King of Song

Chapter 553 The Change Begins Here

Hezhou, also known as Gan/Sulin/Xiahui/zuzi/zhizhou in later generations.

Just in the south of Lanzhou, not far to the west is the bottom of Huangshui Valley.During the Song Dynasty, the north was Xixia, the west was Hehuang Tubo, and the east was the Song Dynasty.

How important geographical location is, it goes without saying!

The Tabai City is the most important among them. The scale of the Tabai City is not large. It is 270 meters long from east to west and 150 meters wide from north to south. It covers an area of ​​about 12 square meters. The city wall is [-] meters high and [-] meters thick. built.There are city gates in the east, south and north.

Sometimes size doesn't matter, location does.

The location of Tabai City is about Jishi Mountain in Gansu Province, and the real meaning is to guard the throat!

More than two years ago, Mu Zheng met Lin Zhao, an envoy of the Song Dynasty who was on an envoy to Tubo, here. Realizing the strategic significance of this place, he ordered the construction of a city here.

Mu Zheng's original intention was to use this city to guard the main roads and guard against Xixia and Hehuang Tubo.Now the Xixia people don't need to care about it, and as for the Hehuang Tubo, they don't need to be on guard, Mu Zheng is eager for them to come.

In order to put pressure on Hehuang and let his uncle Dong Zhan send troops to the rescue earlier, Mu Zheng gave up a lot and let the Song Dynasty army gallop on the land of Hezhou.He even gave up on Hezhou City, but Tabai City has always been firmly in his hands.

Not for others, but because Tabai City is located at an important point, and it will be the first stop for Hehuang's reinforcements.Of course, it is also the place where he communicated with He Huang. If there is a mistake here, the connection between him and He Huang may be temporarily cut off.If you make a detour, it will take more time.

When the war is so tense, time is more precious than life!The most important thing is that if there is no Tabai City, even if the Hehuang reinforcements arrive, they will inevitably be separated into two sections by the east and west, and then they will fight on their own, and there is no way to unite and fight together.

Dividing troops is sometimes a big taboo for military strategists, especially when the opponent is strong and one's own is weak, it is easy to be defeated one by one.This is what Mu Zheng is most worried about. Of all the forces involved at the moment, his strength is undoubtedly the weakest, and he is the most vulnerable.

Stepping into Baicheng is very important!

After thinking for a long time, Lin Zhao finally found Mu Zheng's weakness!
His original intention was to attack its vital points, so that Mu Zheng had to rescue him, and then he was forced to fight decisively.This is very important, especially after going deep into the hinterland of Hezhou, Lin Zhao has strengthened his entire belief!
What needs to be done now is not only to defeat the Hezhou army, but also to capture Mu Zheng himself!
Because after in-depth understanding, they discovered how powerful Mu Zheng's influence was on the Tubo people and the Qiang tribes?If he is not caught, sooner or later it will be a disaster.Maybe one day he will stand up and raise his arms for a while, and he will be able to organize a chaotic army that is not big or small, but enough to cause headaches.This was the case with the Nong Zhigao rebellion in the south back then. We have to guard against it as a lesson from the past!
Therefore, if the matter in Hezhou is to be completely resolved, Mu Zheng is the key, and the culprit must be eliminated!

What needs to be done now is to force Mu Zheng to appear, and at the same time lay the foundation for the next step.Lin Zhao has already realized that the purpose of raiding Tabai City is not simply to fish, but to really play the role of the city.

Since the reinforcements from Hehuang Tubo haven't arrived yet, it seems that Dong Zhan hesitated a little, so I don't mind going along with the flow and helping them!
If you want to stop it, let Hehuang Tubo's reinforcements enter Hezhou later, which is not harmful to the overall situation.

The key lies in stepping on Baicheng!
Therefore, Lin Zhao took the initiative to invite Ying to attack Tabai City!
And it's still a surprise attack, it must be a surprise attack, and it must be hit with one blow.

Only in this way, Mu Zheng will be really anxious, and the Hezhou army hidden in the grasslands and mountains of Hezhou will come out.

This is a great contribution, and Lin Zhao is unwilling to give it up to others.He was even more worried that someone else would mess up the matter. For the most important thing, it would be better for him to do it himself!

But this also means that there may be a little danger, it doesn't matter!It's not surprising that children can't be tied to wolves if they don't want to be a little adventurous.Lin Zhao has always firmly believed that he was reluctant to let his children be trapped by wolves. For his own great cause, this matter is really nothing.And my luck has always been good, presumably this time is no exception!
On the night of August 3000th, after several days of detours, Lin Zhao led a cavalry force of 3000 men to the forest near Tabai City.Most of the main force was taken out by Jing Sili and Liu Changzuo, and the rest will follow Wang Shao to guard Xizhou. It is very rare to be able to squeeze out [-] people, especially the Qingyishui cavalry. .

As far as the capture of Tabai City and the subsequent defenses are concerned, the role of the cavalry is very limited, and to some extent it may not be as good as the infantry.It's just that the raid method is used, so the requirements for express delivery and mobility are very high, which can only be achieved by cavalry.It is worth mentioning that all the horses of this cavalry team came from Tubo.Riding a horse fed by the Tibetans to fight the Tibetans seems a bit strange.

After several days of traveling, the soldiers were a little tired, so even though they were close to Tabai City, Lin Zhao did not launch an attack immediately, and quietly stationed to rest.

First of all, this is a very special day - Mid-Autumn Festival!

On the day of reunion, how can the soldiers miss home?Especially when these wanderers are fighting outside, there will be some emotional fluctuations!The same is true of Lin Zhao himself, so he is very considerate of the soldiers below!
Furthermore, this battle is very important. The soldiers need to recover their physical strength, and attack with the fullest enthusiasm and mental state, and the most abundant physical strength, in order to hit a hit.

Not only that, but also choose the most appropriate time to launch an attack.

Stepping into Baicheng is so critical, Mu Zheng must have arranged for tight guards!However, after many days in a row, fatigue is very likely, especially after there has been no movement, the vigilance will drop slightly.However, it is certain to be prepared for night attacks after dark. What about after staying up all night?

Before dawn is the darkest time of day, but it is also the time when the guards are most tired and relaxed. Will an attack at this time have an unexpected effect?

That's what Lin Zhao thought, and he caught the Tubo people by surprise!
He and the soldiers sat in the woods, resting silently, or gnawed dry food and drank water, as for lighting a fire, it was absolutely impossible.The war horse also has a mouthpiece, so it is not easy to make a sound.

Li Cheng led people quietly surrounded Lin Zhao to eliminate all dangers.Under Lin Zhao's operation, they successfully entered the army and became Lin Zhao's personal soldiers, quietly strengthening close guards!Even on the battlefield, he will do his best to protect the safety of the young master as much as possible.

Not only the guards, but many of Mingyuezong's subordinates secretly joined the Western Army and gathered in Xizhou in different ways to provide support for Lin Zhao.It's just that it's not available at the moment, or there is no chance to use it, and Lin Zhao is even more unwilling to easily expose his strength in front of Wang Shao.

One night passed quickly!

Before dawn, the sky was already dark. Coincidentally, the moon that hung high in the sky all night was also blocked by thick clouds!The land of Hezhou was suddenly plunged into a silent darkness.

What a godsend!

How could Lin Zhao give up such a good opportunity?Immediately got up, ordered three thousand cavalry to set off immediately, and launched an attack on Tabai City!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as Lin Zhao expected, there are a thousand Hezhou defenders in Tabai City!
The strength in Mu Zheng's hands is almost ten thousand. If he fights recklessly with the Song army, although he is confident that the Tubo warriors can defeat three with one, he dare not take risks.

Even if he wins by chance, he will spend all his capital!The bigger possibility is to return after a disastrous defeat. After all, the Western Army of the Song Dynasty is not a vegetarian anymore. The disastrous defeat of the Xixia people not long ago is a vivid example, so he dare not take risks.He was even more afraid to divide his troops and spread his hands everywhere. Only by concentrating all the troops can he be able to fight the Song army.It has to be said that Mu Zheng still has some talent in guerrilla warfare.

However, there are some places that cannot be given up, such as Stepping White City, which is extremely important to him!Therefore, he specially sent a thousand soldiers and his younger brother Mu Da to garrison here.

But his most important purpose is to let his younger brother wait here for Hehuang's reinforcements, and defense doesn't seem to be the key.Although he also considered the possibility of a sneak attack by the Song Dynasty, Mu Zheng also felt that the people of the Song Dynasty used a carpet attack method and should gradually advance from east to west, which is indeed what they are currently doing.

Tabai City is relatively west of Hezhou, and it seems that it will not be threatened for the time being!He didn't expect that Lin Zhao spent six or seven days detouring thousands of miles, bypassing his investigation, and came to the side of Tabai City.

Therefore, there are not many troops, and 1000 people guarding a small castle with a circumference of 800 meters is actually not too small.It's just that the strictness of the guards is really not flattering, at least Mu Da didn't take it to heart.

All in all, the whole defense looks lax!
Especially at dawn, the soldiers who had been on duty all night were a little tired, and their upper and lower eyelids were fighting, so they didn't even notice that someone was quietly approaching the city.
In areas where the defenses were relatively lax, there were even flying claws hanging on the top of the city, and Li Cheng led a few masters to climb up quietly.Back in Bianjing, Lin Zhao designed many special tools to improve the combat effectiveness of Mingyuezong guards.These things can play an unexpected role in the military.

Today, we will use this to break through Tabai City.Seeing Li Cheng and the others quietly climb up to the top of the city, Lin Zhao's heart moved. If he could completely control the Western Army, would he take this opportunity to build his own special forces/team?Many times it can come in handy, and it may be of great use in the future!
Still thinking in my heart, Li Cheng has already entered the city!
A few Tubo soldiers who were dozing off felt a chill in their throats, and then there was no sound, only blood gushing out from their throats!

The north and south walls are only 150 meters long, so they reached the gate of the city very quickly.Li Cheng and the others stopped hesitating and launched an attack immediately, quickly opening the city gate!
Lin Zhao, who had been waiting outside the city for a long time, still hesitated, and immediately commanded the army to rush into Tabai City!

The ground is trembling, and the situation of the Battle of Hezhou is also undergoing major changes...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mu Da was woken up in his sleep. When he heard the sound of rumbling horseshoes, his first reaction was to wonder if the Hehuang Tubo reinforcements had arrived?
It's just that this time is too...

When the sound of shouting and killing came, Mu Da's sleepiness was completely awakened, it was a sneak attack!
how so?Is it Hehuang Tubo?Qingyi's ghost knot is too dishonest...

But soon, he discovered that the people who came were from the Song Dynasty!

Why did Song Jun appear here? Aren't they still in the east?Mu Da's eyes widened, his face was filled with disbelief, and the shock was beyond words!
But the facts are right in front of his eyes, and Mu Da is not stupid, he knows very well what will happen after the Song Dynasty people occupy Tabai City?
In this case, the Song army is equivalent to blocking Hezhou from the east and west sides, forming a trend of closing the door and beating dogs!
Then Hezhou Tubo will do everything like this...

Mu Da suddenly covered in cold sweat, he immediately jumped out to organize resistance.

But after all, he only has one thousand soldiers, and the opponent has three thousand!
What they rely on is this relatively strong city, but now this advantage no longer exists.Especially when most of the Tubo soldiers are still sleeping, how can they organize an effective resistance in time?

If Mu Da reacted quickly, it would be too late to lead the army to break through from a certain place immediately!
It's a pity that his hesitation caused their entire army to be wiped out!
Lin Zhao immediately ordered to block the three city gates, and then led his troops into the city!
The area inside Tabai City is not large, and it was determined from the beginning of construction that the main function here is not to house people, but to garrison troops!So it is more like a relatively large barracks. As soon as the soldiers of the Song Army came in, they immediately controlled most of the tents and houses!

Of course, if you encounter resistance, you will definitely be shot to kill!

By dawn, the remaining 700 people had been captured, including Mu Zheng's younger brother Mu Da.

No one escaped, no news was leaked, this is the biggest gain!

Next, we only need to reveal the news subtly. The Song Army is attacking Tabai City. How will Mu Zheng react?
When he arrived at Tabai City and found that the city had fallen, what would his reaction be?
Everything is as expected!

When everything was settled, Lin Zhao immediately sent someone to deliver the news to Jing Sili and Liu Changzuo, and reported it to Wang Shao of Xizhou.Lin Zhao now has the time to observe Tabai City. It has to be said that Mu Zheng still has a good eye.

The city wall built with rammed earth is quite strong, even though it is a small earthen city with a radius of less than two miles, its function and meaning of existence are extraordinary!
If it weren't for Mu Da's negligence, how could the Song army break through the city so easily?

But now that this small city is in his hands, everything will be different!

well!Mu Zheng, I'm afraid you will be disappointed, Tabai City was built because of me, so naturally it must be used by me!

In the original history, the history of the Great Song Dynasty turned inadvertently, but since I am here today...the direction may still be a little bit off, but it must be a better aspect...

(End of this chapter)