Chapter 11 Battle Heyang

Shi Siming was frustrated again and again, and he lost several handfuls of rice when he failed to steal chickens. His anger can be imagined. In mid-October, Shi Siming finally ordered a strong attack on Heyang. His first target was Heyang South City. At that time, the Tang army guard in Nancheng was Li Baoyu, Zheng Chen Jiedu envoy.Li Guangbi asked him: "General, can you hold on to the southern city for me for two days?" Li Baoyu didn't answer, but asked instead: "What will happen in two days?" Li Guangbi said: "Two days later, if there is no rescue, you can abandon the city."

Li Baoyu immediately agreed.Originally, he thought that Li Guangbi would definitely give him the order to stand guard, but he didn't expect that he only asked to stay there for two days.Li Baoyu was relieved immediately - two days passed in a flash, this task is too easy! However, it was not until the Yan army began to attack the city that Li Baoyu realized how long these two days were.Because the Yan army had suffered frequent setbacks before, they were suffocated from top to bottom. Now when they start fighting, the anger that has been smoldering for many days is vented. Its combat effectiveness is far beyond Li Baoyu's expectations. describe.

Yan Jun acted like crazy, attacking wave after wave without giving Tang Jun any chance to breathe.From early morning to dusk that day, the Yan army's offensive did not stop for a moment.Although Li Baoyu had been leading the crowd to fight to the death, but when night fell, Tang Jun's defense line was still torn several gaps, and Yan Jun poured in from the gaps... Li Baoyu never expected that the task of sticking to it for two days was so arduous! Because he didn't even hold it for a day. Seeing that the city was about to fall, there were only two choices before Li Baoyu: either die in battle or surrender.

In desperation, Li Baoyu suddenly had a flash of inspiration in his almost desperate mind, and found that he still had a third choice. He immediately sent someone to ask the Yan army to surrender, saying: "Our army has run out of food and grass, please allow us to surrender tomorrow morning." Shi Siming was overjoyed when he heard the words, and immediately ordered to stop the attack. However, by the next morning, the Tang army neither raised the lowered flag nor opened the city gate.Shi Siming waited outside the city for a long time before realizing that he had been fooled by Li Baoyu.

Yes, just using this one night, Li Baoyu has already rebuilt fortifications at several gaps in the city defense.The officers and soldiers of the Tang army who rested for a night have also entered the position in high spirits, and are ready to fight in their respective combat positions. Shi Siming gritted his teeth and gave the order to attack again. But on this day, the situation on the battlefield has changed significantly.Because the morale of the Yan army has been exhausted after yesterday's frenzied attack; and the officers and soldiers of the Tang army believe that as long as they stick to it for one more day, reinforcements will arrive, so everyone's fighting spirit is high.

Observing that the morale of the Yan army was not as good as yesterday, Li Baoyu decided to let go of his hands and feet and fight hard.While leading the crowd to resist the attack of the Yan army, he boldly dispatched an elite cavalry to quietly go around behind the Yan army.When this strange army launched a surprise attack on the Yan army, the defenders in the city also rushed out, quickly forming a front and back attack on the Yan army. Shi Siming never expected that Tang Jun, who was beaten so helplessly by him yesterday, would dare to take the initiative to attack.He jumped into a rage and hurriedly organized a counterattack.However, under the front and rear attacks of the Tang army, the Yan army's organizational system was broken up at once. The soldiers could not find the generals, and the generals could not find the soldiers. In the end, they were defeated by the Tang army and had to flee one after another.

Shi Siming couldn't take Nancheng, so he had to order Prime Minister Zhou Zhi to lead his troops to attack Zhonglu City. The city was garrisoned by Li Guangbi himself.Zhongli is called a city in name, but in fact it does not have a city wall as high as an ordinary city.It is surrounded by low walls that are as high as human shoulders, so it is called "Yangma City".Therefore, strictly speaking, Zhongli City cannot be regarded as a city, but at best it is a camp. Only relying on the low sheep and horse city will definitely not be able to stop the enemy's attack.As an auxiliary means of defense, there is a heavy fence on all sides outside the city, and a trench that is two feet deep and two feet wide is surrounded by the fence.But even with the triple defense of trenches, fences and low walls, Zhongli City's defense is still the weakest among the three Heyang cities (this is why Li Guangbi personally garrisoned Zhongli).Therefore, if you want to defend Zhongcheng City, you must base yourself on warfare, not just rely on passive defense.

On October 12, the Yan army began to attack Zhongli. Li Guangbi ordered his troops to deploy Li Feiyuanli and his elite soldiers to defend Yangma City, while he climbed to the northeast corner of Zhongli City, watched the entire battlefield from a watchtower, and commanded with a small red flag. Relying on their large numbers, the Yan army attacked from three directions at the same time.There are eight columns in each direction, and soldiers shovel soil to fill the ditch in front of each column.Once it was filled up, the vehicles carrying the siege equipment followed closely behind, and the soldiers continued to cut down the fence to open a passage for advancing.

Seeing the Yan army approaching from three directions rapidly, but Li Feiyuanli still stood still, Li Guangbi on the watchtower was anxious, and quickly sent someone to question him: "While you watch the enemy fill up the trenches and cut down the fences, Why don't you move?" Li Feiyuanli replied: "Do you want to defend, or do you want to fight?" Li Guangbi said, "Of course I want to fight." Li Feiyuanli said: "Since we want to fight, the enemy has spent his energy filling up ditches and opening fences for us, why bother to stop us?" Li Guangbi couldn't help laughing when he heard this, it seemed that he also had moments of rashness and impatience.Li Feiyuanli obviously wanted to wait for work with ease, and then launched an attack when the Yan army was exhausted.He ordered someone to answer Yuan Li and said, "Very well, I didn't expect this level, you should wait for the opportunity."

After a while, all the Yan troops from all walks of life had already cut through the fence one after another, pouring in continuously from the gap.Li Feiyuanli seized the opportunity and led the death squad to attack quickly, forcing the Yan army back hundreds of steps.However, with the arrival of follow-up troops, the Yan army quickly stabilized its position and fought hard.Li Feiyuanli didn't know how powerful the Yan army was, so he didn't bother to fight, and immediately led the crowd to retreat, preparing to attack after finding out the situation. Seeing Yuan Li's retreat, Li Guangbi on the watchtower was startled and angry.

The triple fortifications of Zhongyi City have been destroyed twice by the Yan army, and the remaining Yangma City is almost just a decoration, which cannot effectively stop the Yan army's attack at all.If Li Fei Yuanli returns to the city, then Zhongli City will definitely fall. In desperation, Li Guangbi immediately sent a herald to summon Yuanli, preparing to use him in military law, and then replace him to fight. When Li Feiyuanli heard the herald calling him, he said angrily: "The battle is in a hurry, what did you call me for?" one step. Although the Yan army had a large number of people, the morale of the Yan army had been damaged by Li Feiyuanli's assault just now.Therefore, after the Tang army withdrew to the fence, the Yan army did not dare to attack, but stagnated outside the fence and hesitated to wait and see. Seeing this scene, Li Feiyuanli knew it in his heart. He regrouped all the elite troops under his command, but he was not in a hurry to attack, but continued to wait patiently. The Yan army outside the fence neither dared to attack nor retreated. They stuck there, and soon there were restless commotions.Li Feiyuanli immediately ordered the drums to be beat and the whole army to attack.This time, the Yan army finally failed to stop the fierce offensive of the Tang army, and was killed to the point of throwing away their helmets and armor, and fled in defeat. Looking at the Yan army receding like a tide, Li Guangbi showed a gratified and slightly ashamed smile on his face. Needless to say, Li Guangbi made two mistakes in this battle. If Li Feiyuanli had not disobeyed orders twice, the outcome of this battle would be hard to imagine.It can be seen from this that the battle between the two armies is not only about the ingenuity and strategy of the two commanders, but also about the wit, courage and combat effectiveness of the commander, each general, and even each soldier when facing the enemy.Whether it is the battle of Zhongyi City organized by Li Feiyuanli or the defense of Nancheng in charge of Li Baoyu, it is enough to prove this point. After the defeat in Zhongyi City, the Yan army readjusted its deployment. Shi Siming led a part to continue to attack the south city, and Zhou Zhi led a part to attack the north city. Li Guangbi got the information and quickly led his people into Beicheng.He went to the city to observe the formation of the Yan army, and then said to the general with confidence: "Although the enemy army is large, the army is not uniform, and it is not to be feared! I assure you, you will be defeated before noon." Afterwards, Li Guangbi ordered all the generals to fight at the same time, but the fight continued until noon of the day, and the two sides still couldn't tell the difference.Li Guangbi recalled the generals and asked: "After fighting this morning, where do you think the enemy's camp is strongest?" Someone replied: "Northwest corner." Li Guangbi immediately ordered Hao Tingyu to attack the northwest corner.Hao Tingyu asked for five hundred Jingqi, and Li Guangbi gave him three hundred.Then Li Guangbi asked where the second strongest was. Someone answered the southeast corner, and Li Guangbi ordered Lun Weizhen to fight.Lun Weizhen asked for three hundred Jingqi, and Li Guangbi gave him two hundred. Finally, Li Guangbi said to the generals: "Everyone follow my command of the flag. If the flag shakes slowly, you can judge the direction of attack by yourself; if the flag shakes quickly and points down to the ground three times, everyone will advance together and attack at all costs. Enemy formation. If anyone retreats, he will be killed without mercy!" After giving the order, Li Guangbi took a short knife from the guard, put it in his boot, and said loudly: "War means death. As the third company (Sikong) of the country, I must not die at the hands of the enemy. If I die in the enemy's line, I will kill myself here, and I will not let the kings die alone and I will live alone!" All the generals went out to fight immediately, and each led his troops to the Yan army's formation, and the two sides were strangled together soon.After a while, Hao Tingyu suddenly left the battlefield and ran back to the city.Li Guangbi turned pale with shock, and said to his left and right: "As soon as Tingyu retreats, the situation will be dangerous." After speaking, he ordered the messenger to fetch Hao Tingyu's head.Hao Tingyu shouted: "My horse has been hit by an arrow, it's not back!" The herald replied, Li Guangbi heaved a long sigh of relief, and quickly ordered him to change his mount and turn back to fight again. Later, two more generals gradually retreated under the pressure of the Yan army. They are Pugu Huai'en and Puguyuan father and son.Li Guangbi ordered the herald to fetch their heads.Pu Gu Huai'en and his son saw a horse galloping out of the city, came straight towards them with a knife in hand, and quickly led their troops to re-enter the enemy's line. Just when the battle was at its most intense, the order flag on the head of Heyang City began to shake violently and touched the ground three times.All the ministries of the Tang army made earth-shattering shouts of killing at the same time, attacking the Yan army with all their strength.The Yan army couldn't resist, collapsed across the board, beheaded more than a thousand levels, fell into the Yellow River and drowned more than 1,000 people, and more than 500 people were captured; Yan army generals Xu Huangyu and Li Qinshou were captured alive, Zhou Zhi Only led a few cavalry to flee in a hurry, Yan general An Taiqing also fled back to Huaizhou (now Qinyang City, Henan Province) with his remnants. After Zhou Zhi's defeat, Shi Siming was still attacking Nancheng without knowing the situation of the battle.It wasn't until the Tang army took more than 500 captives of the Yan army to the top of Nancheng that he knew that Zhou Zhi had been defeated and had to break the siege and leave. Whether Shi Siming is willing to admit it or not, Li Guangbi is always his natural enemy. The Battle of Heyang completely shattered Shi Siming's attempt to fight quickly and advance westward to Tongguan.In the days that followed, Shi Siming was firmly restrained by Li Guangbi on the Central Plains battlefield, and he had no time to go west, let alone attack Chang'an. A huge sense of frustration permeated Shi Siming's whole body... At this time, Shi Siming certainly didn't know that Li Guangbi would be defeated by him in a short time.And it failed miserably.