Chapter 8 1. To lure the enemy out of the customs, Genghis Khan broke Jinshan

In the autumn and July of 1213 (the eighth year of Taizu), Genghis Khan led his army to cut gold for the third time.This time, a total of 150,000 Mongolian cavalry were mobilized, and they took the eastern route of the first gold crusade, via Yehuling. All direction to attack. Why take this route?This is because last year, when Genghis Khan made his second gold crusade, although they defeated Wanyan Jiujin, who claimed to be an army of 400,000 horse infantry, they failed to take down a small Dexing Mansion.Although the Mongolian army was good at field battles, their siege techniques were immature, and they had no way to deal with such a tall and deep city. In the end, they had to lead the army back, leaving the prince Tuo Lei and his son-in-law Chigu to lead the army to attack all parts of Dexing. Villages, destroying the fortifications of the Kingdom of Jin.Therefore, this time, we must first solve this problem.

The siege of Dexing Mansion this time was different from the last time. This time Genghis Khan brought powerful Western Region catapults and Southern Song artillery.Amidst the huge roar, Tuolei and Chigu's troops took the lead to ascend the city and successfully captured Dexing Mansion.Dexing Mansion was the first city successfully occupied by the Mongolian army by storm.Then, the army took advantage of the victory and captured Xuande, Zhenzhou and other places. Dexing and Xuande fell successively, and the northern gate of the central capital was in danger of being opened. The gold master Yongji urgently sent the left prime minister Wan Yangang, and the marshal right supervisor Junshu Hu Gaoqi each with 100,000 troops to leave Juyongguan and go north to face the Mongolian army. And strictly ordered the defenders along the line from Nankou to Huailai to strengthen their defense.Wan Yangang guards Jinshan, and Shuhu Gaoqi guards Huailai. They serve as horns and support each other, with a total force of 300,000.

The Jinshan Fortress is only one hundred and eighty miles away from the central capital. It is located among the high mountains. The terrain is dangerous, the city is high and the pool is deep. , easy to defend but difficult to attack.Coupled with the defense of Wanyan Gang's 150,000 troops, it seems that it has become a fortress that is difficult for the Mongolian army to fly over. Genghis Khan immediately held a military meeting in front of the imperial court to discuss offensive matters. Zhe Lemei said: "The Jin army has become a frightened bird after the previous two attacks. Now our army should take advantage of the high morale and take Jinshan and Huailai in one fell swoop, and conquer Juyongguan."

Mu Huali said: "The city wall of Jinshan is no worse than that of Dexing. They are all built with granite strips from the surrounding mountains, which are extremely strong. Our Mongolian cavalry are not good at attacking the city. Once the length is short, our army has no chance of winning. Moreover, the enemy The number of people far exceeds ours, so reckless fighting is not enough, only outsmart, not forceful attack." Subotai said: "Didn't we have cannons? Wouldn't it be over if we used cannons to flatten Jinshan Mountain?" Artillery Captain Jatarra said: "The general does not know that our cannons can destroy ordinary city walls, but for such granite walls, the destructive power is greatly reduced. Our stone trebuchets can only throw a distance of more than ten meters. , such a strong city, I am afraid that cannons will not help. Besides, there are 150,000 troops in their city, which cannot be wiped out in a short while."

Zhebie said: "The 150,000 gold army is not scary, they are all mobs, the key is how to mobilize them." Subotai said: "Can't we let our horses climb the city wall too?" His words amused everyone at once. With the lessons learned from the siege of the Dexing Mansion, Torre said without worry: "Once we attack by force, we will pay a high price. It is better to surround them, cut off their food supply, and trap them to death. We are not afraid that they will not surrender. .” Mu Huali said: "This will take a long time. What we need is speed when we intersperse our attacks. Besides, according to the sentry report, Wanyan Gang had already stockpiled a large amount of food and supplies in the city before he came. Don't kill this old fox." He paused, and continued, "However, this Wanyan Gang has a great feat, we can take advantage of it. It is said that he led troops in Sichuan last time because he underestimated the enemy due to pride, and was dismissed by the Southern Song court. He was caught off guard and returned in a big defeat. There was an uproar in the court, and there was a lot of calls for him to be punished. But the emperor of the Jin Kingdom not only did not punish him for the defeat, but appointed him as the commander. This time, He took the initiative to ask to go to the front line. I think his purpose is very likely to make meritorious deeds and save his reputation. This old fox is really cunning. I heard that he melted tens of thousands of catties of steel and cast an iron gate as soon as he arrived at Juyongguan to ensure that Juyongguan is safe. It can be seen from this , He chose Jinshan to garrison, thinking that he could attack when he entered, and he could quickly retreat to Juyongguan when he retreated, and defended according to the natural moat. Didn’t he know that he was so hesitant, once he fought, he would be defeated at the first touch. Now, the most urgent task is how to lure the enemy to fight. "

Jebe said: "Let's use the fact that he wants to make meritorious deeds and save his reputation, and lure him out of the customs." So, for several days, the Mongolian army organized a fierce attack. The tide of Mongolian soldiers supervised the people who were captured from nearby and tried to climb up the city wall with ladders. Oil beats back.Although the Mongolian army also shot and killed many brave golden soldiers with bows, arrows and artillery, it didn't help, and they couldn't shake the impregnable Jinshan City at all.Every time they attack, they lose troops and generals.

The Mongolian army stopped attacking, and the countless yurts scattered for tens of miles outside the pass stood quietly, except for the occasional patrol team passing by, no one could be seen. "Prime Minister, the Mongols are going to retreat." Wanyan Gang followed the sentry and hurried to the city wall. Sure enough, the Mongolian soldiers were dismantling tents, loading Lele vehicles, and then the brigade moved to the northeast.There are many people and horses, but they are silent; affairs are trivial, but orderly. "I don't know what tricks these Tartars are up to?" For several days, the Mongolian army was retreating in an orderly manner.Wan Yangang stood on the high city wall, looking at the scattered Mongolian camp in the distance, and muttered in his heart, "Why did the Mongolian army retreat suddenly? Is it a trick to lure the enemy? Unlikely, the sentry came back and said that they really Heading east, besides, it’s been two or three days already, so it doesn’t look like luring the enemy.” Suddenly, his eyes lit up, “Isn’t it because they think Jinshan’s bone is too hard, so why don’t they go chew it first?” Thinking Here, Wanyan Gang gloated. "General Shuhu Gaoqi, it's time for you to taste the power of the Mongols this time." Thinking of how Shuhu Gaoqi had always been at odds with him and made things difficult for him everywhere, especially the defeat of the army in the middle of Shu last time, he held onto it even more. The little braid will not let go, let the Mongolian teach him a lesson this time, kill his prestige, and help me vent my anger.

Wanyan Gang climbed up the city wall again, five days had passed, he looked at the Mongolian army camp stationed far away at the foot of the city, Wanyan Gang wished he could swallow them all in one gulp.There are no more than 30,000 people left. Did they want to learn from the time when they besieged Dexing Mansion and carry out a long-term siege, waiting for the city to run out of food and water, and the city will collapse without attack?This Wanyan Gang is not worried. Before he took office, he had already made preparations. If he sticks to the city for a year or so, there shouldn't be any major problems.If so, this is a great opportunity!If they are not paying attention, killing them by surprise may not only save the siege, but also eliminate them, and achieve an unexpected victory in the bloody battle against the Mongolian army.So what else can those lobbyists in the court who only know how to use ginseng have to say?This time, I have to fight for face no matter what, and let them see that I, Wanyan Gang, are definitely not just for nothing.150,000 attack 30,000, five to one, there is absolutely a chance of winning.

Yes, soldiers are precious and fast, and the opportunity is not to be missed, and the time will never come.Having made up his mind, Wan Yangang immediately ordered that the 100,000 troops be dispatched in three groups from the left, the middle, and the right, and the other 50,000 would be sent out as a reserve team. Shouting and cursing, the golden army all over the mountains and plains flocked to the Mongolian camp overwhelmingly. The Mongolian army hastily responded to the battle, their positions were chaotic, outnumbered, and they ran away with their heads in their hands.Thirty thousand horses are like a flood that breaks a dam, you hug me and I hug you, throw away your armor and armor, and retreat northward.

Wan Yangang stood on a high place, excitedly watching the incident he directed, "Haha, who said that the Mongols are not afraid of death, no, they can run faster than rabbits! Chase me, chase after me, and never let these The Tartars fled back to the grassland alive!" One hundred thousand gold soldiers chased and fought all the way, chasing happily, and drove these Mongolian soldiers more than ten miles away in one breath. When the Jin soldiers were fighting vigorously, there was a sudden sound of cannon, and countless Mongolian cavalrymen suddenly shot out from the surrounding large and small mountain depressions, and from the surrounding dense forests. Stop and kill the Jin army.

It turned out that the transfer of the Mongolian army to the east was a way to lure the enemy.After traveling eastward for more than ten miles, they quietly turned to the north under the cover of night, hid among the high mountains, and patiently waited for the fish to take the bait. As expected, Mu Huali did not expect it. The situation on the battlefield has undergone a shocking reversal. The 100,000 golden soldiers who wanted to win more with less and surrounded others were divided and surrounded by more and more elite Mongolian cavalry.The Jin soldiers pursued for more than ten miles, and the men and horses were already exhausted, but the Mongolian army had already rested for six days.Jin Bing was in a mess all of a sudden. The cavalry in front quickly turned around and retreated desperately. The infantry who followed were trampled to death by the cavalry.The overwhelming Mongolian riders were chasing and shooting arrows. Immediately after the sound of the bow, there was a scream.The soldiers of Jin Bing only hated their parents for losing two legs, spreading them apart, and running away desperately. The infantry was even more unlucky. First, they were trampled by their own cavalry, and then they were chased and killed by the Mongolian army. How could two legs run faster than four?They had no choice but to surrender, but they were still greeted by the bright sabers. Once they fell down, they were then submerged by the flood-like cavalry. The cavalry running in front finally saw Jinshan Chengguan. When they were lucky to survive, there was already a light cavalry standing in front of them.It turned out that the Mongolian army and horses were fast. When the battle started, Genghis Khan immediately asked Torre to lead a fast horse to block their retreat.The fleeing Jin army rushed here, but they didn't expect that all the escape routes had been blocked.There was another massacre, and the ground was full of dead people and dead horses. The fighting continued all day and all night.Facing the fearless slashing and killing by the Mongolian army, the fighting spirit of the Jin army was completely disintegrated. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died, scattered, and the rest were all captured. Then, the Mongolian army rushed to Jinshan. Wanyan Gang, who only had fifty thousand horses by his side, no longer had the intention to stick to it. He originally wanted to use a strange move to win and make up for his mistakes. Seeing that he couldn't hold on, Wan Yangang had no choice but to pack up the remnants and retreat to Juyongguan.On the way, he ordered the soldiers who were walking at the end to retreat, and at the same time sprinkled a large number of barbed wire that had been prepared on the retreating road. After killing the retreating golden soldiers, Torre took the opportunity to attack Jinshan again.They saw the retreating team of the Jin Bing from a distance, so they howled again and chased after them. The horses running in the front fell down one after another, neighing terribly. The rider was thrown far away without any defense. The Mongolian soldiers were so surprised that they never dared to pursue them again.Everyone hurriedly supported Torrey, got off the horse to check the reason, it turned out that the barbed wire had penetrated deeply into the horse's hoof.Seeing that he could not pursue him, Torre had no choice but to put away a handful of caltrops from the ground, and limped back to the camp to report to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan played with these barbed wire, no matter how he placed them, there would always be one tip pointing upwards, he couldn't help laughing: "This Wanyan Gang is worthy of being called an old fox, he is really a smart man!" Zhe Lemei hurriedly said: "Order the front army to clear the road and continue to pursue?" "No need, isn't Juyongguan an iron gate? The road is sprinkled with barbed wire, making it even more difficult for us to attack. Let him guard it first. Send the army to advance eastward and conquer Huailai. Don't forget, Leave a small group of people to put away these caltrops, we will be useful when the time comes." In this battle, the Mongolian army seized Wanyan Gangxin's eagerness to make meritorious deeds and make up for his deeds, and cleverly set up traps to lure snakes out of their holes, and then waited for work with ease, gathered and wiped them out.This method of warfare took advantage of the Mongolian army's superiority in field battles, and it was widely used in many subsequent battles. After a brief rest, the Mongolian army pointed their finger at the next target—Huailai.