Chapter 345: Conquering Xiazhou City in Half a Day
Old General Zhe Dejian looked in shock at the thousands of guards holding weapons within 300 steps of the city wall after the thunder. In the smoke and fire, only a few escaped.
After another round of thunder from the Song army's catapult position was thrown at the city wall, the Song army's archers and siege infantry launched a charge amid the rumbling thunder.
Seeing the sturdy figures of the Song army soldiers climbing up the high city wall along the siege ladders, Old General Zhe came to his senses. In an hour, Xiazhou City had been breached!
Xiazhou City's defender Ye Liren was carried down the city wall by his personal soldiers.
Ye Liren, who was still frightened, was a brave general. Although he was terrified by the enemy's thunder, he was unwilling to give up Xiazhou City.
Ye Liren tried his best to stop the soldiers who were running away in panic, and organized and assembled troops to engage in fierce street fighting with the Song army that had entered the city.
After the city gate was opened, Wu Xing led 6,000 elite Moyun cavalry to charge forward. Ye Liren, who had just assembled tens of thousands of troops and was preparing to meet the enemy on the wide main street, ordered a charge to meet the enemy. Ye Liren
, who was determined to fight the enemy to the death, took the lead, with red eyes, waving his spear and going straight for the main general in front of the Song army.
Wu Xing chuckled and raised his hand! Half of the Moyun warriors who were riding on horseback and charging in the front took out the wooden-handled grenades developed by Lord Shenqiu, and after pulling the strings, they aimed at the enemy and threw them out with all their strength.
Wu Xing and half of the vanguard did not throw out the grenades, but charged forward with their swords pointed at the enemy to protect the brothers who threw the grenades.
"Boom..." "Boom..." "Boom..." The thunder that exploded in the enemy group rolled, blowing the elite soldiers of the party and the horses they were riding to the ground, and frightened them into a mess.
Ye Liren and more than 30 personal soldiers who were in the front were not affected. They roared, "Are your thunderbolts going to stop? I will take your life with my own hands!"
Ye Liren's eyes were bleeding. He raised his spear weighing hundreds of pounds and smashed it hard on Wu Xing's head!
The enemy was coming fiercely. Wu Xing was afraid of hurting his brothers behind him, so he did not dare to dodge. Instead, he held up his sword with both hands and blocked the spear that Ye Liren smashed down. The enemy's spear was
heavy and powerful, and it made Wu Xing's arms numb and his chest was filled with blood. Chen Qing, who served as the commander of Wu Xing's right wing, had a gleam in his eyes. He thrust his spear forward, and the tip of the spear, made of snow-white iron, pierced directly into Ye Liren's left rib.
Ye Liren screamed in pain, and the strength in his body was drained away by the severe pain. Wu Xing gathered all his strength and rushed upwards. His broadsword shook the enemy's iron spear away, and with a turn of the blade, the enemy's head fell to the ground!
The commander Ye Liren died in the battle, and the Xixia army was in great chaos. They shouted wildly and circled their horses and fled everywhere.
The elite soldiers of Mo Yunqi rushed into the chaotic formation of tens of thousands of enemy troops that had just assembled, like a tiger into a flock of sheep.
More than an hour later, the Regent recalled the troops that had gone out of the city to pursue the enemy and ordered the soldiers to clean up the battlefield.
Xiazhou City had just been seized by Li Yuanhao and his son, and the city was basically inhabited by Han people. After seeing the Song army enter the city, the people who had been ravaged and bullied by the foreigners all ran out with tears in their eyes to welcome the Han soldiers who came to rescue them.
After following His Royal Highness the Regent into the government office, the old general Zhe Dejian was still excited, his face flushed, his heart pounding, and his emotions were excited.
In this battle, they captured Xiazhou City, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, in more than two hours. They killed more than 8,000 enemy soldiers and captured more than 12,000. Less than 10,000 enemy soldiers escaped from the west gate.
Just thinking about it, it was an incredible victory. The thunderous sound made General Zhe, who had fought for his whole life, feel like he was in a dream. His head was a little dizzy and his steps were a little unsteady.
Regent Zhao Defang smiled at the old general Zhe who looked like he had lost his soul, and pushed the hot tea in front of him, "Old general, drink a cup of hot tea to calm down!"
The old general smiled embarrassedly, picked up the hot tea and drank it sip by sip, and finally calmed down.
Putting down the teacup, he looked at the calm and composed Regent Prince with excited eyes and said, "Your Majesty, with the two killer weapons, the Divine Arm Bow and the Thunder Bomb, plus that magical cannon, the world is vast and you can take it!"
Regent Prince Zhao Defang took a sip of tea elegantly and replied slowly, "For the happiness and peace of the people of this world, I will fight steadily. After seizing all the prefectures of Xixia within a month, I will send officials from the Song Dynasty to govern the local areas. The king will return to the Song Dynasty, recuperate for a year, and then take Liao. "
Zhe Dejian looked at the humble Regent Prince and bowed his hands in admiration, "Your Majesty is wise and intelligent, and you have the foresight to ensure long-term peace and stability. I admire you."
After Cao Wei of the Southern Army and Yun Fei, the commander of the Feiyun Cavalry, joined forces, they led the army to attack Xiliang Prefecture and captured the city in one day. After returning to capture Xiping Prefecture, the army waited in the city to join forces with the Regent Prince to capture Xingqing Prefecture, the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom.
Xingqing Prefecture is known as "Northern Frontier and Southern Yangtze River". It has fertile land and benefits from irrigation from the Yellow River. It can grow various economic crops such as rice, wheat, cotton, and vegetables. It is the richest prefecture in Western Xia.
Li Yuanhao set up the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom in Xingqing Prefecture because he saw that the food supplies needed by the court could be guaranteed.
To the southeast of Xingqing Prefecture is Xiazhou City, which has a steep terrain, strong walls, and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There is also Xiping Prefecture, which is heavily guarded. These two prefectures are in front of the capital Xingqing Prefecture, which can stop the Song army from attacking.
Li Yuanhao, the king of Western Xia, is discussing with his ministers in the royal palace, which general to send to support Xiazhou and Xiping Prefecture?
The fierce Xixia general Ye Li Yui stepped forward and volunteered, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead 30,000 troops to support my eldest brother Ye Liren in Xiazhou City. My two brothers will fight side by side and will definitely keep the enemy out of the Xixia Kingdom."
"Okay!" Li Yuanhao said with relief, "General Ye Li, the 30,000 troops to support Xiazhou City are now handed over to you. I hope you two brothers will work together to drive the Song army back to Song."
The young general Li Chenghuan also stood up impatiently, clasped his fists and asked for the order, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead 30,000 troops to support General Ma in Xiping Prefecture."
Li Yuanhao laughed, "Okay! My Xixia Kingdom has strong soldiers and horses, and the soldiers are eager to fight. General Li, support Xiping Prefecture..."
"Report!... Report to the king, there is urgent military information from the front!" The voice of the minister at the door of the hall was urgent.
Li Yuanhao was shocked!
"Come in and report!"
A dusty messenger was brought into the hall, knelt on one knee, raised the parchment book in his hand above his head, and said in a panic and anxious voice, "Report to the king, Xiazhou City, Xiping Prefecture, and Xiliang Prefecture have all been captured by the Song army!"
Li Yuanhao stood up with a "bang!", his face pale, "How could it be? How could it be? In just two days, two reinforcements were sent to support, and the three heavily guarded cities were breached by the Song army?!"
Li Yuanhao picked up the ruler at hand and smashed it hard at the messenger!
"How could it be? How could this be?!...～"