Chapter 154 Chapter 22 Burning the City

Chapter 22: Burning City, Part Five Jing Chi, Duke of the State of Yan, was born in a humble family. Taizong was brave and fierce, and loyal. Every time Taizong led an army into the battle, Chi would die to protect him, and Taizong always valued him. Jing, a commoner, was ignorant of learning and writing. Emperor Taizong said: "If you don't study, you can't be a general." However, only marching and fighting coincided with the art of war, Taizong was helpless. In the twenty-fourth year of Wuwei, Emperor Taizong and King Li were in a hurry to seize the throne. He was later ordered to enter Beijing, and he was recorded as a disciple of King Yong Sima Jiangzhe. A general is a good general, and he can understand a little bit of war strategy.”

In March of the first year of Longsheng, Chi was ordered to attack Huguan and stayed there for many days, so he deceived the enemy to attack the camp and broke it.After that, he rushed thousands of miles late to attack Qinyuan, and if there was any obstacle along the way, he would be slaughtered, saying, those who follow me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish.Wherever he passed, blood flowed for thousands of miles, killing people.The folk customs of the Northern Han Dynasty were fierce and courageous, and they were also frightened by Chi's ferocity and did not dare to stand in the way.

——"Yong History.The Biography of the State of Yan Just when the dead soldiers of the Northern Han Army rushed to the big tent of the Yong army, the deputy general's heart suddenly trembled. In the chaos, the big camp of the Yong army was full of flames and running figures, but the big tent of the Chinese army in front of him There was silence, and the lieutenant suddenly shouted: "Back, back, there is an ambush." ​​All the soldiers under his command looked blank, and all their eyes were on him. The lieutenant and his horse were about to retreat, but as if echoing his call, Suddenly, the continuous sounds of horns and war drums came to mind, and then there was a flash of light, countless cavalrymen of the Yong army with torches shouted loudly around the camp, and the flames illuminated the camp of the Yong army like daytime. However, the fire in the Dayong army camp gradually weakened, and the endless stream of Yong army soldiers seemed to appear suddenly from the dark night, surrounding themselves and others.The lieutenant general felt miserable, and looked around the Yong army, hoping to see the person in charge who set up this ambush.

At this time, the Yong army separated from the formation, and a group of knights in blue and black war robes rushed to the front. The leader of the man had a leopard head and eyes, and his beard was like steel. He had a rough appearance. It was Jing Chi who was beside him. It was Lin Ya, the chief general of the Zhenzhou Army.Jing Chi laughed loudly and said: "Haha, you kid has fallen into this general's trap, why don't you surrender quickly, I think you have some skills, so I can spare you death." A wave of despair welled up in the deputy general's heart. At first, he thought that it might be Lin Ya who saw through the possibility of the Northern Han army attacking the camp, so he set up an ambush, but he didn't expect that it was Jing Chi who lied to the enemy, but although this Jing Chi has a reputation for bravery, But I didn't hear that he has such abilities, he said angrily: "Jing Chi, you are not injured, did you intend to lure me to attack the camp?"

Jing Chice stepped forward immediately, and said with a sneer, "I don't have that much thoughtfulness. To be honest, your arrow was hard enough, and I was not prepared. Fortunately, I am good at martial arts, but that arrow has no stamina. I dodged in time, but it was just a slight injury. I didn’t take it to heart at all. It’s because of your bad luck. As soon as I hit the arrow, I immediately thought of luring you out of the city, so as to save you from being like turtles and refusing to come out of their shells after being beaten to death. .” The lieutenant general was furious, and said loudly: "I wait for the men of the Northern Han Dynasty to stand upright, how can I bend my knees to others, I am waiting for the attack on the camp this time, and I have already embraced death, brothers, kill!" After saying that, he took the lead and charged Dayong camp.Naturally, Jing Chi didn't need to do anything for such a small scene. The Yong army raised horns one after another, and the Northern Han army merged into the sea like water droplets, and they couldn't make bigger waves.

Under the light of the fire, Jing Chi's face was full of murderous intent and ferocity, and he shouted: "These Northern Han people really don't want to surrender, that's all, I'm not a vegetarian, I want to see if it's your bones Hard, or my knife is tough. Kill them all for me, collect all the heads, and put them in front of Huguan, I want to see how long Huguan can hold?" Lin Ya heard from the side, hesitantly : "General Jing, this is not a good thing, just fight on the battlefield. I am afraid that the general will arouse the resistance of the Northern Han people."

Jing Chi said angrily: "Could it be that they won't resist because of my compassionate methods? After attacking a pot pass, I want to join forces with His Royal Highness King Qi. If the Northern Han army entangles me like this along the way, If I miss the military plane, who do I have to reason with? If I am hit with dozens of military sticks, that’s all. There is no chance of copying the book. When Lao Tzu's head is cut off, will these Northern Han bastards shed tears for Lao Tzu? Listen to Lao Tzu, and attack the city overnight. After Huguan, I will slaughter the city for Laozi, and the emperor will blame me in the future, and Laozi will bear it alone."

Seeing him so vicious, Lin Ya had no choice but to say yes. At this moment, all the dead soldiers of the Northern Han army who had sneaked into the camp of the Yong army had been wiped out, and all the soldiers under Jing Chi followed him from the mountain of swords and blood. , each with a heart as hard as a stone, according to Jing Chi's order, without any compromise, all the heads of the Northern Han army were beheaded and tied to the horses.Jing Chi urged Lin Ya to give an order to attack the key. Lin Ya also knew that Huguan was weakest now, so he obeyed. Tens of thousands of Yong troops forced them to the front of Huguan, and set up torches to illuminate the area under Huguan. The soldiers under Chi's command threw the heads of the Northern Han army under the pass and piled them up into a small hill. Jing Chi rode his horse and scolded loudly under the pass, and the Yong army began to attack the city aggressively.

In the early morning of March 23rd, Liu Wanli stood above the city gate with a dull expression on his face. In just one night, his beard and hair had already turned the color of snow. Last night, the deputy general went out to steal the camp, and he was not idle either. He ordered all the troops to stand ready, and he himself looked at the Yong army camp from above Huguan, ready to respond.After the lieutenant fell into ambush, Liu Wanli also saw the clues from afar. After the scouts who risked their lives came back to report and explained the whole story, Liu Wanli felt as if he was immersed in cold water in winter. The Yong army tackled key problems.

Sure enough, the Yong army came to attack the key soon, maybe it was too desperate, but Liu Wanli felt unprecedented peace in his heart, commanding thousands of remnants to defend the city gate, even watching the former leader of the same robe melt into flesh under the horseshoes of the Yong army Mud, his mind was not shaken in the slightest.Now Yong Jun's offensive is like a fierce tiger, with the determination to never stop if he can't get it, and he is constantly tackling key problems day and night, while Liu Wanli is standing on the gate, almost without a grain of rice, but he feels that his whole body is full of energy. The god arm crossbow that has been hidden for a few days has consolidated the defense of Huguan, and it will not retreat.After many days of hard fighting and hatred like a sea, every soldier in the Northern Han Dynasty knew that once the Yong army broke through the city, he might not be able to survive even if he surrendered, so he did not slack off in the slightest.However, the Yong Army suffered heavy losses, and only massacres could dispel the grievances in their hearts. The outcome of this battle was a matter of life and death. Both sides were fighting to the death, and no one dared to relax a bit.

No matter how strong Huguan was, there were still not enough troops, and the lieutenant was killed in a sneak attack, and the losses were all the elites of the Northern Han army. Therefore, even though there was a crossbow guarding the pass, by the evening of the 23rd, Huguan was already on the verge of collapse.Liu Wanli stood at the pass, his battle robe was stained red with blood. He felt deep regret in his heart. The failure to attack the camp made the fall of Huguan at least three days earlier. At this moment, he regretted that he chose to attack the camp because of his own selfishness. Well, this three-day difference may change the entire situation of the Northern Han Dynasty. He naturally understands the threat that Jing Chi may bring when he goes deep into the hinterland of the Northern Han Dynasty. It was late at night, and the Yong army was attacking the city crazily and orderly. Liu Wanli commanded his soldiers almost instinctively, but after a day and night of defending the city, the defenders of Huguan had reached the point of desperation. Most of the crossbows have been destroyed, and tomorrow is the time to break through. Liu Wanli knew in his heart that just now, the young and strong who had assisted in defending the city had completely collapsed. They shouted their willingness to surrender and wanted to open the city gate from the inside. Liu Wanli ordered the supervising team to shoot them all, but the fighting spirit of the soldiers and civilians in Huguan was close to collapse, and Liu Wanli knew very well that there was no possibility of holding Huguan.The figures of his wife and only son flashed in his chaotic mind, and Liu Wanli felt endless exhaustion welling up in his heart. On March 24th, at the dawn of the morning sun, Lin Ya personally commanded a vigorous Yong army to start the final attack. The defenders of Huguan finally collapsed under the round-the-clock onslaught of the Yong army, and the blue-black figure finally He rushed up to the bloody Huguan tower. When Yong Jun opened the city gate from the inside, Jing Chi led his cavalry and rushed into Huguan first. His personal guards followed his order and shouted loudly: "Huguan! The gatekeeper was stubborn and caused heavy losses to our army. General Jing ordered to massacre all the soldiers and civilians in the city without any mistake." This bloody order gave the soldiers of the Yong army who had fought hard for many days a way to vent their anger. Amidst the howling and mourning, blood flowed in the streets and alleys, and blood flowed into rivers. When the Yong army ascended the city, Liu Wanli was ashamed, and ordered the Northern Han army to escape on their own, and set fire to stop the enemy along the way. He rushed to his mansion with a dozen personal guards. Along the way, the collapsed Northern Han army The army set fire everywhere, and they all heard the Yong army's order to massacre the city, so they all tried their best to set fire to stop the enemy. Even if they died, they couldn't let Huguan fall into the enemy's hands in vain. Cruelty finally destroyed this hundred-year-old dangerous pass. However, Liu Wanli didn't care about the consequences of his last order. He rode his horse back to the mansion, threw the reins to his guards, and rushed into his mansion. Seeing Aizi standing in the hall with a miserable expression, she let out a sad cry when she saw Liu Wanli, but Liu Huai yelled in horror: "Daddy, there is a lot of blood." Liu Wanli lowered his head indifferently, seeing his blood-stained body, a bitter smile appeared on his lips, and said to the few remaining guards around him: "You are all good brothers of Liu for many years, now that Liu has been defeated so far, he has no face to escape, It’s just that there is one thing I want to ask, I don’t know if you will agree.” The head of those personal guards was Liu Jun, who was Liu Wanli's servant since he was a child. He bowed down and cried, "Master, please tell me." Liu Wanli pointed to Liu Huai and said, "I have been a soldier for half my life, and I only have this little flesh and blood. You protect your wife and young master and go to join your uncle. Remember not to let this child avenge me in the future. The two countries fight, life and death are ordinary things. I only hope that in the future The world is unified, and this child can stay in the countryside, marry a wife and have children, and inherit cigarettes. Will you agree?" Hearing this, Liu Jun drew his knife and cut off the little finger of his left hand and swore: "Master, don't worry, even if you lose your life, you have to protect the mistress and the young master to escape. If the subordinates are greedy for life and afraid of death, let me be a pig and a dog for the rest of my life. Never be human." Liu Wanli felt pain in his heart, bowed and said: "As long as you try your best, if Huai'er is unlucky in the end, he is destined to die in the chaos." How dare Liu Jun and others accept his big gift, they quickly dodge open.Liu Wanli looked at his wife again and said, "Ma'am, I've tired you for half your life. You can follow Liu Jun and take good care of our children. Don't worry about me." Crystal tears flashed in Madam Liu's eyes, and she said, "Then what about you, General?" Liu Wanli slumped down on the chair and said, "I was ordered by the king to guard Huguan. Now that all the soldiers of the three armies have died for their country, what face do I have to survive?" Madam Liu calmly stuffed Liu Huai into Liu Jun's hands, then took out a dagger from her waist and pressed it to her heart. His legs were weak. He had exhausted all his energy for the past two days. Once he sat down, he was unable to get up. He raised his finger to Madam Liu and asked in surprise, "Madam, what are you going to do?" Mrs. Liu mournfully said: "Master, my concubine is not good at riding and shooting, how can I break out with my guards, instead of dying with mother and son, it is better to let Liu Jun protect Huai'er to escape, let me accompany you." Liu Wanli was heartbroken, knowing what Madam said was right, and he was also a decisive person, so he waved his hand and said, "Liu Jun, take Huai'er and go." Liu Jun and a few of his personal guards burst into tears, knelt down and worshiped twice, and tore off his shirt. Liu Jun tied Liu Huai in front of him, and rushed out with a few of his personal guards. The deafening sound of killing and horseshoes stamping on the ground, the voices of Liu Jun and others quickly disappeared into the chaos.Liu Wanli felt that his whole body was limp, and fell on the chair, unable to speak a word. Madam Liu was very calm. She tore off the curtains in the hall and gathered them together, sprinkled lamp oil on them, and then handed a torch to Liu Wanli. Wanli.Liu Wanli felt heartbroken, hugged his wife's tender body, and said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry." Mrs. Liu smiled and said: "Master, when you and I got married, we promised each other a white-headed alliance. Now that the general has gray hair, the concubine must keep her promise. You and I will live and die together. The general should be happy." yes." Liu Wanli let out another cry of pain, raised his hand and threw the torch on the pile of fire starters, the flames spread quickly, but Liu Wanli didn't realize it, just hugged his beloved wife and howled in pain, Mrs. Liu, however, closed her eyes slightly, leaning against her husband's embrace, with a cheerful smile on her face, and the firelight reflected on her beautiful face, making her smile even brighter.The flames were blazing, quickly enveloping the two figures, the blazing flames lingered, and merged with the flames rising around the pot, the whole pot was turned into a sea of ​​fire, black smoke billowed, and the flames shone brightly. Shaking and crashing. Jing Chi, who was forced to withdraw from the sea of ​​flames, stared fiercely at Huguan, which was engulfed in flames, and felt more and more hatred in his heart. In Jiang Zhe's plan, Huguan was a pass that needed to be guarded by the Yong army. As long as Huguan was guarded, the Northern Han army would not It may be necessary to cut off Jing Chi's supply, but now that Huguan has been destroyed by fire, there are many difficulties in defending it. In addition to the great hatred in his heart, Jing Chi has made up his mind to kill and kill along the way. Let the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty not dare to resist like this again.Lin Ya had a bitter expression on his face. Although he was very dissatisfied with Jing Chi's decision, if it hadn't been for Jing Chi's attitude of refusing to accept surrender, the Northern Han army might not have resisted to the death. However, if Huguan was breached anyway, it would probably be Jing Chi What can I do for myself? On March 29th, in Qinyuan, inside the account of the Northern Han Army Commander, Long Tingfei was flipping through the military newspaper, frowning tightly. Although he had expected that the Northern Han Army would not be able to stop Jing Chi's pace, but in this way The heavy loss still shocked Long Tingfei. On March 24th, Jing Chi attacked Shangdang and beheaded the Shangdang defenders, killing all the defenders.One part of the Zhenzhou Army was left to guard Huguan, and the main force was stationed in Shangdang.Jing Chi's tribe went up to the party but did not join in. Along the way, there were dozens of gates, and all resisters were massacred. On March 26, Jing Chi passed through Lucheng, declaring that if he did not surrender, the city would be massacred after the city was broken. On March 27, Jing Chi set fire to Xiangyuan, and the guard of Xiangyuan died for the country.It is expected that Jing Chi will reach Qinyuan before March 29th, and the two divisions of the Yong army will join forces soon. There are only a few hundred words of chatting, but there are countless blood and pains, but Long Tingfei can only sit and watch Jing Chi's killing in the southeast hinterland of the Northern Han Dynasty. He hides the pain in his heart, and he can ask Jing Chi for it soon. Compensation, he secretly comforted himself.At this time, Duan Wudi came in and said: "General, King Qi is fighting in front of the formation." Murderous intent flashed across Long Ting Feijun's face, and he said, "Okay, this time he is seeking his own death. Invincible, pass on the order, and the whole army is ready to fight after my military parade." Duan Wudi sensed the arrogance suddenly emanating from Long Tingfei, and his mood was agitated. Although Long Tingfei did not tell him the detailed arrangement, Xiao Tong was almost invisible these days and Long Tingfei was concentrating on studying the map every day. Judging from the situation, it seems that Long Tingfei has already gained certainty of victory, and the decisive battle is just around the corner. Although Duan Wudi is also a little dissatisfied that Long Tingfei has never explained the details to himself, but the upcoming decisive battle makes him completely free of complaints. If you can defeat the Yong army, then no matter what sacrifice you make, it will be worth it. Compared with Long Tingfei, Li Xian's control of the overall situation is not so accurate. He is not very clear about Jing Chi's movements, and he doesn't even know where Jing Chi has arrived. After all, this is the territory of the Northern Han Dynasty, and Jing Chi's emissary He also couldn't break through the many barriers, so he just challenged as usual. In the field of Qinyuan, Li Xiangao was standing on the horse. Behind him, the flags of the 40,000 Yongjun army were spread out behind him. The murderous aura in the blue and black square formation was soaring, and the most dazzling thing was the 3,000 iron guards behind Li Xian. , they were all wearing red war robes, and the spring breeze blew, and the war robes hunted, making them as arrogant and fearless as wildfires all over the mountains and plains in spring, while the other knights of the Yong army stood still like steel cast iron, although they were The static battle formation contains two different spirits of movement and stillness, no matter which one it is, it has irresistible power and arrogance. However, Li Xian, who was flaunting his power in front of the battle, was very depressed. Although he suffered a defeat in Anze, his troops were still very strong, with 40,000 cavalry and nearly 40,000 infantry behind him. There are 100,000 iron cavalry, but only about 50,000 of them are elite soldiers, and the rest are mostly new troops added in the past six months. They are not as good as the original Northern Han elite soldiers in terms of force or training.It stands to reason that I have a strong army and horses, and I don't know when Jing Chi's 30,000 cavalry will arrive. If the two sides fight, at least I will not lose.But Jiang Zhe actually said to himself, let him not be too persistent, just retreat after the defeat, he will repair the road behind, arrange the retreat, and let Xuan Song lead the infantry to meet him behind, is it true that he will fall behind lose?It has been fighting for several days, which time the Northern Han army took advantage?Li Xian thought indignantly, he might as well beat the Northern Han army to the ground. What is the purpose of annihilating the main force of the enemy army? As long as the Northern Han army is defeated again, will they be able to turn the tide? At this time, the Northern Han army camp suddenly moved, and the south camp gate facing the Yong army opened, and an iron cavalry wearing fiery red war robes rushed out of the camp gate. At the same time, the camp gates on the east and west sides also Open wide, a continuous stream of Northern Han army knights poured out like a tide. Unlike the Yong army, the Northern Han army did not line up when they came out of the camp. When the open space converges, it is like a river flowing into the sea, and soon condenses into a fortified battle formation.But for a moment, at least tens of thousands of the Northern Han army had already formed a battle formation, and after that, countless brown knights were forming a new battle formation. Li Xian immediately frowned. Looking at today's situation, Long Tingfei wanted to fight him decisively. In fact, the Northern Han army has formed a partial advantage these days, but although Li Xian repeatedly provoked, Long Tingfei just refused. In a decisive battle with myself, why did I change my mind today? Could it be that there has been a major change in the military situation?He beating drums in his heart, thinking, if there is a decisive battle, our army may not be able to resist it, and we really need that retreat, but didn't Suiyun say that Long Tingfei would not easily use all his strength to fight him? At this time, a man guarded by several cavalry guards came out from the battle formation of the Northern Han Army. The man raised his visor, revealing a handsome face. His deep blue eyes contained deep pain and grief, which were slightly cleared. His face was a little haggard, but his demeanor was still the same as before. Long Tingfei gently caressed his beloved halberd, his heart was full of murderous intent. The various humiliations in the past few months had made him feel infinitely resentful.Now only Duan Wudi is left among the four generals under his command. In the past, all the lieutenant soldiers were convinced of him, but since the death of Quartz, he could always feel the growing dissatisfaction in the army, but he could only temporarily suppress it with force.A few days ago, the Yong army was flooded in Anze, although the price paid was not small, but after all, the results were astonishing, and the confidence of the soldiers in the army was restored.All this is because of that Jiang Zhe and Li Xian in front of him. No matter what, all the difficulties in the past will pass. As long as the Yong army is defeated today, the overall situation can be saved, and then he will have the opportunity to reorganize the army. Looking at the unruly figure holding a horse spear on the opposite side, flames flashed in Long Tingfei's eyes. If he hadn't been worried that King Qi would retreat to the mountains after losing the enemy, cooperate with the infantry to block the Northern Han army, and then stand firm and wait for reinforcements, how could he face these few people? Tens of thousands of horses have never dared to cull them with all their strength. Today they can finally strangle all the enemy troops. At that time, the Northern Han army will be able to wipe out the incoming Yong army one by one like a pack of wolves hunting. The Yong army suffered such a disastrous defeat. You can't peep north, after a few years, I'm afraid that Dayong himself will be too busy to take care of himself.Holding up the long halberd in his hand, Long Tingfei shouted loudly: "Will wipe out the Yong army and capture Li Xian alive!" The Northern Han army was shocked when they heard the words, and they all shouted loudly. Li Xian's temperament is like a fire. When he heard Long Tingfei's shout, he couldn't help being angry. He pointed the horse in his hand at the Northern Han army, and said with a smile: "Boys, the Northern Han people usually call themselves heroes, but in Anze only Dare to use tricks to attack the water, these days they are locked in the camp and dare not meet the enemy, these cowards actually want to wipe out our army, can you believe it?" Tao Lin, one of the four major bodyguards around Li Xian, had the most witty temper, and responded loudly: "Your Highness, General Long is not ashamed, why are you angry? How about letting him drink for Your Highness when we capture General Long?" Yong Jun laughed loudly when he heard it, but the Northern Han Army shouted loudly, but Li Xian and Long Tingfei just looked at each other coldly, the commander's calmness gradually infected the soldiers of the two armies, unknowingly, the battlefield resumed There was silence, and the silence full of murderous intent became more and more depressing, and everyone felt a feeling of being out of breath.Then, as if they had a tacit understanding, Long Tingfei and Li Xian issued orders almost at the same time, and the blue-black and brown torrents surged almost at the same time, and then collided together, and the decisive battle between the Yong army and the Northern Han army began.