Flags fluttered, war drums thundered, and the cries of killing shook the sky.
Since August 20th of the 391st year of the Daliang calendar, the Western Regions coalition forces have been attacking Lijiang City in Xizhou of Liang State for nine consecutive days. Today is the tenth day of the Western Regions coalition forces' attack on Lijiang City.
However, under the strict defense of the Zhenxi Army, Lijiang City remained as solid as a rock.
The Western Region coalition forces attacked Lijiang City with the tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open. They attacked the south, west and north walls of Lijiang City fiercely, but did not place a single soldier on the east side of Lijiang City.
However, the Zhenxi Army of Lijiang City had no intention of escaping. They staged an extremely bloody battle with the armies of the Western Regions that were attacking the city on the city wall of Lijiang City.
Because the North Guard, East Guard and West Guard of the Zhenxi Army in Lijiang City handed over the main task of defending the city to the Xiang Army and the local militia, the Xiang Army and the local militia in Lijiang City suffered heavy casualties.
In the previous nine days, the casualties of the garrison troops and the local militia had exceeded 40,000, while the losses of the North Guard, East Guard and West Guard were negligible.
As the attacking party, the Western Regions coalition suffered greater losses. In nine days, nearly 170,000 officers and soldiers from various countries in the Western Regions died in this brutal siege.
Diyad, the commander-in-chief of the Western Region coalition forces, looked from afar at the countless officers and soldiers of the Puwan Kingdom who were climbing up the city wall with simple ladders, facing a rain of arrows and a large number of rolling logs and thunder stones. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
In fact, before attacking Lijiang City, the coalition forces had built many ladders and siege vehicles. Unfortunately, these siege equipment were all burned in the previous three days of siege.
Although the military craftsmen of the armies of the Western Regions have been working overtime to build ladders and sieves, the speed of construction is far behind the speed of consumption.
As a result, the armies of the Western Regions can only use the simplest ladders when attacking cities.
Diyad turned to Daga, the general in charge of Puwan, and asked, "General Daga, when can you produce Puwan's new ladders and traps?
It would be difficult to attack the city wall with just those ladders."
Dagati said with a depressed look on his face: "Some key iron parts for ladders and rafts have been used up. We have to wait for new iron parts to be delivered before the craftsmen can continue to build ladders and rafts.
General Diyad, can we postpone the siege for a few days?
If we continue to attack with such force, the losses will be too great."
Diyad then said decisively: "The siege cannot stop. Currently, about one-third of the elite troops of the Liang State Zhenxi Army are in Lijiang City.
If our coalition forces can capture Lijiang City and eliminate the Liang State Zhenxi Army's North Guard, East Guard, and West Guard, then the next battle will be much easier to fight."
Dagati frowned and said, "But looking at the situation in Lijiang City, I'm afraid it won't be possible to take it down in a short time."
Just as Dagati finished speaking, Duke Aisaiz of the former Wensu Kingdom hurried over and said, "General Diyad, the scouts have reported back.
About a hundred miles east of Lijiang City, the Liang State Zhenxi Army appeared, with a force of several hundred thousand men.
Diyad was not surprised when he heard this, but he said with some regret: "I didn't expect Sun Hao to come so quickly. It seems that our coalition forces will not have the opportunity to eat up the Zhenxi Army in Lijiang City first."
Diyad's guess was correct. The Zhenxi Army that appeared outside Lijiang City was indeed led by Sun Hao himself.
This time, Sun Hao led his army to reinforce Lijiang City, in addition to the 20,000 Huben cavalry, 20,000 white-robed cavalry, 5,000 black-armored cavalry, 5,000 Beiwei cavalry, 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry, 5,000 Xiliang iron cavalry, 10,000 white horse volunteers, 20,000 white-robed soldiers, 10,000 vanguard death soldiers, 10,000 Wei Wu soldiers and 10,000 Qin elite soldiers.
There were also 60,000 soldiers from the front and rear guards of the Zhenxi Army, as well as a full 400,000 garrison troops.
When the Western Regions coalition forces learned that reinforcements from the Zhenxi Army had arrived, they stopped attacking Lijiang City and abandoned the camps located to the south and north of Lijiang City. The armies of various countries in the Western Regions all gathered to the west of Lijiang City.
When Sun Hao led his army to Lijiang City, he built a camp to the east of Lijiang City.
Bai Qi, commander-in-chief of the Northern Guard, Lian Po, commander-in-chief of the Eastern Guard, and Li Mu, commander-in-chief of the Western Guard, left the city that night to meet Sun Hao.
"My lord, it was my idea to let the garrison troops and the local militia serve as the main force in defending the city. Please punish me." Bai Qi said to Sun Hao in a deep voice.
Lian Po quickly followed up, saying, "My lord, Li Mu and I have agreed to use the garrison troops and local militia to defend the city. If you wish to punish us, please punish all three of us together."
Li Mu also nodded and said, "Indeed, this is what the three of us agreed on. If the lord punishes us, the three of us are willing to bear the responsibility together."
At this time, Zhuge Liang, who was sitting next to Sun Hao, said angrily: "Don't you know the pension standards of Zhenxi Protectorate?
The deaths of over 18,000 Xiang army officers and soldiers and over 23,000 local militiamen cost the Zhenxi Protectorate over 40 million strings of cash in compensation!"
Sun Hao then comforted Zhuge Liang, "Mr. Zhuge, at least they defended Lijiang City and caused minimal losses to the Northwest Guard, East West Guard, and West West Guard. I think their merits and demerits should be balanced!"
After hearing what Sun Hao said, Zhuge Liang stopped dwelling on the matter and immediately changed the subject, "Since the three guards in Lijiang City suffered no losses.
Then I suggest that the North Guard, East Guard, and West Guard be immediately transferred out of the city to participate in the decisive battle with the coalition forces of the Western Regions."
Sun Hao nodded. "Tomorrow morning, we will use the Imperial Guard, Zhenxi Vanguard, Zhenxi Rear Guard, Zhenxi Northwest Guard, Zhenxi East Guard, and Zhenxi West Guard as the main force, and add 400,000 garrison troops to fight the Western Region coalition forces."
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