Fenghou

"But what if it is really a plague? Lord, we must be careful."

Wanyan Wushu nodded, "Pass my order, the army will isolate the Shali area with barracks, and no one is allowed to come out. Anyone who escapes will be shot to death!"

……

Just when a suspected plague appeared in Shangjing, Laibin County in the western Liaoning Corridor was also carrying out a major operation. It was just getting dark, and the south gate was wide open. Nearly [-] Korean soldiers rushed out of the city, shouting and shouting at the people several miles away. The Western Army camp rushed forward.

The team rushed out of the city like a torrent breaking the embankment, without even the formation of the team, brandishing swords and spears, scrambling to run in the wilderness.

There were too many soldiers in the city, and the food could only last for five days. Wanyan Nianhan ordered the Goryeo soldiers to attack the northern camp first. If the Western Army's camp was disrupted, his 4 Jurchen army would follow to break through and go northward.

If the Goryeo soldiers could not rush into the Song army's camp at all, then they would not care about the life and death of the Goryeo soldiers, and they would be relieved of a huge burden.

Wanyan Nianhan made it clear to all the soldiers that there was not enough food, and they would starve to death if they stayed in the city. If they could break through, they would be allowed to go home.

The longing to go home stimulated the hearts of every Korean soldier, and they rushed towards the Western Army's camp regardless of life or death.

The first thousand 480 nine chapters attack again

Yang Zaixing had already received Chen Qing's order and was fully prepared. As soon as the city gate was opened, the Song army immediately discovered the enemy's situation, and the alarm bells rang loudly in the camp.

Li Fuxing, the governor of the capital, led [-] crossbowmen in place quickly to suppress the enemy's impact on the camp. [-] cavalry were also ready on the left and right in the northwest.

To deal with the Goryeo soldiers, [-] soldiers are enough. The Western Army's main defense is the breakout of the [-] Jurchen cavalry, so the [-] Western Army cavalry also stood still behind.

At the same time, the Western Army camp in the south also noticed a change in the army in the city. Chen Qing immediately ordered Liu Cui and Gao Ding to command [-] cavalry each, Yue Yun and Zhang Xian each to command [-] cavalry, and Chen Qing personally commanded [-] cavalry. Sitting in the camp.

As long as the Jurchen cavalry is dispatched, the [-] cavalry in the south will also be dispatched at the same time.

The [-] Koryo soldiers are not stupid. They saw the strong bows and crossbows of the [-] troops in front of the camp. The width of the camp is about twenty miles, and the width of the Western Army camp is fifteen miles.

Therefore, there is still a width of nearly five miles to the west, and the Western Army camp cannot be blocked. If the Western Army soldiers stay in the camp, the Korean soldiers can completely bypass the Western Army camp and flee to the north.

Of course, they only had one day's dry food on them, so whether they could support them to travel three hundred miles to Jinzhou, or even to Goryeo, thousands of miles away, was another matter.

In Wanyan Nianhan's eyes, the five mile vacancy over there is a trap, with a blockade at both ends, none of them can survive. He would rather lead the army into the camp, at least there is still a glimmer of life.

At this time, Wanyan Nianhan was standing on the top of the wall, watching the mighty Goryeo soldiers rushing to the west, he was secretly annoyed, these bastards did not obey his command, and he clearly let them attack the camp, unexpectedly there was not a single one People rushed to the camp, could there be a way out if they ran to the gap to the west?

At this time, the sentinel cavalry came to report, "Marshal Qi, the cavalry of the Western Army in the southern camp has assembled. There are at least 8 or [-] people, ready to attack!"

Wanyan Nianhan nodded secretly, Chen Qing really had seen his intentions long ago, the Koryo soldiers stood still and waited for him to leave the city, flanking back and forth, annihilating his own army.

Perhaps because of getting older, Wanyan Nianhan in his old age has lost the decisiveness of the past. If in the past, food was running out anyway, sooner or later it would be a decisive battle. There is a silver lining.

But there are [-] troops waiting in front of him, and another [-] troops watching behind him. In the end, he is afraid that his entire army will be wiped out.

Worrying about gains and losses, Wanyan Nianhan finally didn't have the courage to lead his army to break through. He still had to wait for Wanyan Wushu's response. Wanyan Nianhan finally didn't give the order to attack. He watched as many Korean soldiers ran into the western gap.

……

Fifty thousand Goryeo soldiers were surrounded by [-] cavalry. Thousands of Goryeo soldiers who tried to force their way north were shot and killed by the Western cavalry. The other soldiers were too frightened to charge again.

Soldiers of the Western Army continued to shout in Goryeo: "Those who surrender will not die, and those who surrender will have enough to eat!"

It would be good for these Goryeo soldiers to be used as miners to mine iron ore. Chen Qing finally gave up his original plan to kill all Goryeo soldiers.

Goryeo soldiers who had no food and no way to survive finally got a glimmer of life. They put down their weapons and knelt down and surrendered. Groups of Goryeo soldiers were taken away by the cavalry and temporarily placed in prisoner-of-war camps. Don’t even think about returning to Goryeo. For mine membership, his wife and children came to reunite with them.

As the night darkened, the war drums in the Western Army camp rang again, and the night battle, which had been suspended for two days, kicked off again.

This time, fifty heavy trebuchets from the north and the south launched a fierce attack on Laibin County.

On the high platform of the Western Army camp, Chen Qing was quietly watching the progress of the 250 Western Army. The Western Army stopped [-] steps away, and the heavy trebuchets continued to move forward, and also stopped [-] steps away. Leading the cattle back to the camp, other soldiers were fixing the catapults.

A total of [-] trebuchets from the north and the south were positioned one after another. Two soldiers and cavalry rushed from the north and the south and reported under the high platform, "Report Your Highness, the northern army is already in place!"

"Report to Your Highness, the Southern Army is already in place!"

Although Yang Zaixing and Liu Cui will command separately during the specific battle, Chen Qing still needs to command unified command for some joint offensive nodes and some places that need to cooperate with each other.

Chen Qing nodded, and immediately ordered: "Start attacking!"

The hundred men below him raised their big drumsticks and slammed them hard on the giant drum.

"Boom-thump-"

From the camp of the Western Army, there was a muffled sound of drums, which spread very far away at night. This was the order to start the attack.

……

In fact, the western army could completely blow down the wall of this small county with a heavy iron fire mine, but in order to destroy the enemy's will to fight, Chen Qing still decided to use continuous night battles to break down the morale of the Jurchen army time and time again.

The heavy-duty trebuchet has been slightly modified, and the winch has been changed to a rear-mounted one. Huge defensive panels have also been installed on both sides of the trebuchet. It is a three-inch thick wooden board covered with a layer of iron and five layers of cooked cowhide. Hold the bed crossbow on the side of the opponent to attack, and protect the soldiers of the Western Army who operate the catapult.

Of course, there is also a wooden frame baffle in front. The reason for installing baffles on both sides is mainly to prevent the enemy from shooting from the side. The reason for the casualties of more than [-] people before is that some soldiers will still be exposed to the enemy's fire. Under the crossbow.

This time, the Western Army replaced kerosene with boulders, and the destructive and intimidating power of the boulder attack was no less than that of kerosene.

The winch began to creak and twist, and the long arm was pulled down. Several soldiers put an [-]-jin boulder into the throwing iron bucket. After half a year of training, the soldiers of the Western Army have mastered throwing stones. With the strength and distance of the machine, they knew how to hit the wall accurately.

"put!"

One shouted, and the soldiers released the winch handle at the same time, the winch wheel turned, and the long arm threw the boulder violently.

The 100-yuan boulder flew away from the north and the south almost at the same time, drawing arcs in the night, and violently smashed towards the two-foot-high city wall 250 steps away.

The night attack on the enemy city kicked off again.

'boom! 'A boulder of a hundred catties hit the battlements, and the strong impact broke the two battlements, leaving a big gap, and the four or five Jurchen soldiers hiding behind the battlements were thrown out, bloody and bloody, and several bed crossbows It was also smashed to pieces, and the exclamation and screams rang out.

The huge boulders were fired continuously, and boulders roared and smashed against the city wall one by one, making dull impact sounds and the cracking of city bricks from time to time. A gap was hit three times in a row, and the city wall collapsed with a loud funnel-shaped gap.

Wanyan Nianhan was in a very depressed mood, and returned to the camp in the city. Of course, he saw the intention of the Western Army. He could blow up the city wall, but he didn't do it for a long time, just like a giant cat catching a mouse. eat up.

Chapter 490 Changes

The defensive battle was under the full command of his eldest son Wanyan Xiege. On the top of the wall, Wanyan Xiege shouted anxiously, "Launch the bed crossbow!"

As early as the first wave of the Western Army's attack, five hundred bed crossbows were launched intensively. In the darkness, powerful iron arrows shot densely at hundreds of trebuchets from north to south.

However, the Western Army also has rich experience in defending bed crossbows. They not only put the winch in the rear, but also added defensive plates to protect the soldiers on the side, and wrapped the catapult with thick cooked cowhide. Although the iron arrows can still penetrate the cowhide, they destroy The force is greatly reduced, just like ordinary arrows, nailed to the trebuchet.

After firing a series of three gurney crossbows, none of the catapults were destroyed, and only a few soldiers were slightly injured due to improper operation. The lethality of the bed crossbows was almost zero. Brother Wanyan Xie's voice was hoarse, but he was helpless. I watched helplessly as one after another huge boulders smashed through the city wall, making gaps one after another, and more than a dozen places collapsed.

But the weak defense still exists, that is, desperately repairing the collapsed city wall, three thousand Jurchen soldiers transported huge logs and stones, cleaned up the damaged wall, and erected pillars and stones again.

A huge boulder smashed into the gap that was being repaired, and several wooden pillars that had just been erected broke at the same root. The boulder smashed several human heads into pieces, rolled and smashed towards the crowd. Dozens of Jurchen soldiers turned around and fled in fright. .

……

In Shangjing, 10,000+ low-level people were forcibly expelled from the city. The reason is very simple. The plague broke out in Shangjing. After three days of begging, there was no result. As more and more people fell ill and their food was cut off, thousands of people lost their minds due to hunger and terror. to every corner of the outer city.

Wanyan Wushu was furious, fearing that the epidemic would spread to the inner city, which was mainly the residence of high-ranking officials and nobles, he ordered the army to drive all the people from the outer city out of the city and live outside the city, and they were not allowed to enter the city again.

For the first time, Wanyan Wushu admitted to the court officials that he hadn't considered carefully and shouldn't have put so many people in the city, causing the outbreak of the epidemic.

But he did not admit that he made a wrong decision. There was nothing wrong with the decision. It was just a small mistake in the implementation process. As for the epidemic, he guaranteed that the epidemic did not enter the inner city, and he would send troops to disinfect it in the outer city to remove all sources of the plague.

On the top of the city, Wanyan Wushu looked worriedly at the endless small tents outside the city. He knew that he had made a huge mistake. He should not have gathered Jurchens from all over the city to the capital. If these Jurchens could not enter Isn't the city concentrated and massacred by the Western Army?

But if they are allowed to return to their hometown, wouldn't they admit that they made mistakes in their previous decisions?

Wanyan Wushu is in a dilemma.

Cai Songnian, Minister of the Household Department, understands the prince's dilemma, but as the chief financial officer, he has to say something clearly.

"My lord, my humble suggestion...it is better to let them go home."

Wanyan Wushu frowned, why did you say that? "

"My lord, it's not just about the epidemic. They work hard. We can't last three months with the government subsidizing the food alone. And if there is no harvest this year, what will we do next year?"

Wanyan Wushu finally realized the seriousness of the problem. Millions of people flocked to Beijing, the agriculture was deserted, there was no harvest in autumn, and there would be a big famine next year?

They robbed the Koreans of a large amount of food, and this year they are a little better off, but they can't feed a million people.

The point is that if the Western Army does not attack for a long time, hunger and disease spread, and the Jin Dynasty will perish and die, I will become the number one sinner of the Jin Kingdom.

Wanyan Wushu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, worried: "What if they refuse to go home?"

"My lord, you just need to tell the truth and tell the people that a plague broke out in Shangjing. If you stay in Shangjing, all of them will die of illness. There is no need to drive them away. I believe they will take the initiative to leave Shangjing and go home."

Wanyan Wushu nodded, "Let's decide like this!"

He sent someone to find Shi Gunai and A Hulan, and after a while, the two rushed over, "See you, my lord!"

"How much has your army conscripted?"

Shi Gunai bowed and said: "Report to the lord, there are about 3 low-ranking conscripts!"

Ahulan also said: "2 soldiers are recruited for humble positions!"

Wanyan Wushu was a little dissatisfied and said: "Why are there only 5 people? Didn't you say that there are [-] young and strong?"

"Reporting to the lord, one hundred thousand young and strong is a bit exaggerated. Many of them are old people in their forties and have almost no fighting power. Maybe Zuo Xiangguo counted them."

The average life expectancy of the Jurchens is very low, just over forty people. The nobles are in good condition and can live to be five or sixty years old, but ordinary people also live in their forties, so people in their forties are generally old people, and it is impossible to Going to the battlefield, I can only plant the land at home, and a sickness will almost end.

Wanyan Wushu said unhappily, "Turn up!"

"I obey the order!" The two bowed and left.

Wanyan Xiyin was a little embarrassed, so she had to change the subject and said, "My lord, is there any news from Nianhan?"

Wanyan Wushu shook his head, "Last time he sent someone to say that he led his army to the south to face the main force of the Western Army, and there was no news after that. If he needed support, he would definitely send someone to ask for it, but so far there has been no one. information."

Wanyan Xiyin thought about the possibility that there was no news, "My lord, could it be that... was blocked in the Liaoxi Corridor?"

Wanyan Wushu was taken aback, he thought about it, it is really possible, the western army transported troops by water, it is indeed possible to put a large army behind the Nianhan army, cut off the back road, naturally the soldiers who asked for help couldn't get through up.

Wanyan Wushu immediately sent a sentry cavalry to the Liaoxi Corridor to investigate the situation.

Shangjing is today's Harbin area. It is far away from the Liaoxi Corridor and [-] miles away from Jinzhou. In addition, Wanyan Wushu and Wanyan Nianhan are the two major military groups in the Kingdom of Jin. Wanyan Wushu generally doesn't care about Wanyan's stickiness.

It's just that after the coup, Wanyan Wushu took control of the power of the Jin Kingdom, and he had to consider the issue from the overall situation of the Jin Kingdom, but he habitually ignored Wanyan Nianhan.

Soon, the order to disband and return home was conveyed to every Jurchen family, and all the Jurchens scolded the imperial court for being fatuous, calling them back and forth, and delaying the spring plowing.

But the terrifying news of the outbreak of the plague also spread to everyone's ears. The fear of the plague made them scold and curse, and they packed up their things and fled Shangjing in a panic, returning to their hometown.

What everyone didn't know was that the plague had spread quietly at this time. Many elderly people in their forties took the lead in getting sick on the road, and eventually died of illness on the way home.

……

The siege of Laibin County has reached the tenth day, and the small county town has already been smashed to pieces, and the city gates have been smashed to pieces, but the Western Army has not broken through the city for a long time. The army is to destroy their will to fight.

The Jurchen army suffered more than 5000 casualties, lacked medical care and medicine, and the death rate of wounded soldiers was as high as [-]%. Food was also gradually running out. The army had already begun to select some old and weak horses to kill for food.

Once the Jurchen army reached the point of killing horses for food, their morale was basically gone, the morale of the army collapsed, and war weariness spread in the barracks.

The soldiers are becoming more and more dissatisfied with the indecisive coach Wanyan Nianhan. They should have broken through the encirclement and headed north long ago. It has been dragging on until today, and their morale has been polished.

This morning, more than a dozen ten thousand and thousand commanders found Wanyan Nianhan, and strongly demanded to break out of the siege and go north, and not to delay any longer.

The first thousand and 490 chapters break out

The fire on the top of the city is still burning, and thick smoke fills the sky above the county seat.

It was four o'clock at this time, the night battle had just ended, and the trebuchets of the Western Army had also withdrawn to the camp.

And at this moment when they should be hiding in the city and licking their wounds, the [-] Jurchen troops began to break through.

In the night, the city gate slowly opened, Wanyan Nianhan glanced at the Western Army camp in the distance with a complicated expression, and waved his hand, "Attack!"

Wanfu Commander Wan Yan Tahan was the first to go out of the city. He led [-] elite cavalry as the vanguard.

Ten thousand cavalry were like a raging tide, ten thousand horses were galloping, the horseshoes stirred up billowing yellow dust, and rushed towards the enemy camp.

As soon as the city gate was opened, the Western Army found out, and [-] Western Army crossbowmen were in place quickly. They were lying in the trench holding the crossbow with the god arm, and they were ready.

The Jurchen cavalry was getting closer and closer, and the [-] main force behind them also dispatched, and led by Wanyan Nianhan, they ran towards the opening in the west.

Wanyan Nianhan also figured it out, if the Western Army is prepared, the camp is likely to be an empty camp, a trap, and if they go in, they will fall into the trap.

So it is still necessary to break through from the gap in the west. They are cavalry, and they can rush through part of it anyway.

"Controlling Wang Qiao shouted, "Shoot! "

Thousands of arrows were fired from 150 steps away, and the arrows shot at the Jurchen cavalry like a storm. The Jurchen cavalry suddenly turned on their backs and fell one by one. The screams and neighing of horses resounded across the battlefield.

The cavalry continued to run, and at [-] paces, the second round of crossbow arrows was fired. The arrows covered the sky and covered the sky, and there was no way to hide. Only when the people in front were shot, could they have a chance to survive. The Jurchen cavalry was shot and killed countless times again.