Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty-Three Difficult Pass

Dasan Pass has many mountains and steep mountains. It is listed as one of the four major locks and keys among the many great passes in Guanzhong. Yu's specialty, Tong Yu's previous outsmarting of Longguan, had already shown his face once, and almost took down this grand pass without bloodshed. This time, he completely handed over the power to Ke Zhen'e, a veteran. When Ke Zhen'e got this opportunity, he couldn't help shaking his spirits. He made a lot of preparations in advance for how to attack key points and fight. Some of the soldiers captured from Longguan were originally stationed at Dashan Pass. He has done a lot of understanding of the situation, troop deployment, armaments, bows and crossbows, and the generals in charge of the army. Even so, Ke Zhen'e still knows that this battle is not as good as Longguan, and he can come by surprise and outwit the dangerous pass. A bad fight was inevitable.

Dasan Pass is on Dasan Ridge, and there are many fortresses on its periphery, echoing each other with Dasan Pass, making this majestic pass extremely difficult to overcome. Among its peripheral fortresses, the most important one is Tianqiao Ridge. On the left side of Dasan Pass, there are two mountains that are very close to each other. There is a very narrow mountain ridge in the middle. There are fortresses built on the two mountains. After a full understanding, Ke Zhen'e placed the breakthrough point here. The reason is very simple, attacking Dasan Pass upwards, while being under the rain of arrows from various passes around, even if you can capture this pass with thousands of people, at least tens of thousands of casualties will be paid, and the other The fort on the left wing, which runs horizontally across the double ridges, is the only pass whose terrain is not lower than Dasan Pass. If it is captured, it will be able to give full play to the power of the first-grade bow of the Xixia Army, which is far superior to ordinary Song crossbows and Song arrows. Suppress the big Sanguan.Once the defenders on the Dasan pass can be suppressed from here, the dangerous pass of the sky will become empty talk.

Therefore, Ke Zhen'e made careful arrangements to cut off the smaller fortresses around Dashan Pass first, and gradually advance towards Dashan Pass, and then lined up all the heavy siege equipment under Dashan Pass, storming Dashan Pass day and night. There are various methods to destroy the city walls, dig tunnels, and storm the city with ladder nest vehicles.At the same time, some soldiers and horses were sent to the periphery to guard against possible reinforcements from Baoji and surrounding counties and counties, assuming that they would win Dasan Pass at all costs. The reinforcements from Dasan Pass did not come, so Yang Hao went west to attack Yeluohe all the way, and the three groups marched southwest, south, and southeast together, and he personally led part of the main force to follow Tong Yu and Ke Zhen'e Behind him, he rushed towards Qishan.At this time, the tribal army of the Bashi clan of Dangxiang had been assembled. Under the leadership of Xiaoye Keer, they passed Xiaoguan and marched towards Huanzhou, Qingzhou, and Weizhou. They defended against danger and did not attack. Since then, the army has copied Yang Hao's retreat.

Yang Hao personally led the main force to follow Ke Zhen'e and Tong Yu, and took the opportunity to clean up the prefectures and counties on the outside of Baoji. Although Baoji has not yet fallen, but in this situation, the defenders can only shrink back, and they are completely against Tong Ke. The army is no longer a threat. After fighting for three days in a row, Ke Zhen'e's ferocious offensive and endless means completely attracted the attention of the defenders of Dashan Pass to the frontal battlefield, and the Xixia Army's desperate offensive against Dashan Pass also made the defenders There was an illusion, and this illusion completely ruined the Great Sanguan.

On the fourth day, Ke Zhen'e launched a fierce attack on Dasan Pass as usual. At this time, a thousand Hengshan Qiang soldiers who were accustomed to fighting in the mountains had already passed through many mountains and virgin forests that were seldom visited, and quietly lurked to Tianqiao Ridge behind.This direction, relying on the steep mountains, is actually behind the Dashan Pass. If you don't break through the Dashan Pass, it stands to reason that there should never be enemies in this direction. At Dasan Pass, stones and bombs flew, arrows rained, people gathered like ants, screaming and killing, against the rolling logs, thunderstones, fireballs and arrows that flew down from time to time, Xixia soldiers marched forward bravely, trying to climb up the mountain. At the head of the tall Dasanguan city, the defenders are also fighting for every inch of land, relying on the dangerous and strong fortifications, reaping the lives of the soldiers of the Xixia Army.

The Xixia army paved a road leading to the head of the Dasan Pass with flesh and blood, but they still failed to break through the pass until dark. They were piled up in disorder, and arrows were densely inserted on the city wall, and the day's battle was over again. The sun moved down the mountain inch by inch, and when it finally sank below the mountain, the sky and the earth were dimmed. Late at night, looking from the Guancheng, there are piles of bonfires burning in the Xixia military camp in the distance. Soldiers on patrol and soldiers sitting around the bonfire can be vaguely seen. Everything is no different from yesterday or the day before yesterday.

Suddenly, the sound of killing on Tianqiao Ridge on the left side of Dashan Pass shook the sky, and the fire was everywhere. The defenders in Dashan Pass were startled, and they gathered at the top of the city to look at Tianqiao Ridge.Although Tianqiao Ridge is close at hand, if you want to climb Tianqiao Ridge, you have to switch first, and then climb the mountain. Snakes mobilize and move the tiger away from the mountain. This is a commonly used method when the two armies confront each other. Just like when the Song army was trapped in Jinyang City, Yang Jiye launched a night attack to lure the besieged soldiers and horses into chaos. The judgment made is the same: stand still.

He was quite confident about Tianqiao Ridge. Although Tianqiao Ridge had only 500 defenders, the mountain was steep and not easy to attack, and it could not hold too many troops. Moreover, the 500 soldiers were divided into two battalions and stationed adjacent to each other. On the two mountains, they echo each other, which can just block each other's blind spots, and these defenders are used to fighting in the jungle and mountains, because this army is a box soldier, and they are recruited from the local mountain people. Many of the soldiers' homes, It is in a mountain depression called Jinji Valley on the mountain road more than 30 miles east from here.

They were born and raised here, and they are familiar with every plant and tree here. This kind of night battle is in an environment they are familiar with, and they also occupy a favorable location. The Xixia people are used to fighting on horseback, galloping and galloping. But the result was beyond his expectation. In just half an hour, the fort on the right side of Tianqiao Ridge fell.The reason is very simple. The two fortresses have flags during the day and lights at night. The battle situation there will be reported to the commander of Dasan Pass at any time. However, half an hour after the attack, the lights of the fort on the right side of Tianqiaoling then completely disappeared.

The two villages are connected, and there is a ridge in the middle. If one side is lost, the other side cannot stand. Before Bian Yin made up his mind to venture out to rescue, the left fortress also fell. The fall of Tianqiaoling meant that the advantage of Dashanguan was no longer there. Early the next morning, the Xixia army attacked the city again, and dense arrows poured from Tianqiaoling to the head of Dashanguan city like pouring rain. Unable to lift his head up, even though Bian Yin was pressing hard with his sword, it was nothing more than letting the soldiers rush to the wall to die.Although Dasan Pass is an extremely important pass, the mountains are dangerous, the garrison is limited, and the strength of the army is only about 2,000. The three days of hard fighting have already lost one-fifth of the pass. The reinforcements have not yet arrived, and Tianqiao Ridge has been lost. The geographical advantage Also lost, how to fight against the Xixia army?As a result, after only half a day of stalemate, the Xixia army climbed up and boarded the top of Dasan Pass.

On and off the city, there are dead bodies everywhere. On the troop transport road at the head of the city, the fallen corpses are pierced with dense arrows, as if they were stabbed one by one. When they are shut down, the death conditions of the Xixia army are also horrible. The rolling wood and stones were smashed into shapes, some were scorched black by the kerosene, and the one with a different head and angry eyes was shocking. Bian Yin was tied to the flagpole of Dasan Pass with disheveled hair. The Xixia soldiers hated him because of his command, so many people were killed and injured. Naturally, they would not give him good looks. Although they did not dare to take his life without the command of the commander, However, he had suffered a lot, his nose was bruised and his face was swollen, and he was out of shape. Another man was brought in, well dressed, he didn't look like he had participated in a battle, and he looked downcast.When Bian Yin saw this person, he was furious immediately. He widened his swollen eyes and shouted sharply: "Wang Ke! You son of a bitch, why did you guard Tianqiaoling? You gave Tianqiaoling to me in just half an hour. I'm lost, you...you...have no injuries on your body, and you're neatly dressed, did you become a deserter of his mother because you were timid before the battle?" He yelled at that person, first trembling in fright, and then said regretfully and aggrievedly: "By the side, I command, Humble... Humble is also a well-known man, how can he be a deserter?" The veins on Bian Yin's forehead popped up, his neck swelled up, and he struggled desperately for the rope, which was so stretched that it sank deep into his flesh and blood. He hissed, "You are not a deserter, why do you look like this? You are not afraid of fighting, why did you wait for half an hour?" Lost Tianqiao Ridge? Tianqiao Ridge is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is more dangerous than Dashan Pass. If it is not on the road, this place should be called Tianqiao Pass instead of Dashan Pass. Why did you lose it to me? Say it! Say it!" Wang Ke said with a mournful face: "Commander Bian, I... I was not in Tianqiaoling last night. I hurried back this morning. I didn't know that Tianqiaoling had changed hands. As a result... I was arrested for no reason." Bian Yin was stunned, and said in disbelief: "You weren't in Tianqiaoling last night? You weren't in Tianqiaoling?" He suddenly shouted explosively: "You're not in Tianqiaoling, where did you son of a bitch go?" Wang Ke suddenly jumped and shouted, and the two soldiers who escorted him could hardly hold him: "Who knows that there is nothing to do for a few days, but there was an accident on the mountain last night? I just want to leave in the middle of the night and go back as soon as I go. How did I know that something happened? My shameless mother-in-law steals and raises a man and hooks up with others. I only heard about it from my soldiers last night, so I forced him to ask about it. Damn it! Everyone in Tianqiaoling Everyone knows, just keep it from me, my head is greener than the green pines on Tianqiao Ridge, I don't know. I just want to go back and kill that adulterer..." Bian Yin's voice was louder than his: "Don't go early, don't go late, the enemy is now, you gave up the barracks to clean up your own house? If you want to change me, even if the wife is outside, you can find seven or eighty people. A good friend, I don't care about such a critical moment!" "You have a lot of energy, so why don't you become a turtle fairy?" A slow voice next to him teased, Bian Yin hurriedly turned his head, and saw two generals in armor standing around, one was about forty years old, with thick eyebrows and protruding eyes, the other was lean and thin, with a pockmarked face, and a pair of Their eyes were piercing, and there were two standing between them. One was tall and slender, wearing a light blue square collar robe, with a small beard and bright eyes.The other was a head shorter than him, wearing a moon-white round-neck and narrow-sleeved robe, and a prince's scarf on his head. He seemed to be less than twenty years old, with delicate features and lacquered eyes. The one who spoke just now was a taller man with a sword under his ribs, at this time there was still a half-smile on his face, Bian Yin couldn't help being dumbfounded that there were such two characters in the Xixia army like tigers and wolves , couldn't help asking: "Who are you?" The skinny general with a pockmarked face took a step forward and said loudly, "Keep your dog eyes wide open and look carefully. This one is my Lord Xixia, and the one next to you is His Royal Highness King Qi of Song Kingdom!" Bian Yin's mouth was opened wide enough to fit an ostrich egg, but he couldn't utter a word...
The night was deep, and the Song Army camp was quiet. On the outer line, the patrolling soldiers were closely guarded by one team, patrolling the sentry and scouting horses for tens of miles, lest the Liao army chase them and kill someone by surprise.But in the Chinese army camp, most of the exhausted soldiers who hurriedly returned south, hungry and full, had already fallen asleep. Even the imperial guards outside Zhao Guangyi's tent, all of them were still energetic during the day, standing as straight as the barrel of a gun. In such a lonely and cold night, they lost their energy. Rest in the lee. At this time, there was a shadow that seemed illusory, moving towards the imperial tent like an inchworm. The shadow and the yellow weeds on the ground seem to be the same color. If you lie there, you will not be able to find it at all. Even if it is moving, only those who are very energetic will feel it when they see it. It seems to be slightly different from the surrounding weedy ground.But on their own territory, in the most closely guarded Chinese army, who would stare at the territory so vigilantly? That shadow seemed to be very patient. It took a long, long time before it slowly squirmed past the security line set up by the guards of the upper army, and stopped quietly by the tent. It was late at night, but Zhao Guangyi was still awake. He was lying on the couch, his heart was ups and downs, and he tossed and turned so hard to sleep on his pillow. Originally, she was full of ambition and wanted to regain Yanyun, conquer the world, and create a reputation throughout the world, but this defeat... this defeat is like nothing, maybe thousands of years later, it will become the laughing stock of others.Let alone the name behind him, what about the name now?Defang is not dead, he still has the emperor's wife's blood book in his hand, and he is about to return to the country, once he returns to the country, how will he face his subjects?How to explain the defeat of Gaolianghe, and how to deal with the condemnation of the emperor's nephew? The more Zhao Guangyi thought about it, the more chilling he became, and he couldn't help muttering: "If we fail to conquer Liao, we will lead tigers and wolves to the south, causing disaster in the Central Plains and affecting all people. How should I deal with it? Xixia dispatched troops, since they took Longyou, they must also take Guanzhong. What should I do?" How should I respond? The emperor's wife's blood edict, Defang's attack, this crime of killing the king and sister-in-law, and poking my nephew. What should I do!" "You have planned all your plans to be the emperor, but you are not happy after being the emperor?" Very close to the ear, suddenly there was a gloomy voice, like a wisp of ghost, hearing this voice, Zhao Guangyi was startled, the hairs all over his body exploded!