Warrior in Turbulent Han Dynasty

Li Chongjin and Guo Shao summoned more than 20 generals in the former military camp. Because Guo Shao is now taking over the recruiting envoy of Shouzhou and needs to work here, so he should pay extra attention when recommending generals. There are too many people and they only say it once, most of Guo Shao can't remember their names and appearances, but he only pays attention to their positions in his heart, so as to know what kind of troops are outside Shouzhou City.

These people are completely different from the familiar numbers and military titles of the imperial army, and the names of the military names are varied. Guo Shao listened silently for a long time, and when he heard "bring your own weapons and fodder", he realized that they were rural soldiers from Song, Hao, Chen, Ying, Xu, Su, Xu, Cai and other states. The township soldiers are pretty good, at least they have a bugle number; there are also some real civilians, "one soldier from seven households", and the directly recruited civilian husbands are drawn to the battle after a little preparation.

The soldiers directly under the Forbidden Army were not the first-line army of the Zhou Dynasty, but the "subordinate soldiers" who were stationed in the fields near Kaifeng Mansion. Most of the people who were eliminated during the rectification of the Forbidden Army from last year to this year belonged to the Dianqian Division Army. Now they usually don't have half a penny for military expenses in farming, and they are called up and sent to the front line only after they hit Huainan.

Guo Shao originally thought that although the military affairs he was assigned to be tough, the strength of his troops would increase sharply. After all, there were so many soldiers outside Shouzhou City... As a result, the only elite soldiers he could use remained unchanged at all: the first army and the second army in the left wing of the Hujie army. This is the team he himself led from Tokyo.

There is also a regular army of nearly 20,000 people outside Shouzhou City: the right wing of the Hujie Army.

But the general who commanded this army was Li Jixun. The person Guo Shao met when Xiang Xunjia Xiaoerlang was one year old, the eldest brother of the "Ten Brothers of Yishe", is now the commander of the Infantry Division of the Guards Division of the Pro-Army.

Guo Shao didn't think he could command him well. Li Jixun's troops did not move, and seemed to indicate that they would not attack the city, but were stationed here to wait for opportunities, or prepare to attack reinforcements from the Southern Tang Dynasty.

The situation was very bad, and Guo Shao was full of worries and fears. He didn't sleep well that night. He got up in the middle of the night and walked around to inspect the siege fortifications outside the city, but he couldn't see clearly. He could only check the various teams on duty at night.

It's already mid-July, and it's still a little cold at night. From time to time, there was a bonfire, and the brothers on duty gathered around the bonfire to warm up. In one place, the soldiers got lotus roots from unknown sources, sprinkled them with salt and roasted them on the fire, as if they were eating barbecue. At night, the camp had quieted down, but the occasional groans of wounded soldiers in the air affected the quiet atmosphere.

...

In the early morning of the next day, Guo Shao had just put on his ring armor and walked out of the small village house. He saw that there were already many people outside the trench fence in the distance. Many people around the catapult and other large equipment were tinkling and repairing.

Li Chuyun, Luo Yanhuan and others walked over first, and then more than 20 generals came to this side, seeing Guo Shao watching from outside the door, everyone didn't enter the main room, they gathered around and followed him to watch.

"Are you going to storm the city wall again?" Guo Shao asked.

A military general said: "The moat has been filled in several places again. According to the arrangement from above, the river will continue to be filled and the city will be attacked for a while. General Guo, do we still have to follow the previous order?"

"Who gave the order?" Guo Shao asked again.

The general said: "Huainan will deploy General Li."

Guo Shaosui didn't speak anymore, since he just arrived in Shouzhou, most of these people didn't know each other, since it was Li Chongjin's previous military order, he asked the generals to follow the previous deployment. As long as it doesn't rain, it seems that the siege is going on every day, which has become a routine, and it can't be regarded as the eve of the battle, so Guo Shao didn't talk nonsense, and immediately ordered the dismissal to perform their duties.

At this moment, Guo Shao suddenly saw a group of people gathered outside the fence of the village, and Guo Shao ordered Luo Mengzi to let them in. The one who took the lead was an old soldier with dimpled face and gray hair. Guo Shao looked familiar, and quickly remembered that it was the group of "soldiers" who pleaded for them yesterday. This old man had spoken before, so he had an impression.

There was a thin man next to the old pawn, both of them had narrow faces, maybe they were relatives. When they walked up to Guo Shao, the old soldier knelt down and worshiped: "My eldest son is Dutou. We have discussed it with our father and son. He will die anyway. He will die on the battlefield so as not to be looked down upon by other brothers in the army! Call for battle today, General Guo will let us go to the front to attack the city, please have a good time!"

Guo Shao turned his head and saw that the generals who had just left were watching curiously not far away. He pondered for a moment and said, "Go find your generals and go to the front to attack the city... If you survive, you will be spared the crime of running away yesterday."

The father and son said: "We take orders!"

After Guo Shao said that, he took the reins from the soldiers, got on his horse, and led Yang Biao and other generals of the Hu Jie army to the front. A group of people ran around the city twice to check the terrain. This is a big city. They rode around the city twice, and the sun was three poles above the horizon.

The catapults on all sides were already in motion, and huge stones whizzed towards the city wall two or three hundred steps away. The soldiers of the Zhou Army below the city wall surged up and shot arrows up and down one after another. The ladder was pushed close to the city wall by groups of people like a huge wooden "tank". No matter how spectacular the scene in the wilderness is and how powerful the equipment is, its power is still limited. The stones from the catapult can smash the city wall full of holes, but it has been more than a month since it was hit, but it still can't smash the thick brick-and-earth wall.

Bows, crossbows, arrows, rocks, and fireballs are just a prelude, and finally returned to the siege method that Guo Shao often saw: climbing walls without thinking. Of course, there is a more vivid term called "ant attachment".

A cloud ladder was pushed to the wall, and there were carriages and two rows of wooden wheels underneath. The folded ladder on the top was unfolded immediately and then fell to the top of the city. As soon as the ladder was put on with a "snap", there was a frenzied cry immediately, and Zhou soldiers rushed up.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, a wooden barrel on the top of the city suddenly poured a piece of black oil, and then threw several torches. The black oil hit the fire with a "boom", and a raging fire ignited up and down the ladder. The screams of Army Zhou's soldiers were unbearable to hear. People fell from the ladders, and some survived and rolled on the ground in pain. Some splashed water, but it was not easy to get out. Many people couldn't bear it and jumped into the moat directly.

Black smoke billowed in the air, a smell of burnt pitch mingled with the smell of burnt hair.

Guo Shaoguang stood a few hundred steps away and looked at it, and his scalp felt numb for a while. How is this different from sending him to death? ! The oil dug out from the Southern Tang Kingdom can be used in this way.

This situation filled Guo Shao's heart with shadows. He felt that going to battle was not a horror, but siege was a nightmare.

There are also catapults in the city. It seems that they are behind the city wall. Guo Shao can't see them, but he can see some people standing on the top of the city while looking back and yelling, as if they are observing the direction. Not long after, a burning earthen jar flew out of the city. The earthen jar fell into a crowd like a ball of fire, and shattered with a "bang", oil and flames splashed everywhere.

The ladder in front was burning more and more fiercely, and the fire could not be extinguished at all. The people in and around the carriage had turned around and ran away, but just after they ran across the moat, they saw a general on horseback leading a group of cavalry charging forward, slashing at the head and shouting curses. Then the rebellious soldiers merged into the crowd of a ladder behind.

Thick smoke billowed from the top and bottom of the city wall, and the surroundings of Shouzhou City were soon shrouded in black smoke and flames.

Zhou's army followed suit, shooting bows and crossbows, the ladder was put on the city wall again, and some simpler ladders were put up from all sides, and people climbed up like ants. A general shouted from behind: "The first one to climb the city wall will be rewarded! Enjoy the glory and wealth for the rest of your life!"

There is no sign of prosperity and wealth, and the first to see a barrel of oil is to pour it down! Several people were caught on fire and fell straight down, and the wooden ladder was instantly ignited... This oil is really useful for the Nantang army, and it can be ignited in a flash, otherwise it would not be easy to burn the ladder.

But this wave of Zhou army soldiers was exceptionally brave, and some of them rushed up the burning ladder desperately! It's completely a way of not wanting to die at the same time. Guo Shao could see clearly that the hands and feet of the first soldier who rushed up were burning, and the screams could be heard beyond the defeated step. He went up and hugged a Tang soldier, and jumped down from the top of the wall... The first person who rushed up was useless, anyway, he was dead.

There are also some people who have suffered great casualties. A few people climbed up the city wall from the simple ladders, but seeing the dancing of knives and guns, they are afraid that they will be chopped into meat.

Such a brave and desperate soldier died so meaninglessly? Guo Shao finally couldn't hold back any longer. He ignored Li Chongjin's order and shouted, "Send someone to order the ministries in front to stop attacking the city immediately!"

After a while, a group of generals rushed to Guo Shao to confirm the order to retreat. Then, amidst people's yelling, the countless crowds under the city wall retreated slowly like the tide. From a distance, it seemed that the sea water was ebbing.

"Let's not attack Shouzhou anymore? General Li ordered us to attack at any cost..." A general looked at Guo Shao in disbelief.

Guo Shao ignored it, he paid attention to the bravest group of people just now, pointed at the place with his whip, and sent his own soldiers to ask them to come and meet. Not long after, a group of people came carrying some half-dead people.

The one who walked in front was the old pawn who called for the battle in the morning. Guo Shao suddenly realized that it was those people! These deserters who wanted to escape from Shouzhou yesterday became brave and fearless today. It is really difficult to determine the ability of human beings.

The wounded soldiers brought back couldn't bear to look directly at them. Their skin was burned extensively, and their bodies were pitch-black. Skinless red flesh was exposed on their pitch-black bodies. They cried out in pain on the shelves. It looks like someone who has been bombed, not the scars of a cold war.

The old soldier who had spoken to Guo Shao was wiping away his tears, and kept talking to the wounded lying next to him. The man was covered in dark clothes and torn, and he was no longer human. Perhaps the old pawn's son?

Guo Shao asked, "What's your name?"

The old soldier choked up and said, "Qin Shitou."

Guo Shao quickly said: "All those who survived are innocent. Now you change your designation, attaching the army to the left wing of the Hujie Army, the designation is the next camp, Qin Dashi, you are the leader."

Guo Shao felt uncomfortable, looking back at the generals, he said: "They were all raised by mothers and fathers. After fighting like this, I went back to Tokyo. The folks asked me if I wanted a husband or a son. What should I say?"