Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 3110 Liaodong Battle Report
The expedition is imminent. Fortunately, because of the Eastern Expedition, the military, political and logistics systems of the entire empire are in rapid operation, so the preparations for the Youtunwei before the expedition are orderly and very convenient.

Early in the morning, Fang Jun came to the Yamen of the Ministry of War to deal with some urgent documents.

As soon as he entered the duty room to deal with official documents, Jin Wang Li Zhi walked in. Before he had time to speak, Cui Dunli, who came to the yamen on duty after a day's rest, knocked on the door, holding a battle report in his hand.

"Reporting to Shangshu, oh, His Highness is also here, and it just so happens that I will go to find you later. This is the battle report sent back from Liaodong. Please look over it, Your Highness, Shangshu."

After Cui Dunli saluted, he put the battle report on Fang Jun's desk.

Fang Jun quickly picked it up and read it carefully. Jin Wang Li Zhi was also very concerned, so he simply came to the book case, stood by Fang Jun's side, leaned slightly and turned his head to look at the battle report in Fang Jun's hand.

Cui Dunli wanted to remind him, but his lips moved, but he held back.

One monarch and one minister, one standing and one sitting, but both of them are aware of the impoliteness, maybe they have become accustomed to it...

Fang Jun glanced at ten lines, read the battle report in his hand, looked up and saw Li Zhizheng standing beside him, handed him the battle report, sighed, and said: "The army stormed Anshi City for several days and suffered heavy casualties. Constantly... the war is anxious, it is worrying."

Li Zhi looked solemn, took the battle report, stood beside the desk, and read it carefully.

Fang Jun asked the clerk to come in and make a pot of tea, poured a cup for Li Zhi and put it in front of him, then poured a cup for himself and took a sip, tsk tsk mouth, with a heavy heart.

Sure enough, as in history, the army of the Eastern Expedition was in full swing, but encountered stubborn resistance from the Goguryeo army under the city of Anshi.Because Liaodong entered the summer hurricane season, many hurricanes landed along the coast, resulting in heavy rain throughout Liaodong for several days. Gunpowder could not be used, so they had to storm Anshi City.

At the beginning of the war, Koguryo retreated steadily, and all the elites of Liaodong were withdrawn to Anshi City. Not only did they prepare enough food, fodder and military equipment, but also strengthened the city walls, demolished all the houses in the city, and piled up all the materials that could be used to defend the city. Under the circumstances, when the Tang army attacked the city, they worked together with one heart and one mind.

In addition, Ping Rang City has continuously sent reinforcements, and since Daquegu and other places have continuously harassed the Tang Army's rear formation, involving the Tang Army's strength, so that the Tang Army has never been able to maximize its strength. .

After many days of violent attack, the bows and arrows on Anshi City caused too many casualties to the Tang army. His Majesty Li Er ordered people to dig a mound of earth, and a small hill was piled up outside the city of Anshi. The Goguryeo defenders on the city wall once gained a considerable advantage.

Seeing that this strategy worked, His Majesty Li Er simply ordered people to continue digging the soil, intending to pile up the hills all the way under the city wall, and finally connect them with the city wall so that the Tang army soldiers could directly rush up to the city wall of Anshi City.

Fang Jun sighed in his heart while drinking tea.

This tactic of "piling soil and besieging the city" was not invented by His Majesty Li Er. Gao Huan, the prime minister of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, used this tactic in the "Battle of Yubi" and led a heavy army to attack Yubi City, intending to open up the passage to the west. .

The person stationed in Yubi City is Wei Xiaokuan, a general of the Western Wei Dynasty.

It was Concubine Wei's great-grandfather...

At that time, Gao Huan's commanding army was at its peak. When they came to Yubi City, they first dug up the embankment of the Fen River and diverted the Fen River to bypass Yubi City, resulting in a lack of water in the city.Then it is to dig mounds outside the city, so that the soldiers can stand on it to see the situation in the city at a glance, which is more suitable for soldiers to shoot down the defenders with bows and arrows.

Wei Xiaokuan's countermeasures are even more interesting. Whenever the Eastern Wei army outside the city piled up the mound by one point, he ordered people to build up the tower with wood to keep suppressing the enemy army...

Gao Huan saw that the tactic of piling up soil into hills was useless, so he came up with a reverse thinking. If you can't help you in the high places, then let's go to the low places.

So the commanding soldiers began to dig the tunnel...

Wei Xiaokuan discovered Gao Huan's intentions on the city wall, so he quickly ordered someone to dig a ditch in the city wall and sent soldiers to guard it.The army of the Eastern Wei Dynasty had just dug through the tunnel and came out of the ditch directly, and was beheaded and killed by the soldiers who had already ambushed here.

Gao Huan was not reconciled, so he asked his soldiers to dig a tunnel under the city wall, first supported it with wooden sticks, and then removed the sticks, causing the city wall to collapse.

Wei Xiaokuan ordered people to make a wooden fence urgently to block the enemy's mad attack.

Gao Huan fought hard for two months, with [-] casualties, and his vitality was severely injured. In the end, Yubi City not only failed to fall, but Wei Xiaokuan counterattacked and occupied the earth mountain. He had no choice but to retreat...

At this time, news that Gao Huan was seriously injured by an arrow appeared in the army, which led to a loss of morale. Gao Huan had to sit in the tent with illness to stabilize the morale of the army.

Two months later, Gao Huan was seriously ill and died of depression.

Look, the battle of Anshicheng almost coincided with the battle of Yubi. Fang Jun knew that it would not be long before the defenders of Anshicheng played back the news that His Majesty Li Er was shot by an arrow...

After reading the battle report, Li Zhi couldn't help feeling worried, and said wryly, "How can a mere Anshi City stop my million-strong army? There will be another victory report soon."

Fang Jun remained silent, not daring to be too optimistic.

Seeing Cui Dunli standing at the side with his hands down, he said warmly: "Yuanli sent an envoy to Tuyuhun, and it took a long time to delay, and the journey is long and tiring. You might as well rest at home, and it will not be too late to come back on duty in a few days."

Cui Dunli shook his head, and said solemnly: "Shangshu is about to set out for an expedition, and the Eastern Expedition occasionally encounters difficulties. The responsibility of the Ministry of War is too great. Even if the subordinate officials rest in the mansion, they will not be satisfied with food and sleep. It is better to come to the yamen to do their part. Heart strength. The situation is critical, we are just serving the king, and we dare not slack off for a moment."

He still didn't say a word. He felt that Fang Jun's future was in jeopardy when he left the town of Hexi this time, and his life might not be guaranteed.So he gave up the opportunity to rest, and went back to the yamen to do everything himself, hoping to do his part to make the Western Expedition more likely to win.

Fang Jun is not only his official dignitary, but his character and talent make him admire him even more, but he doesn't want Fang Jun's bright future to be ruined and die in the land of Hexi...

Fang Jun nodded and said: "Forget it, it's a troubled time, we should use up our remaining courage and do our best, and wait until His Majesty's Eastern Expedition and Tuyuhun's fall, and rewards for meritorious deeds, so that we can take a break!"

In fact, since last year, the Ministry of Military Affairs has been operating at a high load. Officials and clerks have worked hard to ensure that all the affairs of the Ministry do not go wrong, and have made a great contribution.

Now that Tuyuhun was about to rebel, the officials of the Ministry of War were even more united in their hatred, they gave up all the rest time and devoted themselves to the military affairs.

Although the Ministry of War is not monolithic, under the rule of Fang Jun, he was able to abandon disputes and unify the outside world in the face of crisis, which made him very gratified.

If you don't have a group of soldiers who can fight tough battles, how can you make a brilliant achievement in history?
There are countless unsung heroes who have silently dedicated behind those generation of heroes who have shone through the ages...

Li Zhi sat down at the side, took a sip of tea, looked at Fang Jun and said, "This trip to Hexi is dangerous and unpredictable, and the future is uncertain, brother-in-law must be careful."

Sitting behind the desk, Fang Jun looked at Li Zhi with a half-smile, raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm afraid His Highness is thinking in his heart, if this guy can be buried under the iron hoof of Tuyuhun, it would be the most perfect."

Li Zhi's eyes widened immediately, his youthful face was still full of anger, and he said unhappily: "Who does my brother-in-law think of me? Of course I have a slight prejudice against my brother-in-law in my heart, but it's just because my brother-in-law is wholeheartedly helping the prince, so I'm a little dissatisfied. But This is a time when the country is in crisis, and I know the consequences once Tuyuhun captures the Hexi counties, how can he confuse the empire's foundation with personal grievances? My brother-in-law looks down on this king too!"

He has always felt that he is more suitable to be the prince than the prince's elder brother, and his heart and spirit are far superior to the prince's, but now Fang Jun regards him as a villain who does not distinguish between public and private. He just feels that he is underestimated, how can he not be angry?

Fang Jun didn't take his anger seriously, smiled lightly, and said softly: "I just hope that Your Highness can keep these words in mind, understand what is public and what is private, and understand the truth of the saying 'national interests are paramount', and don't be subject to some Because of the bewitching of some people, for their own selfishness, they did not hesitate to involve the empire in turmoil."

Li Zhi's face suddenly changed, and he said angrily: "Brother-in-law, what are you talking about? Could it be that the king can take this opportunity to make trouble!"

Fang Jun shook his head and said, "Your Highness can do whatever you want, but you need to think carefully about the consequences... Five days later, I will go to war, and I don't know whether I can protect myself against a strong enemy. Naturally, I don't need to think about what your Highness is going to do." , do it yourself."

(End of this chapter)