Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 1345 Attacking the Ferry Again
Outside Suide City in northern Shaanxi, there are ravines and deep moats that block the water around Suide City.

In the first month of the lunar year, the heavy snowfall in northern Shaanxi still did not stop, the sky was gray, and snowflakes fell from time to time, landing on the deep red ground, covering the frozen blood.

The ditch outside the city surrounded Suide a few times. In the half-deep ditch, soldiers of the Golden Army wearing bloated cotton jackets and cotton caps, and woolen blankets, took a nap against the ditch with firecrackers in their arms, avoiding northern Shaanxi. The cold wind howled.

At this time, a hundred households of the Jin army climbed the wooden ladder in the trench, peeped out, and observed the somewhat dilapidated city wall in front of them.

Suide City had been besieged for more than two months, and it had been bombarded everywhere, with many gaps in the city wall, but the defenders rebuilt it with sandbags.

Across the Yellow River, the Ming army's heavy artillery could not be transported, so they only transported small field artillery, so they could only be passively bombarded by the Jin army's artillery.

Several incomplete military flags on the city wall fluttered in the cold wind, declaring that the defenders in the city were still fighting and did not intend to surrender control of the city.

The officer observed the top of the city. Except for a few flags still standing on the top of the city, a small number of defenders patrolled the top of the city, and there was nothing new.

Hundreds of households quickly descended from the ladder, and many golden soldiers squatting tremblingly in the ditch warming the fire and cooking soup looked up at him bowing and passing, but soon turned their eyes back to the soup pot.

Hundreds of households passed through the ditch and came to a cave house dug in the ditch. Zhao Liangdong was warming up the fire inside. The officer hurriedly reported: "Junmen, there is no movement in the city, and there should be no rushing out today!"

Zhao Liangdong picked up the wooden pole, fiddled with the red flint, raised his head and said, "Brothers, don't relax your vigilance, and the cannons continue to bombard, don't stop!"

Wubao County faced almost the same situation. The Jin army dug criss-crossing deep ditches outside the city, surrounded the city like an iron stab, and aimed the main direction of attack at Wubao Ferry.

Meng Qiaofang had 5 people, and it was unrealistic to attack Suide, Wubao, and the ferry at the same time. He adopted the method of locking the city, besieging the two cities of Suide and Wubao, which are relatively difficult to attack, and the main force seized the ferry first.

After Meng Qiaofang's Northern Expedition, 5 people surrounded Suide first, and quickly dug trenches to lock the city.

At this time, Li Laiheng was aware of his intentions, and hurriedly led an army to support Suide and interfere with the Jin army to lock the city, but Meng Qiaofang had too many soldiers, and Li Laiheng could not get close to Suide.

Seeing that the Jin army could not be stopped, Li Laiheng had no choice but to retreat to Wubao, and asked Wang Guangtai to lead [-] elite soldiers out of the city quickly, build a stockade at the ferry, and rush to build fortifications.

Meng Qiaofang completed the blockade of Suide, leaving Zhao Liangdong with 1 people to besiege Suide and wait for an opportunity to break through the city, while he led an army of [-] troops east to Wubao County.

After the [-] Jin army arrived at Wubao, Meng Qiaofang followed suit. Wang Guangtai interfered several times, but was beaten back by the Jin army, and Wubao County was eventually trapped by the Jin army.

After completing the blockade of Wubao County, Meng Qiaofang still left 1 people to attack and monitor Wubao County, and the remaining 3 people were ready to attack Wubao Ferry.

After the Jin army surrounded the Ming army in Suide and Wubao counties, the entire Ming army in northern Shaanxi had actually been divided into three parts, and they could not support each other.

Meng Qiaofang's intention was to trap the Ming army in Suide and Wubao with a small number of troops, first concentrate superior forces to capture the ferry, block the gap in the Jin army's defense line, and then turn around and defeat Suide and Wubao one by one.

The ferry is less than ten miles away from Wubao County. There are hillsides on both sides, and the ferry is sandwiched between the two mountains.

Between the ferry and Wubao County, there is a spectacle.In the wilderness, there are countless ditches, which were dug by the Jin army near Wubao County to separate Wubao from the ferry and prevent the Ming army in the city from coming out to support the ferry.

Near the ferry and on the hillsides on both sides, it was dug by the Ming army at the ferry to prevent the Jin army from attacking.

Meng Qiaofang stood on a small earthen hill and observed the situation of the Ming army at the ferry. The Ming army built a long wall with a height of one foot and a width of half a foot on the only passage leading to the ferry between the two mountains. shot holes.

In front of the wall, there are three and a half feet deep trenches, and the trenches are filled with horse-proof stakes and antlers.Behind the wall, shelters were dug to avoid the bombardment, and there were tents where troops were stationed, and behind the tents there was a low wall as a second line of defense, and there were also tents for garrison troops behind the tents.

In addition, Haogou was also dug on the hillsides on both sides, and a low wall was built on the top of the hill, where the troops of the Ming army were stationed and equipped with artillery.

Wang Guangtai has 6000 people, 500 people in each of the two hills, 500 people in the first line of defense, 500 people in the second line of defense, 500 people live at the ferry, and [-] people are stationed upstream of the ferry.

Meng Qiaofang led a group of generals to observe, and saw many flags fluttering on the earthen walls and on the top of the mountain. It was obvious that the defensive force was sufficient.

He looked at the fortifications of the Ming army again. It was obviously not advisable to directly attack the front, cross three trenches, and face attacks from the hills on both sides.

Then attack the hill, but it is also difficult. The Ming army is condescending, and it also digs trenches and builds walls. When attacking, it is necessary to prevent the Ming army behind the long wall at the foot of the mountain from outflanking the rear.

Sun Sike, the golden general who accompanied Meng Qiaofang to watch the formation, let out a few breaths of anger, and couldn't help saying, "My lord, I'm afraid it's not easy to fight!"

The Ming army liked to dig trenches the most, especially Wang Yan, who must dig trenches and build walls when they go to camp.There was nothing particularly outstanding about that fellow's use of soldiers, and he didn't play many tricks, just the word "dumb".

The Ming army was obviously influenced by that guy, and used the word "stay" or "stable" to the extreme. Anyway, as long as the fortifications can be used, they will use them a lot, and then wait for the opponent to go up. Collide.

Meng Qiaofang put down the binoculars and said nothing. When he was digging ditches and building walls in Suide, he never thought that he would have to face these ditches and walls.

Meng Qiaofang was silent for a while. It was difficult to attack, but Da Jin had no choice but to gnaw off this bone.

At this time, he suddenly turned his head and said to Sun Sike: "Is there a suitable place upstream for boats and rafts?"

"There is only one place, ten miles to the north, but the Ming army lived in the stockade there, with 500 people guarding it."

Meng Qiaofang frowned, thinking that the Ming army was indeed very stable.

At this time, he found that the generals around him were all frowning after watching the battle. He couldn't help but look serious, pointing the horsewhip in his hand at the Ming army's position, and said loudly: "The Wubao Ferry, this king is bound to win. This is my great The place where the gold must be attacked, according to the king's decree, the artillery bombarded the top of the mountain first, and most of the ministries were shielded by chariots. Two days later, they attacked the ferry. Hundreds of sheep, one horse, promoted to one rank, whoever enters the ferry first will be rewarded with a thousand sheep and ten horses, promoted to two ranks. Anyone who flinches will be executed no matter what position he holds. !"

"Promise!" Sun Sike and more than a dozen other gold generals cheered up when they heard the words, and clasped their fists in agreement.

Seeing this, Meng Qiaofang let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Sun Sike and said, "General Sun, I will give you 2000 men, and you go and wipe out all the [-] Ming troops upstream."

Sun Sike hurriedly took the order again, while Meng Qiaofang waved his hand and led the crowd down the mountain, then got on his horse and headed towards the golden army camp that was covered with tents in the distance.

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(End of this chapter)