Three Kingdoms

"such a pity……"

Xu Shu stood in the darkness of the west city gate, staring at Huchuquan who was wandering outside the city but couldn't squeeze in. Finally, he sighed slightly and said: "It's a pity that Linjin doesn't have a Wengcheng... Why doesn't this guy We are the first to enter the city, hey..."

If there was an Wengcheng, Xu Shu would definitely wait and wait until Huchuquan also squeezed into the city gate with the soldiers before finally launching his attack. But now it is only inside the east city gate. The temporary anti-horse formation cannot be compared to a solid Wengcheng. Generally provides the best attack methods and defense strength.

Although it is a pity, Xu Shu cannot take too many risks. After all, Linjin's net is still a little small, so he can only catch a certain amount of fish and shrimp. If he is too greedy and the fish and shrimp really squeeze out the net, then The status of both parties may be reversed immediately.

"Drum roll! Shooters come forward! Free fire!"

Xu Shu saw that the Huns and horses were almost crowded, so he ordered an attack. He also pointed at Huchuquan, which was more than a hundred steps outside the city, and gave special instructions, "Strong crossbowmen, shoot him!"

Although at such a distance, the crossbow is indeed lethal, under the shadowy firelight in the dark night, the approximate position is known, but the specific figure may not be as clear as in the daytime. Xu Shu's supplementary order , it’s just that the meaning of the lottery is greater than the actual meaning.

What if you win the lottery? People should have some dreams, right?

The war drums that had been silent rumbled again over Linjin City!

The Southern Huns soldiers who were pushing and eager to enter the city were startled. When they looked up, they saw arrows pouring down like hail!

The Southern Huns cavalry clustered together were simply the best targets. The Zhengxi archers on top of the city didn't even bother to aim. They just aimed in the general direction and dumped their arrows as fast as they could. , As for whether it is a man, a horse, or that guy, it is all left to God to arrange.

"Throw hay! Torches!"

When the drums sounded, Taishi Ci was leading a military formation to resist the Xiongnu soldiers. With the wave of his halberd, he almost instantly chopped down the dozen or so Xiongnu soldiers who were trying to break through the defense line, and then cooperated with him. On both sides of the city, the soldiers began to throw hay and torches at the Hun soldiers who were crowded together.

At this moment, the Hun soldiers who were crowded together also understood to some extent that the so-called city destruction was actually a trap. But the problem was that the Hun soldiers who rushed into the city did not have much space to dodge. They were either shot by arrows or killed. The ignited straw balls and dry firewood burned. Many Xiongnu soldiers hit their heads in the flames, and then accidentally hit the sharp wooden frame of the Juma directly, and were stabbed by the sharp blade on the Juma. Scratched, screaming and bleeding everywhere.

Many Xiongnu soldiers realized that the danger was coming, and some began to shout, instructing the soldiers to abandon their horses and climb up the houses on both sides and the messy piles blocking the road. However, when Taishi Ci took off his bow and arrow, he shot and killed the soldier. After a few small Huns leaders tried to command in the chaos, these Huns soldiers completely lost control...

"How on earth is this so fat?!" Huchuquan, who had managed to avoid being shot by a crossbowman from the edge of the city, and escaped back, even his words were out of tune, rushed to Zheng Gan and shouted loudly, He tightened the sword in his hand again and again, gritted his teeth and stared at Zheng Gan with the evil aura on his face.

On top of the city, many torches were lit, and then the firewood stained with kerosene was thrown under the city wall. Soon a sea of ​​​​fire was ignited, burning the Xiongnu who were crowded under the city wall. The soldiers screamed, and many of them jumped into the half-dry trench to avoid the burning flames. Those who were unlucky enough to hang directly on the wooden stakes at the bottom of the trench, their arms stretched out in despair, The light and shadow of the flames swayed, like ghosts trying to escape from purgatory.

"This! I don't know why this is happening!" Zheng Gan shouted in panic. Seeing Huchuquan's unkind expression, he couldn't help but tremble. He immediately shouted again, "It must be the treacherous plan of General Zhengxi in the city! Someone has also sent people to lurk in Tongguan, and Yang Gong has also sent people to lead troops. By then, the troops will be united and they will be close to the ruined city of Jin. Even if they win a small victory by chance, it doesn't matter. In the end, they will still end up with the city destroyed and killed! "

Hu Chuquan stared at Zheng Gan fiercely, tightened the sword in his hand, and shouted: "What do you mean it's okay? We have missed here, what else can be done at Tongguan? Not to mention how much someone has lost in the past two days. Erlang!"

"King Youxian, King Youxian, please be patient!" Although it was the middle of the night and the temperature was low, Zheng Gan was still sweating all over. Seeing Huchuquan's face getting worse and worse, even the originally bright "Mr. Yang" "The signboard failed to work. I couldn't help but my heart was beating wildly. I stared at the flames at the city gate. Suddenly I had an idea and said repeatedly, "King Youxian! We are not defeated, not defeated! We have won! We have won! "

Hu Chuquan was stunned for a moment and said, "Winning? What does winning mean? Such a victory?"

A smile appeared on Zheng Gan's face, and he pointed at the east gate of Linjin and said: "Please look at it, King Youxian! Although this fire has killed many people, Linjin City has lost its east gate." The city gate! Although it is blocked by the flames now, how long can it burn? After all, when the firewood is exhausted, even the kerosene in the city is probably used up! As long as you wait a moment, when the flames extinguish, the city The Linjin City with the door open is still ours! It’s just a temporary delay at the moment, and the victory is still ours!"

"This..." Hu Chuquan looked at Zheng Gan, and then at the burning east gate of Linjin City. The sword he originally raised in his hand slowly relaxed.

"Tomorrow... no, I will send someone to gather some people now..." Seeing this, Zheng Gan quickly said while the iron was hot, "There are also cattle, wine and baggage, and they will be sent together! Reward the whole army! Wait until the flames are extinguished. , that’s when Linjin City is destroyed!"

"Well..." Hu Chuquan looked back at the east gate, which was burning with blazing flames, and then at the men around him who had gone through so much trouble to escape back in embarrassment, as well as those near the city gate who were either shot by bows and arrows. , or Erlang, who was buried in disaster, pondered for a long time, took one last look at Zheng Gan, then put the sword into the scabbard and said: "Forget it! Come, blow the trumpet and withdraw the troops! Zheng Gong, you will follow me first. Go back to camp!”

Above the Linjin East City Gate, the burning flames were devouring the surrounding air. Even on the city wall, breathing was somewhat difficult.

"Xu Shijun..." Chen Hao looked at the Huns soldiers struggling in the flames at the city gate, then turned to look at the situation inside the city, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "This... the east city gate, I'm afraid... No guarantee..."

Xu Shu glanced at Chen Hao with a smile and said, "If you have something to say, you might as well speak up."

"...Mr. Xu, although many Xiongnu soldiers were burned and killed this time, the city gate was also destroyed in the fire. What if..." Chen Hao paused and said, "When the Huns attack, there will be no one here. Guard the city gate..."

Xu Shu raised his head and laughed, and said: "If the Huns were really like this, wouldn't it be better?"

"Better?" Chen Hao was stunned for a moment, "How could it be better?"

Xu Shu smiled without answering, nodded towards Chen Hao, then Shi Shiran walked away first...

Chen Hao was left scratching his head, not quite understanding.

The flames soared into the sky, but as the Xiongnu who rushed in were killed and wounded, the firewood was also burning. Not long after the noisy night finally passed, as the morning sun shone across the earth again, the people who were originally building equipment at the rear The people of the Zheng family struggled to push more than ten shield and oar carts that had been built overnight, and they were so numb that they slowly moved forward to the foot of Linjin City.

A fire broke out at the east gate at night, killing many soldiers and horses of the Southern Xiongnu. It also damaged the spirit of the Southern Xiongnu. If it were normal, facing the dilapidated city gate, the Southern Huns would definitely not be using any siege equipment. Bailuo would slow down their speed, and most of them would just rush forward and fight.

However, after such a night of chaos, the Huns' momentum could not help but weaken a lot. Although the Huns ate something whole at dawn, as for the cattle and wine promised by Zheng Gan, of course they were not so fast, and even if they were, they were on the way. Therefore, the somewhat exhausted Huns drove all the Zheng family's tenants and craftsmen who were making equipment in the rear to serve as the first wave of cannon fodder.

These tenant craftsmen of the Zheng family were like walking corpses, with haggard faces, dragging or pushing them, struggling as if crawling toward the east gate of Linjin City.

Behind these tenant craftsmen, there were four to five hundred private soldiers brought by Zheng Gan. They just followed the shield and oar car, marching step by step while shouting loudly, as if to encourage these tenant craftsmen, and also like It is to encourage yourself.

Huchuquan, with his troops from the Southern Huns, lined up at the very back to hold down the formation, and had no intention of stepping forward for the time being.

Under the east gate of Linjin City, through the faint black smoke, you can see the open city gate. The soldiers of the Western Expedition are lined up at the gate, waiting in full formation.

"Blow the trumpet! Let these guys speed up!" Hu Chuquan ordered coldly. The shields, oars, chariots and Zheng Gan's soldiers were used to consume the bows and arrows in Linjin City. Even if they were all killed, Huchuquan would not be able to blink an eye. Huchuquan didn't believe that the number of bows, arrows and crossbows in this city was endless!

Sure enough, the shield-and-cull chariot had entered the range of the bows and arrows at the top of the city, but only sporadic arrows were shot from the city wall, as if the arrows had been used up like a storm last night.

Zheng Gan was beside Hu Chuquan, so nervous that his whole body was trembling slightly. His feeling now was completely different from last night. Last night, Zheng Gan still felt that he had a chance to win, as if he could roam freely in the world, and he felt very relaxed. But now, although Linjin City is indeed as he said before, the east gate is open, However, Zheng Gan felt that his heart was beating loudly and all the blood was rushing to his head.

Huchuquan looked at Zheng Gan. Just when he was about to say a few words, he heard shouts and shouts suddenly erupted from the top of the city near the city. Then some figures appeared on the top of the city, seemingly strange. Holding something, he poured down towards the shield and oar car that had arrived at the bottom of the city!

Under the city wall, the white mist of boiling water evaporated, and at the same time, the people of Zheng Gan, who was severely scalded, screamed in agony so shrill that their voices became extremely high-pitched!

As the boiling water poured down, the shield array originally in the city gate dispersed, and a big man waving a halberd emerged, followed by twenty or thirty infantry in heavy armor, charging forward without stopping. When he came out, he crashed directly into the shield and oar chariot of Zheng Gan's soldiers!

The halberd waved, shining with cold light, and instantly broke through several shield and oar vehicles in front of it, killing Zheng Gan's private soldiers behind the shield and oar vehicles. They scattered and collapsed. Zheng Gan's offensive array, which was still barely holding on, Suddenly everything was in a mess. Not only the tenant craftsmen who were lucky enough to be uninjured dropped the shield and oar cart and turned around and ran away, but even Zheng Gan's private soldiers who were following behind were confused and subconsciously dropped the shield and oar cart and ran away.

The big man wielding the halberd chased for a moment, then stopped, and then he exhaled and made a sound. Under the duel of halberds, he blocked a shield-and-pulley chariot in front of him and killed it with just one person's strength. It fell into the ditch outside the city, causing another burst of cheers and cheers from above and below the city...

Huchuquan's pupils suddenly shrank. He has been in the battle formation, so he naturally knows what such a strong warrior means in the military formation.

"Blow the trumpet! Let the supervising team come forward!" Huchuquan stopped looking at Zheng Gan and directly ordered loudly, "Don't retreat! Anyone who retreats will be killed!"

A group of Xiongnu soldiers rushed forward, then raised their swords and chopped down the Zheng Gan soldiers who escaped the fastest, chopped off their heads and raised them high, waving their swords, and shouted loudly to let these soldiers Zheng Gan's soldiers regrouped and went into attack again.

Under the coercion of the Xiongnu with swords and guns, these private soldiers of Zheng and Gan could only regroup, shout, and launch another attack on the east gate of Linjin.

This time, perhaps because it takes some time to boil the water, when Zheng Gan's tenants and private soldiers rushed to the city gate together, they did not encounter boiling water again, but directly fought with the guards at the city gate. The Zhengxi soldiers collided and fought with each other.

The city gate was actually not wide, and could only accommodate two carriages walking side by side at most. Therefore, when Zheng Gan's soldiers rushed into the gate, they encountered Zhengxi's heavily lined-up soldiers, and they could only uselessly slashing at the shields. However, the infantry led by Tai Shici could easily use spears and swords to harvest the lives of these disorganized Zheng Gan private soldiers in the gaps between the shields.

Hu Chuquan stared at the East City Gate where they were fighting for a while, watching Zheng Gan's soldiers fall to the ground in the city gate hole in a short while. Suddenly he felt a little enlightened, glared at Zheng Gan, and then ordered: "Come on People, order the right Danghu to lead people to the north of the city, and the left assistant Bi Guduhou to lead people to the west of the city. Let me attack from three directions!"

Amidst the sound of the trumpet, the Xiongnu divided their forces and moved in the other direction of Linjin City...

The morning breeze was blowing, and the sky was gradually getting brighter in the mist.

Although Hu Chuquan had not read any books on the art of war seriously, his experience in battle formations allowed him to quickly see through Xu Shu's strategy of luring the enemy at the east gate.

Although the east gate does not have a city gate, the door opening is not wide. If we attack the east gate blindly, even if we can use cavalry to drive away the Zhengxi infantry array, there will definitely be Zhengxi generals behind this infantry battle formation. Maybe they have been entangled at the East City Gate for too long and lost the initiative.

Therefore, it is better to attack on three sides at the same time. Although it may not be possible to capture it immediately, it will at least reduce the strength of Linjin City's Western soldiers. Maybe there will be rain in any cloud, and there may be some unexpected gains. .

Huchuquan's idea was very good, but he soon encountered practical problems. Although the soldiers sent to the north and west roared again and again, they seemed not to be intense. After a while, they sent people back to report to Huchuquan. , all said they encountered the same problem.

There are not enough siege equipment such as ladders, rams, cannons and oars. Now they are used against the attacks at the top of the city. When they get to the bottom of the city, they pick up those that are not completely damaged and use them.

Although this is the case, the speed is much slower after all, and the rhythm is difficult to control. Sometimes a ladder on the left is erected, but the one on the right fails to follow. By the time the ladder on the right is also climbed up, the one on the left has been pushed down. , unable to form an effective joint force, but easily defeated the Zhengxi soldiers who had become accustomed to the brutal intensity of the previous two days.

After all, the requirements for charging a car are relatively high, and it can't be built in a short while, so it's okay if you don't have it. If you don't have a gun or oar, you can just use your own small shield. It's not a big problem. The most serious thing is the ladder. there is none left……

How can we climb the city without the ladder?

Hu Chuquan glared and turned to Zheng Gan subconsciously. Then he saw Zheng Gan's crying face and realized that the Zheng family's tenants and craftsmen who were originally used to make ladders and other engineering equipment had been replaced by him in this early morning. At that time, they were all buried under the east city gate.

"Mr. Zheng!" Of course Huchuquan would not admit that it was his mistake, but directly blamed it on Zheng Gan and said, "As I said before, we are responsible for the attack, and Gong Zheng will supply food and equipment. At the moment, the food and grass are not available. There is a shortage of equipment. Could Mr. Zheng be preparing to break his promise?"

Zheng Gan said helplessly: "I don't dare, I don't dare. It's just to transport grain and grass to make equipment. It will take some time. Please ask King Youxian to be a little more lenient. I will arrange manpower right away..."

Huchuquan was still angry and glared at Zheng Gan. Just when he was about to say something, a few cavalrymen suddenly ran up from a distance. It was Huchuquan who was the scout sentry who was standing guard all around.

"Report to King Youxian!" The scout rushed forward and shouted loudly with a look of joy on his face, "Tongguan has fallen. General Yang is leading his troops and will arrive soon!"