw and heard from the top of the city, all of them thought so, and then several small landslides occurred. After the Qin army retreated in the afternoon, the top of the city was filled with a sense of despair. Two days later, the Qin army is destined to break into the city, and there is no hope of defending the city!