Chapter 668 0663 [Hundreds More Hezhamengan Died]

Under normal circumstances, Wanyan Zongwang should be standing in the tower, and no Han soldiers could approach him.

But the tower had been blown down by artillery a few days ago.

Wanyan Zongwang had only more than 20 personal soldiers around him, and he was able to fight back against the siege led by Zhang Di and two or three hundred people.

On the one hand, these Jin soldiers were top elites, and on the other hand, it also showed that Zhang Di's soldiers were too weak. Although they were all rebels who crawled out of the pile of dead bodies, their armor was mainly leather armor, and only a few leaders could wear iron armor.

More of Zhang Di's soldiers were under the horse road and were arranged there as a reserve.

The Jin soldiers on both sides came and attacked Zhang Di from both sides. Nearly half of the more than 200 soldiers around him were killed or injured in a blink of an eye.

But there were large groups of Ming troops nearby, constantly climbing the city.

The Ming soldiers hiding behind the Xingnu Wall took the opportunity to lift out many flying ladders and set them up at multiple places next to the friendly landing point to climb at the same time.

The southern wall of Gaocheng, close to the eastern side of the city wall, was about 20 meters long and was soon completely occupied by the Ming army.

Four teams of Ming army formed a long spear array and stabbed repeatedly to the east.

The reserve troops of the Jin soldiers here all ran to rescue Wanyan Zongwang. The Jin soldiers guarding the women's wall had to deal with the Ming army climbing the ladders and the Ming army's spear array coming from the side.

In the process of focusing on one thing and losing another, not only were the sides pushed forward continuously, but several Ming soldiers succeeded in climbing the city from the front.

Even more unfortunate was that their commander was killed by a musket!

More and more Jin soldiers turned around and fled, running towards the place where Wanyan Zongwang was besieged.

Wanyan Zongwang was horrified, drew his sword and fought in person, and killed Zhang Di's soldiers horizontally along the women's wall. Then, he immediately got into the Jin soldiers further east, and ran all the way to the east wall before shouting: "Stop the enemy!"

The Jin soldiers in the city were fighting with Zhang Di's Han army in the city.

Zhang Di's troops inside the city were weaker. More than 2,000 soldiers were killed by hundreds of Jin soldiers and fled to the north city area.

After hundreds of melee infantry climbed the city, the Ming army's musketeers also began to climb the city.

They did not wait for the commander's order and fired freely at the Jin soldiers who were reinforcing along the horse road to the city, and also prioritized the officers of the Jin soldiers.

As the subsequent Ming army climbed the city, they quickly occupied the 40-50 meter long city wall.

Zhang Di was also rescued, with more than ten wounds all over his body, almost turning into a bloody man. He led more than 200 soldiers to attack Wanyan Zongwang, and only 60 to 70 people died at this time, and everyone was extremely injured.

The reason why these Hebei Han soldiers did not flee was purely because they had poked a hornet's nest and were surrounded and had nowhere to escape.

Zhang Di was supported by his cousin Zhang Hao. Just as he was about to say something, the Ming army general who was coming over had already said: "Good man, rest against the wall first, and the military doctor will come after you are done!"

"Thank you." Zhang Di smiled bitterly.

Wanyan Zongwang was so angry that he lost his temper and yelled: "Block the horse path!"

The horse path is a slope on the inside of the city wall, with stairs in the middle and smooth ramps on both sides. The smooth ramp can be used to rush up the city wall from the city, or to push some equipment up. Cavalry can use this thing to rush to the top of the city to fight.

The Ming army has only captured a few dozen meters of the city wall. As long as the horse path is blocked to prevent the Ming army from entering the city, the Jin soldiers guarding the city still have a chance to kill the Ming army back.

The Jin soldiers have gone crazy and mobilized all the troops in the city. They don't care about the other walls at all. Anyway, the Ming army has been suppressed in the camp. It is difficult to attack other places except the southern city wall.

The siege has become a positional battle!

The battle took place on the small section of the city wall in the south, with Jin soldiers on both sides and Ming soldiers in the middle.

Although the Ming army has fewer troops, the Jin soldiers cannot play their advantage in strength. More Jin soldiers can only stand in the back row and throw randomly.

The 210 artillery pieces in the Ming army camp were all aimed at the walls on both sides of the city wall. If the Jin soldiers inside and outside the city dared to go around and kill the siege positions under the city, they would inevitably be hit by a large number of artillery volleys of 100 meters.

After realizing that a section of the city wall had been lost, Wanyan Jiemu, who was besieging the camp outside, also began to go crazy.

While he sent a large number of infantry to attack the chariot formation, he sent four hundred Hezhamengan to mix in. This was to use the abandoned horses of the Iron Buddha as infantry.

Don't think it's outrageous, Hezhamengan often does this.

The most typical example is the first attack on the Song Dynasty. The Song general Shi Zhen led 2,000 heavy infantry. After tens of thousands of friendly troops had all fled, they still lined up and continued to fight. Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Talan led 6,000 cavalry, and they remained unmoved despite repeated horseback shooting charges. The Jin cavalry, including Hezhamengan, all dismounted and fought on foot to annihilate the 2,000 Song heavy infantry.

In this time and space, General Shi Zhen has disappeared, and no one knows where the two thousand heavy infantrymen of the Song Dynasty under his command have gone.

Perhaps when they were in Shaanxi, Gao Qiu generously gave Zhu Ming the infantry armor.

"Your Highness, there are unusual movements of the Jin soldiers on the east side!"

Standing on the high platform, Zhu Ming picked up the telescope and soon saw Hezhameng'an mixed in with the infantry. Those iron cans were too conspicuous.

Zhu Ming ordered: "Musketeers go!"

There were only more than 4,000 musketeers involved in the siege, and nearly 2,000 were with Zhu Ming.

These musketeers immediately rode out of the passage in the camp after receiving the order.

Four hundred Hezhameng'an, wearing heavy armor, holding iron maces, iron rods and other blunt weapons in their hands, have gathered in a group outside the chariot formation.

The Ming army's long-range and short-range weapons are ineffective against them.

These guys have already approached the carriage, smashed the short spears inserted in the carriage, and sent people to untie the iron chains.

Immediately afterwards, they stepped forward and charged forward with the Ming army's spears.

Nearly two thousand musketeers, armed with muskets that had been loaded long ago, dismounted and gathered behind the melee soldiers.

"Raise the gun!"

The Musketeers' herald raised his flag.

The commander of this group of infantry immediately ordered: "Down!"

"Uu uh uh!"

The squad leaders blew their bamboo whistles fiercely.

The Ming soldiers in front crouched down one after another, raised their spears and pointed outwards, with the tail of the spear leaning on the ground and the head of the spear pointing diagonally upward.

Facing the forest of erected guns, Baihe Zhameng'an was still rushing forward. Some people even held long guns and smashed the Ming army's gun barrels with blunt objects.

"First row, let go!"

"Bang bang bang bang!"

The bullets flew over the heads of the friendly troops and were fired at Hezha Meng'an less than ten meters away. Some of the bullets even broke the Ming army's gun barrels that were standing at an angle.

"Second row, let go!"

After firing a shot, the musketeers in the front row immediately squatted down to reload their ammunition, and the musketeers in the second row fired another volley.

"Third row, let go!"

The unstoppable Sibaihe Zhamengan was shot and fell down one after another, and the few survivors turned around and fled.

The Jin soldiers were horrified, and the elite infantry following Hezha Meng'an were also frightened by the rounds of musket fire and retreated one after another.

"Cavalry pursuit!"

Li Yanxian took the opportunity to detach 500 cavalry, passed through the troop transport channel, and rushed out along the gap in the vehicle formation destroyed by Hezha Meng'an.

The command flag beside Wanyan's mother was waved continuously, and Jin Guobu, a reserve team, rode over to resist, preventing the Ming army's cavalry from taking the opportunity to overwhelm the entire western front.

The Ming cavalry chased and killed nearly a thousand people. Li Yanxian ordered the trumpets to retreat, and before the Jin cavalry could encircle them, he safely withdrew the 500 cavalry sent out.

"Haha, kill me happily!"

This time it was not Yan Ping who led the cavalry into battle, but Luo Ruming, another cavalry officer under Li Yanxian.

The large formation of carriages was closed again. In front of the formation were the bodies of Si Baihe Zha Meng'an. Those who were lucky enough not to be shot were also caught up by the Ming army's knights on the way to escape, and they were beaten to death with blunt instruments. Smash.

The battle on the city continues.

Those personal guards who had not changed into the new infantry armor, but also wore heavy armor weighing seventy or eighty kilograms, climbed up the ladder one after another from the section of the city wall occupied by the friendly forces.

Gradually, the main frontline combat force of the Ming army became these heavy infantry. The spearmen hid behind them, poking out through the gaps between the heavy infantry and assisting the heavy infantry in attacking.

More Jin soldiers were mobilized, climbed up the city wall from both sides of the Ming army, and gathered in formation to fight positional warfare.

The musketeers on the city wall, protected by friendly troops on both sides, continued to shoot at the golden soldiers in the city who had not yet climbed up the wall.

But the two hundred musketeers in the watchtower car were pushed along with the car, slowly advancing towards the fighting zone on both sides. Below them, there were Ming troops pushing the female wall to protect them from the Jin soldiers rushing over from the base of the city wall.

Liu Bubai...well, Liu Jizhong loaded up his ammunition and was pushed away in a cart by friendly troops.

Seeing that he had almost arrived at the position, he pulled out the small flag in the car and waved it to the cart soldier below.

The city wall twenty meters away was so densely packed with enemy troops that Liu Jizhong could hit him with his eyes closed!

Soon his eyes lit up and he saw Yelu Mawu who was conducting.

It is very conspicuous. Not only is the equipment better, but it is also protected by personal soldiers.

Raise the gun and aim.

"Bang bang bang bang..."

There were at least ten musketeers aiming at Yelu Mawu's head.

"Damn it, you were too slow!"

Before Liu Jizhong had time to shoot, Yelu Mawu had already fallen, and even four soldiers around him also fell together.

"Dong, take, take, take, take..."

A swallow-tailed armor-piercing arrow was shot, inserted into the outer skin of the watchtower cart, and shook violently below the shooting port.

Liu Jizhong quickly searched for the enemy archer. It was difficult to find him in a short time, so he simply aimed at a messenger who was waving the flag.

"boom!"

There was a gunshot and someone fell.

However, after the messenger issued the military order, he immediately turned around and ran away. The bullet accidentally hit the passenger car.

Yelu Ma was killed in a confused manner, causing huge chaos to the golden soldiers guarding the city. The heavy infantry of the Ming Army, with the cooperation of long gunmen, took the opportunity to advance more than ten meters away.

Kong Yanzhou's troops were also sent up, but they did not engage in battle yet. Instead, they set up a gun array and stood on the outside of the horse road.

Two bullets flew over. They were shot by the musketeers on the city wall. These musketeers were very inaccurate. They originally aimed at Kong Yanzhou, but missed and killed his own soldier.

Kong Yanzhou was so frightened that he ignored any military orders. He jumped off the horse track and ran away. His soldiers also fled with him.

Subsequently, the Ming army climbed onto the city wall and found that there was no fighting space, so they ran to move the wood and built it into multiple small platforms as high as one person.

They called some musketeers, stood on the wooden platform behind the friendly forces, and fired from a high position at the Jin soldiers on the opposite side.

"ah!"

As soon as a musketeer stood up, a golden arrow was thrown towards him, and accidentally fell and hit his eye socket.

This guy covered his eyes and retreated, and another musketeer stood up and continued.

Wanyan Xiyin didn't know when he entered the city, so he came to Wanyan Zongwang and said: "There are trench barriers to the east and south of the Ming army's camp, and there are carriages blocking it on the west side. Four Baihe Zha Meng'an just died in the battle, it's basically We couldn't attack, and the Ming army also had firearms in the camp. I sent more than a thousand infantry to rush towards the Ming army's siege equipment along the base of the city wall, trying to attack the enemy from the rear, but they were defeated by artillery just halfway through. . If we can’t attack the outside of the city, can we still defend the city?”

"Four Baihe Zhamengan was killed in battle?" Wanyan Zongwang was shocked.

Wanyan Xiyin said: "Cha's mother was also forced to do nothing. When he saw that a part of the city wall was lost and his soldiers could not break the camp, he asked Sibaihe Zhameng'an to dismount and fight on foot. Who knew that Prince Zhu was so cunning that he actually There are firearms soldiers in the camp.”

At this moment, Wanyan Tarlan also rode back to the city: "We can't attack the outside, and I'm afraid the city is almost gone. Let's withdraw our troops quickly."

"We can still fight in the city, but we can drive the enemy out." Wanyan Zongwang said.

Wanyan Talan pointed to the place of battle: "The warriors of Dajin were killed and kept retreating. The front row of the opponent was all heavy armored soldiers."

Wanyan Zongwang said: "It is better to transfer the remaining Hezha Meng'an to the city wall to fight on foot."

"You're crazy!"

Wanyan Xiyin and Wanyan Talan exclaimed at the same time.

Wanyan Talan added: "If we delay any longer, the Ming army will occupy the horse road. When the time comes, they will rush down and open the city gate. How can they evacuate safely in the chaos?"

Wanyan Zongwang looked at the city wall where the battle was stalemate, feeling unwilling to let him withdraw his troops.

Wanyan Xiyin said: "The Ming army has firearms and heavy armor. If the army fights hard at the top of the city and inside the city, it will suit Prince Zhu's wishes. Could it be that our army's 20,000 cavalry have to be mobilized to fight on foot inside the city?" ?"

"When the Jurchen warriors started their campaign, they didn't have that many cavalry. Didn't they just rely on infantry fighting?" Wanyan Zongwang asked.

Wanyan Xiyin angrily scolded: "You are carried away by anger!"

Wanyan Talan said: "While there is still fighting on the city wall, we should withdraw immediately. Otherwise, when the Ming army captures Gao City, the cavalry can withdraw safely. How many infantry troops of each ethnic group can withdraw? How many infantry troops of each ethnic group can be withdrawn? If there are too many casualties here, the military commanders of all races will be resentful and rebellious when they return home. "

"Quickly retreat, what are you waiting for?" Wanyan Xiyin said.

Wanyan Talan said: "Abandon the city, lure the Ming army to pursue, and maybe use the cavalry to defeat the enemy in the wild. If you don't give the order, I will withdraw with my troops!"

Wanyan Xiyin also turned and left, probably wanting to lead his troops to retreat.

It is true that Wanyan Zongwang is the marshal, but his prestige is far less than that of Wanyan Zonghan. He has a cooperative relationship with Wanyan Talan and Wanyan Xiyin.

"return!"

Wanyan Zongwang held back his anger: "We must also discuss the withdrawal of troops. We cannot act independently, otherwise it will become a rout!"

Wanyan Talan said: "Let the Han army cut off the rear. Even if it is quickly defeated and the Han army breaks up and flees, it can still stop the Ming army from pursuing it. If the Ming army can still pursue them, let the Bohai and Khitan troops cut off the rear. The more deaths these two groups have, the easier it will be to control them.”

Wanyan Xiyin said: "If there are not many soldiers and horses pursued by the Ming army, or if the pursuit makes all the troops confused, the Dajin cavalry can take the opportunity to kill back. This battle may be able to turn defeat into victory."

"Bang bang bang bang!"

The sound of gunfire continued.

Wanyan Zongwang stared at the watchtower cars, filled with resentment and not knowing how to vent it. He really couldn't think of a way to guard against firearms.

If the Ming army had no firearms, how could the Jin soldiers be in such a predicament. Even if the Ming army had three heads and six arms, it could not quickly capture the city wall!

Withdrawal can remove the main force, but how should we fight in the future?

Unable to deal with firearms, Jin soldiers will always be passive.

Wanyan Zongwang felt a sense of despair.