Chapter 214 Dingjun Mountain
Mozhe Dati has led the Qinzhou army to Wuxing for some time.
The city of Wuxing was not big. In order to accommodate the large army in the city, Mozhe Dati forcibly ordered the people in the city to be driven out.
Being driven out of their homes was not the worst. After Mozhe Dati led the Qinzhou rebels into Liangzhou, he ordered the army to "find food on their own."
The so-called "eating on their own" actually means allowing the soldiers to rob on their own.
Huicheng Basin is a good place in Liangzhou second only to Hanzhong Basin.
Wuxing is close to the West Han River of the Yellow River and the Jialing River in the Yangtze River Basin. It is a place that is nourished by both the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. In later generations, it was known as "Longxi Jiangnan".
Last year, when Lü Bodu led his troops into Liangzhou, he had already robbed once. But this time, Mozhe Di brought more troops, and the food that the local tyrants voluntarily sent was not enough for the army to consume.
These Qinzhou rebels had not had enough food for a long time. Mozhe Dam allowed the soldiers to engage in crazily looting and killing near Wuxing County, and there were wailing and screaming everywhere.
But Mozhe Dike was also very worried.
Lü Bodu entered Liangzhou last year and advanced smoothly to Wuxing without encountering any significant resistance. However, he encountered stubborn resistance from the government troops in Mianyang County.
Mozhe Dati had also heard of the battle achievements of Fu Shuyan, the governor of Liangzhou. He originally thought that he was old and sick, and sent Lü Bodu to take the opportunity to capture Liangzhou. However, he did not expect that Fu Shuyan's broken ship still had 3,000 nails. Lü Bodu attacked Mianyang County for three months and was firmly nailed at the foot of Dingjun Mountain.
This time, Mozhe Dati led a large army here, on the one hand to relieve the food pressure in Qinzhou, and on the other hand, he was dissatisfied with Lu Bodu's slow progress and prepared to attack Mianyang County personally.
But yesterday, when Mozhe Dati led his troops into battle and saw Dingjun Mountain on the battlefield, he found that it was indeed a tough nut to crack.
The Dingjun Mountain is not very steep, but it is covered with dense vegetation and there is a mountaintop lake that stores water. The government troops even reclaimed some farmland on the Dingjun Mountain. When Mozhe Dam saw the situation, it knew that it was impossible to besiege the Dingjun Mountain.
This mountain is a natural military fortress, and it is self-sufficient!
According to Lü Bodu's inquiries, there are only more than 5,000 people on Dingjun Mountain now. They were handed over by Fu Shuyan to the leadership of Yang Kan, the acting doctor who came all the way to Liangzhou. Yang Kan is the son of the former governor of Liangzhou and has some old subordinates in Liangzhou. Despite his young age, he has guarded Dingjun Mountain in a very methodical manner.
Opposite Dingjun Mountain is Yangping Pass, an important dangerous pass on the Chencang Road leading to Hanzhong, which is guarded by Fu Jingshao, the son of Fu Shuyan.
The pass was equally steep and even more difficult to conquer than Dingjun Mountain.
Fu Shuyan personally stayed in Mianyang County and led the Liangzhou soldiers to build defensive fortifications as a reserve force to support Dingjun Mountain and Yangping Pass at any time.
Dingjun Mountain, Yangping Pass and Mianyang County, three dangerous fortresses formed a triangle, guarding the passage into the Hanzhong Basin.
Mozhe Dati sent his men to attack Dingjun Mountain. When they were at the foot of the mountain, they were attacked with rain of arrows by the defenders on the mountain. The refugee army had just rushed to the halfway point of the mountain when they were rushed down by the defenders on the mountain, completely disrupting their organization.
After Mozhe Dati's reserve troops were brought up, the defenders on Dingjun Mountain retreated back to the mountain. The troops sent by Mozhe Dati suffered heavy losses and had to retreat in the end.
The food around Wuxing was almost gone, and Mozhe Dati knew very well that if he could not break into Hanzhong, his troops would not be able to hold on.
Mozhe Dati was not a commoner either, he also knew the importance of establishing a base, and that this fighting style of the migrant army would never last long.
But he had no choice. The Qinzhou rebels were originally a group of refugees, and he started to recruit troops by relying on the slogan of killing officials and rebelling. If you ask him to let the soldiers farm now, why would others follow him to rebel?
Isn't the purpose of rebellion to have enough food to eat?
If we have to farm after rebelling, and pay taxes after working hard on the farm, then wouldn't it be a waste of our rebellion?
Mozhe Dadi secretly made up his mind that after conquering Liangzhou this time, he would not allow the soldiers to plunder anymore. He would establish a system in Liangzhou and develop it well.
Mozhe Dati turned his gaze to Hou Gang.
Mozhe Dati was worried about leaving Hou Gang in Tianshui, and he also needed his advice, so he brought Hou Gang with him.
He announced to the soldiers that "the King of Qin was leading the army in person", which boosted some morale and was considered to be the best use of his resources.
"Why did the king say nothing after entering Liangzhou?"
Hou Gang cursed in his heart, this dog Mozhe Dati is too snobbish, he calls him king when he needs him, but ignores him when he doesn't need him!
Hou Gang had no choice. He was now at the mercy of others. His title as the King of Qin was insignificant, as his life and death were in the hands of Mozhe Dati.
However, these days, as they left Tianshui City, Mozhe Dati's control over Hou Gang gradually loosened.
There was no other way around it. During the march, there was no way to completely isolate Hou Gang from contact with others, and Mozhe Dati couldn't keep an eye on him all the time.
But Hou Gang's condition has not changed, so he said honestly:
"From a geographical point of view, Yangping Pass is the most strategic, and Dingjun Mountain is the easiest to attack."
Mozhe Dati nodded. Yangping Pass was indeed a dangerous pass. It was the exit of Chencang Road, built between the Qinling Mountains. The narrowest place could only accommodate two soldiers passing side by side, and there was no foothold to climb up and attack.
Therefore, Mozhe Dati had never thought of attacking Yangping Pass before.
As for Mianyang County, if the two horns in front are not removed, directly attacking Mianyang County would be a suicidal act.
Hou Gang said: "I know Fu Shuyan. He is indeed a famous general. He is not only good at commanding soldiers, but also at commanding the people. He is highly respected in Liangzhou."
Hearing this, Mo Zhe Dadi's expression became even uglier. He snorted coldly and said, "Then the king is still going to attack Liangzhou?"
Hou Gang cursed inwardly, this Gou Hu really has the nature of a wolfdog, he would turn against people as soon as he was not satisfied.
The attack on Liangzhou at that time was also a helpless move, and you all agreed with it at that time. Why has it become your own idea now?
Hou Gang calmed down and said:
"If Fu Shuyan was twenty years younger, no, ten years younger, I would definitely not let the Prime Minister come to Liangzhou, but Fu Shuyan is old."
"Fu Shuyan was bedridden before, and had let his son Fu Jingshao take charge of Liangzhou's military and political affairs. His son was a good-for-nothing. When he was in power, he messed up Liangzhou's affairs, and the people of Liangzhou hated him very much."
Speaking of this, Hou Gang thought of his deceased son Hou Yuan.
It is common in the world for a father to be a hero and his son to be a hero. It is rare for both father and son to be heroes.
If I hadn't been so eager for my son to become a successful person, and sent him to Liujia to be an ordinary officer, to hone his skills for a few years before returning to Luoyang, then such a thing would not have happened, right?
But Hou Gang still didn't understand why his son led the Yulin Rebellion and brought the family to such a situation?
Therefore, Hou Gang was able to empathize with Fu Shuyan. On the one hand, he was disappointed with his son, but on the other hand, this piece of rotten iron was his own flesh and blood, the heir to his family and business, so he would always help him when he could.
Hou Gang continued, "Although Fu Jingshao is far inferior to his father, Fu Shuyan has always wanted his son to inherit his position as the governor of Liangzhou. This time he asked his son to guard Yangping Pass, hoping that his son would be rewarded for his military merits." Hou Gang said, "We can break through from Yangping Pass."
Mo Zhe Dadi perked up, listened carefully to Hou Gang's plan, clapped his hands in delight and said:
"Your Majesty, you had such a brilliant plan, but you didn't tell me earlier. I lost many soldiers and generals in vain!"
Hou Gang's character was also softened by the reality. He said, "If the Prime Minister had not been defeated at Dingjun Mountain, how could we have implemented the following plan?"
Mozhe Dati burst into laughter.
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Longxi County, north of Xiangwu County, Xincheng.
Hou Jing's military flag was planted in the distance, and a battalion of 300 men was besieging a fort.
It can only be said that Mozhe Dati and his gang are really uncultured. They call the city built for Xiangwu New City.
Mozhe Dati also knew how to fight. He built a series of forts near the new city. Before removing these forts, Su Ze's army would not be able to attack the new city.
Su Ze was not in a hurry. He ordered the new soldiers of Zhechoufu recruited in Longxi to attack these forts, which was regarded as actual combat training.
Wubao was a Han fortress built outside the northern border during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. During the transition period between the Eastern and Western Han dynasties, wars were frequent in the north, and Wubao flourished as a result.
A dock was built on flat ground, surrounded by walls, with gates at the front and back. A watchtower was built inside the dock and corner towers were built at the four corners, somewhat like a city.
By the Western Jin Dynasty, the north had been in turmoil for hundreds of years, and the remaining Han ethnic groups would build forts to defend their homeland.
These forts are similar to the Zhechoufu established by Su Ze. They are used for farming when busy and for training soldiers when free. Some fort owners have hundreds of soldiers under their command. While guarding their homeland, they will also join the forces fighting for hegemony.
The fort lords and fort commanders are civilian armed forces with great influence in Longxi, just like the Qiang commanders. Some forts have even been established on this land for hundreds of years and firmly control this land.
Some of the forts near the new city were built by fort owners who surrendered to the Mozhe Dam, and some were newly built together with the new city.
The target of this battalion's attack today is a newly built fort.
[A vanguard warrior who is strong enough to lift a tripod], this orange follower is named Su Deng, and he is the brigade commander of this battalion.
This is an infantry battalion with a full strength of 300 people. It is divided into three 100-man groups, with three group leaders, and then there are teams of 20 people each, with a team leader.
Among the officers, some are veteran backbones selected by Su Ze, some are excellent soldiers who stood out during training, and there is also a building owner who "brought his troops into the company", and this building is his own 100-part army.
For such people, as long as they abide by the military camp discipline and obey the orders of their superiors, Su Ze will not deliberately disrupt or separate them. At most, he will add sand to the grassroots.
This kind of father-son and brother soldiers are the most combat-effective, and they can be considered to have brought money into the group. As long as these building owners can make meritorious contributions, Su Ze will have reasons to promote them. As long as they continue to reorganize and regroup, these forces can be eliminated.
Although it was an infantry battalion, Su Ze also luxuriously equipped the battalion with fifty pack horses. These horses could reduce the soldiers' load, making it easier for them to march, and could also carry more supplies.
However, this well-equipped infantry battalion of 300 people fought for seven days but was unable to capture the fort which was guarded by only a hundred people.
There is no way. Equipment is one thing, but the most important thing in fighting a war is the number of soldiers.
Although the soldiers of Zhechoufu had been trained, they had never experienced the baptism of blood and fire on the battlefield, and many problems were exposed when they really went to the battlefield.
For example, they had already climbed onto the earthen wall of the fort yesterday, but because the soldiers holding the ladder were frightened by the archers on the corner tower, the siege ladder was pushed down by the soldiers guarding the fort. The soldiers who had just climbed onto the fort were all killed by the defenders, and dozens of people were lost in vain.
Su Deng was so angry that he beheaded the two soldiers who fled without permission in the camp and hung their heads at the gate of the camp. He also punished the soldiers of the fleeing team and incorporated them into the vanguard team.
When the soldiers first joined the army, they were excited about gaining fame and fortune, but that gradually turned into a fear of the battlefield, and today they have become numb to death.
War is like this. The number of deaths in the military books is actually the comrades who talked about their future last night, the brothers who joined the army together, and the husband whose wife hoped he would return home after making achievements.
In attacking a fort with only a hundred garrisons, this battalion has lost more than fifty men. All their passion has been extinguished, and the only thing that can sustain this team is the respect for military law and the anger in their hearts.
Being assigned to the vanguard team is the last chance to redeem oneself for one's crime.
Since ancient times, the first one to reach the city has been rewarded handsomely, and it is even possible to be awarded a title if you are the first to reach the city when you encounter a big city.
But being the first to climb up also means a high risk of death, and the first few times of climbing up first even meant a 10% chance of survival.
Suden was also irritated by this small fortress. He said:
"Tomorrow, the commander of the Japanese brigade will also go up first! If I die in battle, the leader of the brigade will take over! If the leader of the brigade dies in battle, the captain of the brigade will take over!"
In the fort, the fort commander was also inspecting the fort.
Faced with the repeated attacks from the Longxi County army, the defenders in the fort were already extremely exhausted.
There were fewer and fewer bows and arrows in the fort, so the archers were strictly ordered to aim before shooting, and were forbidden to harass the enemy with long-range shots.
The fallen rocks, sleepers, tar and gold water (boiled manure) used to defend the city were becoming less and less. Today, the enemy almost broke into the fort through the weak point of the earth wall. Otherwise, the enemy made a mistake and gave the defenders a chance to remedy the situation. Now the fort has been breached.
The Lord of Wubao was forced to join the Qinzhou rebels, but his clansmen were all detained in Tianshui City, and there was absolutely no way for him to surrender.
The fort master could only hope that the enemy would retreat due to heavy losses, and said some encouraging words to the soldiers, such as "hold on firmly, Mo Zhe Niansheng from Xincheng will soon send troops to support, and they will be able to rotate to the rear to enjoy the benefits after a while."
It’s a pity that the owner of the fortress’s fantasy was shattered.
The next day, Su Deng led the way. He personally carried the hook ladder to the foot of the city and hooked the ladder firmly to the city wall.
With a knife in his mouth, Suden climbed up the earthen wall of the fort using the hook ladder. He was shot in the abdomen by an arrow from the corner tower, but it did not stop him from climbing up the wall.
After climbing up the earth wall, Suden immediately swung his sword and knocked the two numb defenders to the ground.
The sound of copper bells rang out on the earth wall, and more defenders gathered, but Su Deng held on tightly near the hook ladder, and more soldiers from Longxi Prefecture climbed up the earth wall.
Hou Jing, who was sitting on a mound not far away, used his clairvoyance to see the situation of the fort. He immediately ordered the rangers around him to follow and prepare to intercept and kill the fleeing soldiers of the fort.
Hou Jing didn't care about the death of these soldiers. He looked at the new city in the distance. The nearby forts were just used for training. His target was the new city.
(End of this chapter)