Chapter 589 Outside Hongya City
The two sides were deadlocked for a while, and finally a wooden plank was used to connect the two sides of the trench. The coalition forces, relying on their large numbers, fearlessly charged towards the other side of the trench.
The arrow tower is high above, and without ladders, the coalition forces are just targets. Even if there are archers fighting back, they will still be suppressed. Only by rushing forward and fighting each other can the effect of the arrow tower on the Daqian side be weakened.
Bai Shan, who had advanced to the periphery, saw that the enemy had already engaged his troops. He immediately raised his sword and shouted, "My men, follow me and charge!"
Afterwards, Baishan took the lead and rushed directly to the side of the enemy's formation.
At the same time, Sun Ze slashed an enemy soldier with his sword and shouted, "Follow me and kill them back!"
The coalition forces were also composed of elite troops, fearless and unafraid of death. Under Sun Ze's leadership, his men bravely fought to be the first! However, as more and more coalition troops crossed the trench, the pressure on Sun Ze and his men grew. Fortunately, the Daqian side had the advantage of terrain and was on the defensive, so the coalition forces would have to pay a huge price if they wanted to rush over.
The battle between the two sides lasted for more than half an hour! Finally, the coalition forces suffered heavy losses and finally could not hold on, and were once again driven back by Sun Ze's troops.
…
"Is this what you call a fictitious army?" The enemy's central commander asked sternly to someone beside him.
This man was from the Wudeng tribe. He came with a letter to persuade the Xishan and Yechuan tribes to send troops. He did not hide the situation in Hongya and informed them in advance that there was a Daqian army of several thousand people stationed there, but their combat power was low and they collapsed at the first touch.
"Tu Gumao, we've lost nearly 3,000 men in this battle, while the enemy's losses are only around 1,000! If they have sufficient troops, not to mention my vanguard, even if we sent all 50,000, it might not be enough. You must give me an explanation. Otherwise, I will immediately report to the leader and withdraw our troops."
Tu Gumao's face looked a little ugly. He did know that the Daqian troops here were difficult to deal with. After all, they had fought with the troops from southern Xinjiang twice before. However, he never expected that the troops here would be so brave.
"General Zamu, the bravery of this army is beyond our expectations. However, I can conclude that their forces are certainly not numerous, otherwise they wouldn't have only two thousand men coming to fight. Their main force, numbering forty to fifty thousand, is trapped by our forces in Baima Town and Longtai Town. Jiading Prefecture has also tied up tens of thousands of troops. How many troops can they spare?"
"Although the enemy seems to be resisting stubbornly, if we attack them a few times, their casualties will mount and they will surely be unable to hold out! Furthermore, I can promise on behalf of the clan leader that upon reaching Jiading Prefecture, the promised grain and fodder will be increased by 50,000 dan and silver by 100,000!"
"General Zamu, this time we're joining forces, a powerful alliance. As long as we wipe out this army ahead and join forces in Jiading, the Daqian army will be powerless to resist. By then, the entire Shuzhong region will be divided into three parts among our tribes. With this place, are you still worried that your tribe won't be able to grow stronger?"
Under Tu Gumao's persuasion, the commander Zamu's expression also eased a little.
"Alright, then I'll give you a favor! However, after you pass Hongya, you must deliver the promised grain and silver to our army within ten days. Otherwise, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"
…
The enemy troops retreated, and Sun Ze silently led his soldiers to clean up the battlefield and build arrow towers. His subordinates had just reported that over 700 of his brothers had died in this battle, and a reward of 200 was given! Especially the 300 men of Baishan, all of whom fought to the death!
"When the enemy attacks next time, lure them deep into our territory, and then retreat directly into the second trench. Then, we will attack the enemy from behind through the prepared holes in the ground to defeat them!" Sun Ze gave the order.
…
As expected, after Jia Cong's troops had been stationed in the Baima Town area for several days, Shen Tumou finally lost his patience. After all, the situation had reversed, and the longer the delay, the better for Daqian. Fortunately, the forces on both sides were now roughly equal in number, and Shen Tumou even had a slight advantage. Therefore, it wasn't impossible to break through and fight his way out.
One day, Jia Cong received a report from a scout saying that the enemy's camp was moving.
"General, the enemy's various camps have gathered, and the vanguard of 10,000 soldiers is slowly approaching the east of Baima Town."
After receiving the news, Jia Cong immediately left the camp and headed towards Baima Town.
When they were about twenty miles east of Baima Town, they saw from afar that the enemy's troops were indeed coming.
Meng Hua, who had received the news first, had already led his troops to the scene and stood beside Jia Cong. Meng Hua immediately said, "General, let me take care of them first!"
Jia Cong looked at them for a moment, and then said, "The enemy's formation is like a goose formation."
"The goose formation is unstable, with strong forces in the center and weak forces on the wings. However, this strength and weakness can be switched between. If the frontal attack is successful, it can be transformed into a cone formation to defeat the enemy. If the front encounters resistance, the wings can outflank the enemy."
"You can send two armies to attack in the Two Dragons Emerging from the Water formation, attacking the enemy's two wings while using your cavalry to pin down the enemy's center..."
"I understand!" Meng Hua nodded excitedly, and then went down to arrange the troops.
Soon, another large formation of over 10,000 men formed up. The two formations slowly approached each other, and when they were only a few hundred steps away, Meng Hua's troops suddenly split in two. The cavalry in the middle used mounted archery to contain the enemy but did not charge. Instead, the troops on both sides charged forward fiercely.
The two sides engaged, leaving the enemy with no time to change formation. The enemy's flanks were quickly entangled and attacked by heavy troops. Shen Tumou, in the rear, had a stern expression. Seeing the enemy's troops attacking the flanks, he thought for a moment and said, "Order the troops. The center advances to break through the enemy's center. Ignore the cavalry. Order the flanks to retreat and not engage in a fight."
Then, the flag bearer beside him hurriedly issued an order.
After receiving the order, the main general in the formation immediately gathered his troops and charged forward. There were not many cavalrymen under Meng Hua's command, and the enemy also had shield soldiers protecting them in front. Such harassment could not cause much damage to the enemy. Therefore, under the enemy's approach, the cavalrymen could only retreat step by step.
However, after the enemy's central army charged for a while, they suddenly discovered that a number of huge eight-ox crossbows appeared in front of them.
I've mentioned the Eight Ox Crossbow before. Not to mention shield soldiers, even heavily armored cavalry would be defeated by the Eight Ox Crossbow. Back then, despite being weak, the Song Dynasty had suffered countless defeats in direct confrontations. It was all thanks to the Eight Ox Crossbow.
