Late Tang Dynasty: I

Chapter 240 The Battle of Wang Mandu

Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin had already been forced to the corner, and drove the army to attack the east city.

Like the Pinglu army, they used catapults and archers to suppress the Bian army's eight-ox crossbow, and the archers used carts as a cover. Auxiliary soldiers, civilian husbands and many soldiers filled the river together and advanced slowly.

As a result, Zhu Youyu, the defense officer of Bianliang City, couldn't hold on immediately. Originally, the east gate had the weakest attack and placed the least troops, but now Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin suddenly exerted their strength and couldn't hold back.

"Tune the Yamen's archers to the east wall!"

"promise!"

There are a total of more than 1 soldiers in Bianliang City, evenly distributed on the walls of each city, there are only dozens of soldiers in a hundred steps, and the defensive force is far from enough.

"If Judge Li hadn't assembled [-] civil servants, I'm afraid it would be in danger."

The moat around Bianliang was a great help. If the imperial court wanted to build a city, they had to fill up the moat first, otherwise there would be no place for walls and ladders.

People in Bianliang City were panicked, and Li Zhen sent people everywhere to lobby.

"You have also seen that there are hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city. If the city is destroyed, your men will either be killed or enslaved. Your wives and daughters will be humiliated. Your houses will be burned to the ground. Property will be looted."

No one doubted Li Zhen's words, even the women in the city went up to the city wall...

……

Li Ye had been watching the battle from the bottom of the city, and was very anxious seeing this.

Zhu Zhen said: "Your Majesty, the thieves and bandits are approaching. It is advisable to attack the city quickly. If you can't get down, it's better not to attack. The best policy is to organize the army."

Li Ye nodded, and said, "If Bianliang can be captured, the Bian army will collapse, so let's persevere!"

"Your Majesty, if this is the case, the final general thinks that the general's auxiliary soldiers, military slaves, and civilian husbands can all concentrate on attacking the city, and only the soldiers will not move."

"You are the chief general, everything is at your disposal!"

"promise!"

His Majesty the Emperor did not dare to specialize in military warfare. The imperial army, including the army of the towns, was given full authority to Zhu Zhen to command. Li Ye was just a sounding board. After all, it was not enough prestige for Zhu Zhen to directly command the soldiers and horses of the feudal towns.

"Your Majesty, Ge Congzhou led the troops from Bozhou, entered Songzhou, and arrived at Taoling County. Wang Zhong's division left Jiyin and entered Kaocheng County. The distance between the two armies was only a few dozen miles. The general thought that the two armies must join forces. Bianliang."

"So, how?"

"Send cavalry to harass, cut off their logistics, and slow down their march. As long as we delay for three days, our advantage will be obvious."

His Majesty followed his words and ordered Li Cunxiao and Wang Rulin to lead his troops to Taoling to stop Ge Congzhou. After thinking about it, he sent Cha Erming's Qing cavalry army and Qi Ming's left military cavalry army to go there.

Qi Ming, the commander of the Right Wuqi Army, is the chief general, Li Cunxiao and Wang Rulin are the deputy generals, and Cha Erming is the vanguard officer.

Qi Ming performed well in attacking Li Si'an, and the emperor was very satisfied. Although Charmin now formed his own army, he originally belonged to Qi Ming's right cavalry army, so command should not be a problem.

Li Cunxiao was good at breaking the formation, but Wang Rulin had no special characteristics. He was more than stable in leading troops, but not enough in attacking.

The entire army consisted of 500 Qiming Youwu cavalry troops, 500 from Chaerming's department, 1000 from Li Cunxiao's department, and 2000 from Wang Rulin's department.

The whole army has a total of 5000 people.

"Cunxiao, if you make great achievements this time, I will appoint you as the commander of the Zuolongxiang Army, and you will lead an army yourself to fight for the imperial court."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Cunxiao, who had been depressed for several months, finally saw hope. The bugle number of the Longxiang Army had long been widely circulated in the army.

In terms of nobility, it is the Xuanjia Army among the cavalry. Compared with any military cavalry, the divine cavalry is much louder.

This military title was specially reserved for Li Cunxiao by His Majesty the Emperor. What is lacking now is military merit, and great merit, otherwise it will be difficult to convince the public!
As for Wang Rulin, Li Ye felt that he was not worthy of the military title, but he encouraged him.

Qi Ming led the army to attack, while His Majesty's thoughts were on Zhu Wen.

Zhu Wen came out in full force, and an army of [-] arrived at Wang Mandu, and Li Keyong's army followed closely.

The two were very familiar with each other. When Chang'an was conquered, Zhu Wen and the Hedong army fought side by side. Later, Huang Chao fled to Shandong, and Zhu Wen asked Li Keyong for help. The two armies attacked Huang Chao together.

After Shangyuan Station, there were two battles last year and the year before last.

Zhu Wen was afraid of Li Ke's sharp cavalry, and Li Ke was afraid of Zhu Wen's solid formation. Neither of them could do anything to the other.

From Zhengzhou to Wangmandu, more than 100 miles away, Zhu and Wen dispatched troops to cover the march alternately, and ordered the cavalry and the formation to wait for the opportunity to come out, but they were not afraid of the Hedong army.

But when they arrived at Wang Mandu, Zhu Wen was worried. The army crossing the river was the most vulnerable. If they hit halfway, the army would be in danger.

In the tent of the Chinese army, Zhu Wen called all the soldiers to discuss matters.

Lao Zhu directly called the names, and Ling Shi Shucong and Niu Cunjie led the left and right Xuanwu Yamen as the rear guard of the whole army, guarding the main passage of the ferry.

He ordered Liu Tun, Sima of the Marching Army, to prepare the ships and build the pontoon bridge.

Order Xie Yanzhang's troops to gather at the pier and prepare to cross the river.

In less than half a day, the pontoon bridge was erected, and Xie Yanzhang's troops crossed the river immediately.

Li Ke saw the Bian army crossing the river from the hill stationed in Ma, and hurriedly said to the left and right: "This is a golden opportunity!"

Gai Yu said: "Jie Shuai, the Bian Army Brigade is still on the north shore, there may be fraud!"

Li Ke said with a smile: "I'm not afraid of other things, but I'm afraid that I won't catch Zhu Wen!"

Li Keyong ordered the whole army to attack, Li Hanzhi led the Zezhou Army infantry, Gao Jisi led the Hedong Army infantry to attack from the front, Li Keyong led Li Sizhao, Li Cunxin and others led more than [-] Ya'er troops to seek opportunities to attack from the side.

At one time nearly 20 people gathered in Wang Mandu, shouting and killing.

The Xuanwu Ya army on the left and right felt overwhelmed, the Bian army arrows rained down, and kept attacking, and the crow army on the flanks kept disturbing.

At this time, Zhu Wen was at the ferry, and he said to Quanquan Caizhou: "Your faces have been tattooed. If you are caught by the court, you will inevitably die. Now you still have a chance to survive. Would you like to follow this plan?" Handsome battle!"

It is a good choice to be a soldier or to farm the land. At this point, there is no turning back.

"I am willing to die."

"it is good!"

Zhu Wen yelled: "At this moment, you are making great achievements. If you win this battle, I will not hesitate to reward you, money and beauties, everything you expect!"

"kill!"

When the frontal confrontation was inextricably linked, Zhu Wen suddenly sent a brigade to press up, and the morale of the Bian army increased greatly for a while.

Caizhou's soldiers have gone through hundreds of battles, and they are used to fighting on the battlefield. They don't look like recruits, they are all old soldiers, and they show their power in a battle. They don't have complete armor, and some people don't have weapons. They can use bamboo poles as guns To poke, to pick up a weapon is even more fearless, and to move forward bravely.

Gao Jisi and Li Hanzhi couldn't stand it for a while.

The crow's army looked for an opportunity to rush to the side, but was blocked by a large chariot. The chariots roared out of the army as if they were being driven to death.

There was a weapon on the side of the chariot, leaving a deep bloodstain wherever it passed.

The cavalry from the east of the river hurriedly shot and killed the soldiers on the chariot. After destroying the chariot, more than ten cavalry were reduced to pieces.

(End of this chapter)