Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 38 The Wall Has Collapsed

In fact, Zhao Kuangyin suffered from insomnia that night. He deeply regretted his recklessness in attacking the Northern Han this time, and deeply felt that he underestimated the Northern Han.Therefore, the established strategy of "first south and then north" was abandoned.

As a result, in the past few months, he mobilized many troops, labored people and cost money, and lost nearly 1 soldiers. What he got in return was nothing, and the gains outweighed the losses.Even according to Xue Huaguang's strategy, he made some recovery, but it still made him feel ashamed and extremely depressed. He had never regretted this much in his life, and this lesson was too heavy.

Ever since Guo Wuwei sent a messenger to meet the officials last time, Zhao Pu has been very concerned about this matter.Send confidantes to watch all outsiders entering the camp outside the army.Therefore, as soon as the messenger sent by Guo Wuwei was taken to the central army, Zhao Pu's people reported to Zhao Pu that Zhao Pu knew about it. Zhao Pu found an excuse, tricked the messenger into a tent, and detained him.

Zhao Pu didn't kill the messenger because he saw the reluctance of the officials today, and he also had some conflicts in his heart. Although he was well aware of the dangers of the Taiping Sect, compared with the major event of breaking Jinyang City, he could stop Guo Wuwei The matter of being an official in the Song Dynasty was put aside first.

However, just as he was hesitating, the time had passed, Zhao Pu thought for a while, and decided to bring the messenger to the official in person in the morning.Anyway, there is no delay for one night.

He didn't know that his delay had completely fulfilled Ye Chen.

Ye Chen and Luo Yaoshun rode fast horses from the salt field, and when they arrived at the Chinese army, it was already late at night, and Zhao Kuangyin had indeed rested.

Sure enough, as Luo Yaoshun said before, Wang Jien, the chief eunuch outside the imperial account, did not dare to report to the emperor at this time.Luo Yaoshun first threatened Wang Ji'en with the big event of breaking Jinyang City, and then secretly stuffed two gold ingots before letting Wang Ji'en reluctantly enter the tent to report.

In fact, Wang Jien learned from his subordinate Xiao Huangmen that there were sighs and sighs from time to time in the imperial tent. Although the officials had gone to bed, they hadn't fallen asleep yet. Otherwise, with the identities of Ye Chen and Luo Yaoshun, he might not have dared to report at this time.

Of course, at this time, if important officials like Zhao Pu and Cao Bin meet the officials with an urgent matter, Wang Jien will definitely inform them.

It's not that Ye Chen never thought about telling Cao Bin about the destruction of the city first, but the salt field is located in the southeast of Jinyang City, and the North Camp where Cao Bin is located is in the north of Jinyang City, so going back and forth would waste too much time.According to Ye Chen's idea, the water under Jinyang city should be drained during the night, and the city wall of Jinyang will collapse tomorrow morning.Caught off guard by the Northern Han people, the army rushed to the city.Jinyang City will definitely be taken easily.

When Zhao Kuangyin heard that Ye Chen had a plan to break the city, although he believed that the army had not been able to break through Jinyang City in the past four months, even if Ye Chen was an expert disciple, he was still a mortal, so how could he break the city.He was a little dubious, but when he thought that Ye Chen could turn the poisonous salt that people couldn't eat for thousands of years into good salt, he felt a little hopeful.

What's more, he is in the most regretful state at this time.Someone wants to propose a plan to break the city, no matter what, he will listen to it.

Zhao Kuangyin asked people to light the lights, put on a coat, and sat on the bed to meet Ye Chen.

"Ye Chen! What's your plan to destroy the city? Tell me quickly and let me hear it. If you can break the city within three days, the army will never withdraw. And you will make great achievements, and I will use it to expand the territory. I will reward you for your merits." Zhao Kuangyin looked at the confident and excited expression of Ye Chen who was kneeling on the ground, and suddenly felt even more hopeful in his heart.

Ye Chen took a long breath and said respectfully: "Officials! As long as you send someone to pump out the water under Jinyang City, the walls of Jinyang City will collapse by themselves. Our army can easily take Jinyang City."

Zhao Kuangyin was startled for a moment, then stood up abruptly, and said excitedly, "This is true! Are you sure that the city wall of Jinyang will collapse after the accumulated water is drained?"

Now that the matter has come to this point, Ye Chen dare not make a [-]% guarantee in front of Zhao Kuangyin.In case the records in the history books are wrong, wouldn't it be digging a hole for yourself.

However, Ye Chen still had a confident look on his face, and said: "Officials! The construction of Jinyang City was made of local materials, and it was rammed with extremely sticky loess from the Northwest Loess Plateau. This sticky loess, Mix it with glutinous rice, and after ramming it firmly, it is extremely strong, but judging by the technique of investigating objects I learned from my master, after soaking in water for a few days, and then pumping out the water, there is an [-]% certainty that the city wall will collapse."

In fact, Ye Chen didn't understand the reason why the city wall of Jinyang would collapse after being soaked in water and pumped again.However, this did not prevent him from using the master of the world's experts as an example to boost the confidence of the officials.

What made Ye Chen believe that Zhao Kuangyin would adopt his method was that the matter of draining the stagnant water outside Jinyang City was too simple, and even the four major battalions only needed to send [-] people to dig out the drainage ditches overnight.For the army, there is no loss at all, but it may break the city, why not try it.

Immediately, Zhao Kuangyin called Wang Ji'en and sent a military order to ask the four battalions to send 1 horses each to dig ditches from everywhere tonight to drain the accumulated water outside Jinyang City.And let the battalions make preparations for the army to rush to the city at dawn on the second day if the city wall collapses.

After receiving the emperor's military order, Gao Huaide, Dang Jin, Zhao Zan, and Cao Bin, the commanders-in-chief of the Fourth Route Army, were deeply skeptical that the city wall would collapse after pumping water.However, Zhao Kuangyin's order was still meticulously carried out, and [-] elite soldiers were sent overnight to dig ditches to pump water.And personally supervised.At the same time, the generals under his command were summoned to make preparations in advance to prevent the ground from being slippery and rush to the city the next day.

It didn't take long for Zhao Pu to know about this. In addition to looking forward to it, people must be optimistic about Guo Wuwei's messenger. At this time, he still didn't kill the messenger, so he naturally had doubts about the collapse of the city wall.

Forty thousand elite soldiers dug ditches at the same time, and the speed and efficiency were astonishing. After two hours, the drainage ditches were dug, and the accumulated water outside Jinyang City began to be quickly pumped away.

Ye Chen and Luo Yaoshun were staying in the latter's tent in the Chinese army at this time, it was already late at night but they couldn't sleep.

Needless to say, Luo Yaoshun had doubts about what Ye Chen said about the collapse of the city wall, so he was worried about Ye Chen.Although Ye Chen was very confident, he still had some doubts in his heart, and could only hope for the accuracy of the history books.

Ye Chen and Luo Yaoshun were not the only ones who couldn't sleep tonight, because of his advice, Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Pu, and the commanders of the Fourth Route Army also couldn't sleep.They want to wake up the soldiers under their command after the water is almost drained, and prepare for the whole army to rush to the city.

The water was only drained when the sky turned white.Zhao Kuangyin had dark circles under his eyes and a tired face, but he stood expectantly on the Chinese military watchtower.

Because Zhao Kuangyin often watches battles here, the Central Army Observatory was built so huge that nearly ten people could stand on it. At this time, Zhao Pu and several civil servants and Wang Jien surrounded him, and Ye Chen was also called behind him by him. It's dark circles, and the expectation in his expression is not much worse than that of Zhao Kuangyin.

Under the watchtower, a team of messenger drummers had been preparing for a long time, waiting to deliver the order for the whole army to rush to the city with the sound of drums at any time.

If you want to send orders to the four armies at the same time, only a dozen big drums are beating at the same time, so that all the armies on all sides of Jinyang City can hear it.

Now that the stagnant water outside Jinyang City has been drained, the various armies have begun to reorganize the army while eating dry food, making preparations for the cavalry to lead and the infantry to charge the city later.

By now, Ye Chen became more and more anxious, and his eyes were fixed on the city wall of Jinyang.He knew in his heart that if the city wall hadn't collapsed this time, even if he would not have been punished, most of the rewards for his salt-making efforts would have been wasted.And it will also leave a bad impression on Zhao Kuangyin and the high-level civil and military ministers of the Song Dynasty that they are not prudent enough to do things.

The defenders of the Northern Han Dynasty in Jinyang City have also discovered that the accumulated water outside the city has been drained, and the Song Army is ready to attack the city at any time.

But no one, including Liu Jiye, the general of the Northern Han Dynasty, knew that the tens of thousands of Song troops were waiting for the city wall of Jinyang to collapse.

Another hour passed, the sun had already risen, and the bright sunlight in the morning shone on the base of the city wall of Jinyang, which had been soaked by the flood for many days. Inexplicable changes that people don't know about.

When this kind of change reaches a certain level, quantitative change will lead to qualitative change, and this kind of qualitative change may be what Ye Chen, Zhao Kuangyin and all the great Song army expected to happen.

Guo Wuwei was very depressed at this time. After waiting all night, none of his messengers came out from the Great Song Army.And during the day, even if he has extraordinary lightness kung fu, he would not dare to break into the camp.

After Guo Wuwei frowned and pondered, he made a decision. He was going to reveal his identity and go to see the Emperor of Song in person.

But just as Guo Wuwei was about to go to the Song Dynasty military camp in person, Zhao Pu began to consider bringing Guo Wuwei's messenger to the officials.

Suddenly, there was a dull loud noise from the direction of Jinyang City, and then the loud noise seemed to have just started, and this loud noise continued to be heard from all directions in Jinyang City.

That's right!That was the sound of the Jinyang City Wall collapsing.

Smoke and dust rose from all directions in Jinyang City, and loud noises continued. Amidst the screams and screams of tens of thousands of defenders on the collapsed city wall, they had no idea what happened, and one third of them were buried alive.

The ground trembled slightly because the city wall was collapsing.Ye Chen took a long breath and was ecstatic. Hearing the rumbling sound, it felt like a fairy sound, extremely pleasing to the ear.

Jinyang City collapsed without attack.

Zhao Kuangyin let out a long laugh, his excited face glowed, and even his voice was slightly distorted and he shouted: "Command! The whole army rushes to the city!"

dong dong dong dong...

More than a dozen specially-made cowhide drums sounded at the same time, like thunder, and spread for dozens of miles. The troops of the Song Dynasty outside Jinyang City heard it clearly, and the shouts of all the troops sounded almost simultaneously, resounding throughout the wild.

(End of this chapter)