The Song Dynasty has been deliberate for 16 years, only to know that it is the Water Margin

Inside Xiakou Pass, a battle is raging.

This pass was originally a military pass, and there were no ordinary people living there. Apart from the soldiers, they were the military's handymen.

The buildings in the pass are also different from ordinary cities. The streets are not as straightforward as ordinary urban designs. The houses are neat and tidy. Most of them are winding and narrow, just to prepare for street battles in case the city cannot be defended.

Zhao Tong's army was strong, with more than 50,000 troops. The Xixia army on the opposite side was originally defeated at Xiakou Pass with nearly 20,000 troops. Later, they gradually gathered some scattered remnants. Together with the original garrison in the pass, they could probably There are more than 30,000 people.

Compared with the 80,000-strong army at the beginning, the number of more than 30,000 people was more than twice that of the 80,000-strong army at the beginning. Moreover, Tieyaozi and Bubazi were no longer around, so the morale of the army was shaken and morale was low.

What is the war about? Half of it is about using the strong to suppress the weak, and the other half is about military morale.

If the number of people is about the same, the combat power is about the same, or there are fewer people than the opponent, then it all depends on the determination of the soldiers to win.

Otherwise, how can we defeat more with less? Or break the tie and achieve ultimate victory?

Relying solely on strategies is of course not enough. Manpower is sometimes scarce, and a wise man must make a mistake after all his considerations. How can there be so many strategies available? Sometimes, you still have to rely on one knife and one shot to kill the enemy, and charge without fear of death!

It was difficult to fight in the street at this moment. Although Zhao Tong had many people on his side, he was not familiar with the terrain. Even though he had conquered many cities in Xixia, this was the first time he encountered such a pass.

There are many traps and ambushes in the pass. Brother Richard, known as the Military God of Xixia, is not just an embroidered pillow, wine bag and rice bag. He will never let him out easily.

It can even be said that he sent people to lay these traps because he expected that he might not be able to defend the city, so he wanted to fight in the pass and make a desperate move. Otherwise, the situation would take a turn for the worse. There were not as many soldiers as the opponent and morale was low. How could he make a comeback?

I came here with the intention of crushing them all the way and then killing them to the Song Dynasty, but with the result of the fight like this, I decided to do the next best thing and annihilate this team. As for whether to kill them and go to the Song Dynasty, we can only discuss it again.

There were many ambushes and traps in the pass. Lu Da and Xu Ning led their troops to advance inward from the south gate. It was relatively easy at first, but after half a mile, it became fierce and difficult.

Du Bo and Zhang Xian also rushed in with their troops and horses from outside the city. However, the layout of the Xiakou Pass was designed to allow for street fighting. That is not to say that having more soldiers would lead to an advantage, because even if there were more people in Quqi, they would not be able to get up. Go to the front, this was the situation at the top of the city before.

However, when we were at the top of the city, the situation was advantageous to our side, but now that we had entered the city, it became a disadvantage.

Because there were too many people on our side at this time, we could not attack forward, and there were traps and ambushes everywhere, so the battle situation was already in a stalemate.

Zhao Tong did not enter Xiakou Pass, but listened to the news reported by the school soldiers coming out of the city.

The school soldiers were like a revolving door, panting. Almost every few dozen breaths, someone would come over to report, and soon they would be replaced and continue.

The more Zhao Tong listened, the darker his expression became. He had already guessed what Brother Richard had planned. He wanted to grind his team to death in the pass!

These tens of thousands of people are all the men and horses he can use. If these tens of thousands of people die, all the previous efforts will be wasted, and the long-term war will be in vain. Maybe he will withdraw from Xia Realm next.

Even if both sides suffer losses, it won't work. After all, even if all 80,000 people are wiped out, Brother Richard can still mobilize some troops elsewhere for emergency response, but he has no place to recruit troops immediately.

The last time Lu Da brought people over, Liu Suiyun said in the letter that there would be no more soldiers to support him within a year. After all, Longyou was sparsely populated and all the Tibetan soldiers that could be recruited were almost recruited. The south of the West Sea could be moved Most of the Tibetans living in the country went north to the nearby areas. As for most of the Tibetans further south, they could not go there, and they would not be allowed to recruit troops and abduct people there.

As for the Xihe Road and Hexi boundary, Huangzhou, Kuozhou, Xiningzhou, and half of the Jishi Army, the number of soldiers and horses that could be recruited was also limited. Yao Gu recruited them once before leading his troops to the Liao Kingdom, and later Liu Sui Yun recruited two more soldiers in a row, and the military pay was still high, far higher than that of the Song army. Basically, those who wanted to join the army and those who did not want to join the army in these places came over. It would be difficult to recruit more people unless they captured strong men.

Therefore, Zhao Tong cannot tolerate large losses, or even small losses before his military strength has been accumulated to a certain extent.

He listened to the school soldiers' report on the situation inside the customs, and naturally guessed what Brother Richard was thinking. He had to say that this was indeed the best method that Brother Richard could use at the moment. If it were him, he would definitely do this.

Zhao Tong took off his chin with his hand, frowning and thinking. At this moment, Li Yanxian led his people back from Wulong Ridge. The fire on that ridge was still raging and would not stop until dawn.

Hearing what Zhao Tong said about the current situation in Guan, Li Yanxian couldn't help but be startled, and then said: "My lord, this is not simple, what if we set a fire again!"

Zhao Tong narrowed his eyes and looked at him: "Set another fire?"

Li Yanxian said: "That's right. The south wind is blowing at this moment. Isn't it appropriate to set fire from the south gate?"

Zhao Tong said: "Do you have enough kerosene with you?"

Li Yanxian said: "That's enough. It's no problem to burn this pass. Moreover, this pass is close to the mountains and the wind is strong. I think it's all blowing from the southeast. It's probably the reason why the other party didn't set the fire. It's up to us to light it now."

Zhao Tong shook his head: "It may not be because he is afraid of burning himself. At least after luring the enemy deep, he will have an advantage by lighting a fire pipe and burning it wherever he goes. It is probably because there is no kerosene in this level."

Li Yanxian was stunned and thought for a moment: "What the prince said is absolutely true. I'm afraid there really is no fire oil in the Xiakou Pass!"

Kerosene is not a fixed military resource and is not stored everywhere. Generally speaking, if you don't want to use it for special purposes, it will probably not be stored in the military. After all, it is flammable. There were many wooden houses at this time, and even the military camps were made of wooden tents. , once it burns it is no small matter.

Therefore, some prefectures and cities have kerosene, while others do not. This is the northwest, where kerosene is abundant, but it is basically not available in Jiangnan and other places in the Central Plains. The scattered ones are brought by merchants, and they are rare goods that can be sold at high prices. The government and the army were probably unprepared.

As for the presence of kerosene at Juncheng Junguan, even in this northwest region, it is rare. There is indeed no such thing as Xiakou Pass.

In fact, Zhao Tong had seen clearly before that if there really was kerosene, how could the other party not follow Mingsha's example and set a big fire at the gate of the city when they entered the city?

No matter where the wind blows at that location, as long as your side wants to enter the city, it will definitely be burned. Not only will it damage your side's troops, but it will also delay some time and consume your side's strength.

But no, Zhao Tong didn't think Brother Richard was a fool. He didn't even see this opportunity, or let it go. This only proves that there is no kerosene in this Xiakou Pass.

Li Yanxian took the order at this moment, and then led his troops to rush to the city with the oil truck. When Zhao Tong came out of Longyou, he brought a large number of these things and searched them all the way. Even after using them a few times, they were not missing.

After watching for a moment, thick smoke rose fiercely, and all the stars and moon in the sky disappeared, all shrouded in black smoke. The fire in the Xiakou Pass was already violently rising into the sky...

On the border of Huaide Army on Jingyuan Road, on Changsheng Mountain, a large village was brightly lit.

The Juyi Hall in the middle of the village was bustling with activity. There were a lot of people inside, noisy, and they were discussing something enthusiastically. The leader in the seat was a strong man dressed as a Taoist.

Just look at this big man, wearing a star crown on his head, a soap green Big Dipper Taoist robe, a soap ribbon around his waist, blue silk cirrus cloud shoes on his feet, a sun and moon glow light Tao cloak on his shoulders, and a seven-star sword tied at his waist. He has a dark complexion, thick eyebrows, and a pair of black eyes rolling around. He looks quite energetic. He has a fluffy and fluffy beard and a curly beard.

There is a poem praising this man:

She has fine green silk hair and wears a velvet embroidered soap robe. The chain of iron armor shakes the cold sky, and the habit of using a copper hammer is even better.

Just like the Zhenwu in the north, he subdues and eliminates monsters in the world. Wandering across the rivers and seas, he gave his name as a nickname for the Demon King.

The big man was none other than Fan Rui, who had gone to Liangshan and held a seat in the queue, and was nicknamed the Demon King.

This Fan Rui has exquisite martial arts skills, and is good at using a meteor hammer. Although he is not said to be brave enough, he is still a master, and it is difficult for ordinary people to get close to him.

But he usually acts recklessly, is crazy, and often speaks unscrupulously, which is why he is nicknamed the Demon King.

He dared to say anything. Before he went to Liangshan, he said arrogant words that he would conquer Liangshan, which led Chao Gai and Song Jiang to send troops to attack.

But these are only superficial appearances. In fact, he knew many things in his heart. Otherwise, he would not have surrendered directly to Shuibo when the army was defeated. After recruiting troops, he conquered Tian Hu and led his people to resign and escape.

He often claimed that he had magical powers, which was similar to Gongsun Sheng, but Gongsun Sheng's reputation was too great and he could not compare with him, so after he went to Liangshan, he worshiped Gongsun Sheng as his disciple. He had an ordinary relationship with Chao Gai and Song Jiang, but he also stood up. After all, Gongsun Sheng's status in Liangshan is second only to the big boss.

This Fan Rui is sitting in the head. He is standing next to a rough-looking man who is talking enthusiastically. This man is similar in stature to Li Gun and is dressed similarly. The only difference is that this man carries twenty-four throwing knives on his back. Unlike Li Gon who has twenty short spears.

This person is none other than the eight-armed Nezha Xiangchong.

This charge is also evidenced by poetry:

The iron cap deeply covers the top, and the copper ring half covers the cheeks. The animal face is hanging next to the card, and the flying blade is inserted into the dragon's fetus. The feet are like wind and fire, and the body brings disaster first. Nezha has eight arms, this is Xiang Chonglai.

Sitting next to Xiang Chong was Li Gun. These two men had always been inseparable from Fan Rui. After going to Liangshan, they also sided with Gongsun Sheng and were neither cold nor hot with Song Jiang.

Opposite the three of them were Wu Song and Li Zhong. At this moment, Fan Rui laughed and said, "I've heard about Erlang's hero for a long time, but it's even more famous when we meet him."

Wu Song said: "The master of Dazhai is overly praised. When I was in Shandong, I also heard about the heroes of Mangdang Mountain. The master of Dazhai is famous far and wide."

"Where, where..." Fan Rui smiled from ear to ear and waved his hands hurriedly: "There is no prestige at all. It's just a compliment from friends on the road. It can't be compared with Erlang's real ability."

"Master Dazhai, you're welcome. I heard that Master Dazhai can use magic." Wu Song smiled and said, "I didn't know..."

"Hey..." Fan Rui laughed: "You don't have to believe this kind of thing. It's just a pretext and a cheer thing. How can you take it seriously? When you are under the prince's command, you don't even dare to mention it, for fear of committing a crime. The crime of deception!”

Wu Song asked in confusion: "Master of Dazhai, do you really have no magic?"

Fan Rui shook his head like a rattle: "Erlang is overthinking, no, no."

Wu Song thought: "Is there Mr. Gongsun? I have also been famous for a long time. I am like thunder. They say that I can call the wind and rain, sow beans to make soldiers, and everyone in the rivers and lakes knows it."

Fan Rui was stunned when he heard this, and his curly beard trembled. Unexpectedly, Wu Song asked about Gongsun Sheng, and he couldn't help but blinked and said, "Master... maybe there is one, but I haven't seen him before."

Wu Song looked at Li Zhong, who scratched his head: "I have never seen Mr. Gongsun do this, and he is not in the military formation on the bank of Taihang Mountain."

Wu Song wondered: "But why? Didn't it say that you can't leave your post without permission and leave the army?"

Li Zhongdao: "Mr. Gongsun is different from others. He is an orthodox Taoist monk. All the Taoist documents and procedures are complete, and his seniority is not low. Therefore, the court gives preferential treatment and he can stay or leave at will. Even Tong Guan can't say anything."

"That's it!" Wu Song nodded. In fact, he was just curious. After all, Taoism is prevalent in the world. From the emperor to the people, they all believe in it. Lin Lingsu is famous in the temple, and Gongsun Sheng is famous among the people. , Lin Lingsu is known as a living god with strong magic power. He thought that Gongsun Sheng should be able to do some magic, but he didn't expect that no one had ever seen him.

"Where is Mr. Gongsun now?" Wu Song asked.

"Mr. Gongsun has returned to Zixu Guanluo Zhenren in Erxian Mountain and devoted himself to practicing Taoism." Li Zhong thought for a while: "Before leaving, he said goodbye to all the brothers and said that he would never go down the mountain again."

"That's true!" Fan Rui nodded beside him: "I left one step earlier than the master, but when we said goodbye the day before, the master said that he would go back to Erxian Mountain to practice and would not go down the mountain to mingle with the world of mortals again."

"It's like this..." Wu Song lamented: "But we didn't have the chance to meet him."

Fan Rui said: "Even as a disciple, I can't get a face. I'm not even allowed to go to Erxian Mountain. Even if I want to practice Taoism in seclusion, I'm told to go somewhere else."

Wu Song said: "It's a pity. I originally wanted to visit, but it seems that I can't make it."

Everyone sighed for a while, talked about some deeds on the green forest road, and made some plans. Then they took a rest and prepared to get up in the morning and cross the border to join Zhao Tong...

In Helan Shanxi, beside the ancient Great Wall, a large army is galloping.

This army, with seven or eight thousand horsemen and horses, passed through the gap along the edge of the ancient Great Wall, came directly to the side of Helan Mountain, and then headed south along the foot of the mountain.

In front of the team, General Lu was half-crouching on his horse, feeling extremely excited.

The army's march out of Xiliang Mansion is destined to be an eternal feat, and this strategy is bound to be passed down for generations!

This is a war to destroy a country. One strategy can destroy a country. As long as the capital of Xixia is destroyed, it can directly declare the destruction of Xixia!

His reputation, General Lu, would definitely be far greater than that of Wei Yan. After all, Wei Yan only came up with a plan to send troops out of Ziwu Valley, but there was no chance of it being realized.

But he, General Lu, did it and rushed directly to Xingzhou, the capital of Xingqing Prefecture, the capital of Xixia. As long as the raid is successful, his name, General Lu, will surely be among the famous generals in history!

More than an hour later, seven or eight thousand cavalry have arrived at the south of Helan Mountain. As long as they go around to the east and go north for more than a hundred miles, they will reach Xingzhou...

(End of this chapter)