A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 329 A Surprise Attack in the Snow

The third day of the eleventh month of the second year of the Wude era.

Hedong, outside Haozhou City.

Snowflakes fell heavily, and the cold wind howled. In the vast white world, Liu Wuzhou's army surged in like a tide.

Li Yi, clad in gleaming armor and covered by a purple battle robe, stood solemnly atop the city wall.

Liu Wuzhou marched south from Taiyuan with an army of 100,000, ignoring the castles surrounding Haozhou and heading straight for Haozhou City.

"According to the scouts, Liu Wuzhou's army numbers about 50,000, but at most 20,000 are armored soldiers; the rest are auxiliary troops, laborers, and so on. Among the 20,000 armored soldiers, there are also about 3,000 Turkic cavalry," Zhao Yong'an reported.

50,000 troops is a lot.

But Li Yi was very confident.

Haozhou City was well-fortified, with well-trained soldiers and ample provisions. Moreover, he hadn't been idle these past few days. Taking advantage of the cold weather, he organized the soldiers and civilians of Haozhou to build another breastwork outside the city moat. They simply piled up soil and then poured water on it. The cold weather caused the soil to freeze very quickly. They piled up a layer of soil and poured water on it, which was much faster than ramming the walls.

Although it was just an earthen wall about half a person's height

But it was very thick, blocking the outside of the trench, preventing the enemy from directly filling the trench, or from building ladders or bridges over the trench.

Outside this trench wall, Li Yi planted many slanted, pointed stakes and dug many pits.

Just those few rows of barricades and antler-shaped stakes,
It didn't cost much, but it can greatly delay the enemy when defending the city.

With the help of watchtowers, barricades, crossbows, and archers on the city walls, the enemy would have to pay with their lives to clear these fortifications.

There are 14,000 soldiers in Haozhou City, and there are also surrounding castles such as Wenshui, Xiaoyi, and Yong'an, which can provide support at any time.

"I'm afraid he won't come." Li Yi was standing on the city wall at this moment, wishing someone would bring a zither so he could play a tune on the city wall.

One after another, Wu Zhou troops arrived.
It stretched as far as the eye could see, a vast and endless expanse.

Thirty li south of Haozhou City
Xiaoyi City.

Li Daoxuan, the Grand General of the State, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and Prince of Huaiyang, stood on the city wall.

"The rebel army stretched for dozens of miles, its head out of sight, heading towards Haozhou City."

Xiaoyi's scouts continuously relayed enemy intelligence: the Wu Zhou army was coming from Pingyao in the east, taking advantage of the cold weather to cross the frozen Fen River in a grand and imposing manner.

The young prince of the imperial clan knew the marching deployment of Wu Zhou's army. He knew that Liu Wu Zhou was still in Pingyao, and his vanguard had already reached Haozhou. Meanwhile, the auxiliary soldiers and civilians were transporting siege equipment, food and supplies in the middle, protected by infantry and cavalry.

But it was mainly composed of infantry.

"To achieve great deeds, to secure a high position for one's wife and children, today is the perfect time!"

The prince, full of heroic spirit, pointed outside the city and said, "How can we not eat the fat meat that is delivered to our door?"

Xiaoyi Deputy General Qiu Yingqi was also a young and valiant general. He had raised several thousand men in his hometown of Mei County with his father and had been charging into battle for a long time. At this time, he not only did not persuade Li Daoxuan, but even took the initiative to request to go into battle.

"Go together!"

Li Daoxuan made a decisive decision and decided to lead his 3,000 infantry and cavalry from the Filial Piety Camp to fight their way out and feast.

It's cold.

Heavy snow.

Sixteen-year-old Li Daoxuan quickly mustered his men.
"Your Majesty, you haven't donned your armor yet."

Li Daoxuan's family servants shouted.

"It's too cold, and this jelly is too hard. It would be inconvenient to move around if I wore it, so I won't wear it."

This prince not only refused to wear armor, but also found his sable fur robe cumbersome and simply took it off.

Finally, he went shirtless, revealing his bulging muscles.

Naked in the snow

He brandished his spear, leaped onto his horse, and roared loudly.
His two hundred light cavalrymen, seeing this, simply took off their armor and robes, leaving themselves naked in the snow.

Qiu Yingqi was somewhat stunned and speechless.
Then this eldest grandson of the Qiu family also roared as he removed his armor and clothes.

"Follow me, and we'll kill the enemy and earn merit!"

"Eat meat!"

Three thousand infantry and cavalrymen roared and charged north out of the city.

Generals Li Daoxuan and Qiu Yingqi, along with their two hundred or so family retainers and soldiers who were also shirtless in the snow, sped along at breakneck speed.

On the city wall, those remaining were civil servants from the city and local tyrants from the county. They all stared at this scene with their mouths agape.

A thought suddenly came to mind: our prince probably has some kind of illness.

He's quite ill.

On the snow-covered wilderness, Liu Wuzhou's army was marching. A group of Wuzhou infantrymen who had come south from Taiyuan were escorting a large group of able-bodied men and laborers transporting various siege weapons, making their arduous journey through the snow.

The snow is thick,

The various siege weapons were heavy, including ladders, battering rams, and trench wagons. They were pulled by horses and men, and many laborers pulled ropes, just like towing boats on land.

The progress is slow.

The cold wind was like a knife.

I was freezing and exhausted. When the wind blew on my sweaty body, I felt wet and cold again.

suddenly,

The sound of horse hooves sounded.

Then, to their south, a red flag appeared.

Behind the red flag is...
"What is that?"

A military officer looked in surprise into the distance. In the shimmering snow, the red flag was very conspicuous, but even more conspicuous was a group of shirtless cavalrymen under the red flag.

shirtless?
It's November now, freezing cold, and your breath freezes instantly.

Galloping on horseback in the snow, shirtless?
What is this for?
Where did this bunch of idiots come from?
A group of Wu Zhou soldiers watched as the group of shirtless knights charged towards them.
My first thought wasn't wariness or panic.

Instead, he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, have these people frozen senseless?"

A group of guys who weren't wearing armor or even clothes, and who only looked to be a few hundred people, were indeed not much of a threat.

Upon seeing the enemy troops, Li Daoxuan...
He became even more excited.

After leaving Xiaoyi City, they ran a long way in one go. It was indeed cold, but these muscular men, having taken off their clothes, found the cold actually stimulating them to feel warm all over.

Even the surge in adrenaline is like being injected with chicken blood.

Li Daozong saw the Wu Zhou army.

I wasn't afraid at all; on the contrary, I was as excited as a tiger seeing a flock of sheep.

"kill!"

"Eat meat!"

Li Daoxuan's skin was flushed, his heart burning with fervor, and he spurred his horse forward with his spear.

His two hundred light cavalrymen, all naked, charged forward with howling shouts.

A tiger descends the mountain.

A tiger among sheep.

The soldiers who escorted the laborers transporting siege equipment were mostly Wu Zhou infantry, and their ranks were very long during the march.

They even forgot to form a battle formation because they were laughing at the group of naked men.

As the group of burly men charged closer, they discovered that there were even more infantry and cavalry behind them.

Then they panicked.

But it's too late.

Even though he was a cavalryman without armor or clothing, he was still a cavalryman. Even though there were only three hundred riders at the front, they were not something that infantrymen who were not in formation could stop.

Moreover, there are so many able-bodied men and laborers.

Horse hooves flew, kicking up countless snow droplets.

Li Daoxuan took the lead and charged directly into the Wu Zhou army.

Without armor, there is less defense, but it is more agile.

With a single spear thrust, he sent a Wu Zhou cavalry officer flying, followed by a sweeping strike that sent another flying.

Three hundred naked men roared and charged on horseback.

The laborers and able-bodied men who were transporting the equipment screamed and scattered in all directions.

The soldiers escorting the Wu Zhou army were also stunned by the attack and scattered in panic.

Li Daoxuan and his men charged and hacked wildly in a chaotic frenzy.

Soon, the main force of the Xiaoyi Army arrived, and the infantry and cavalry charged together. The open field was unobstructed, allowing them to fight to their hearts' content.

The attack lasted for about half an hour.

Li Daoxuan and his men swept through the more than ten-mile-long Wu Zhou army ranks like cutting melons and vegetables, utterly destroying them.

Countless laborers and able-bodied men deserted from Wu Zhou's army.

A large number of siege weapons were scattered in the snow, destroyed by Li Daoxuan and his men.
By the time the Wu Zhou cavalry arrived, Li Daoxuan and his men had already returned to Xiaoyi City laughing triumphantly with over eight hundred severed heads.

This sudden attack on people dressed naked in the snow

Eight hundred Wu Zhou soldiers were beheaded, but several thousand civilian laborers and able-bodied men escaped, and a large number of siege weapons were destroyed.

Li Yi received the news of victory sent by Li Daoxuan in Haozhou City.
I couldn't believe it for a long time.

This Prince of Huaiyang is too fierce.

Aren't you afraid of the cold?

But the battle was indeed fought exceptionally well.

Seizing the opportunity of Wu Zhou's underestimation of the enemy, they found a weakness in their march and decisively delivered a fatal blow.

Three thousand men, cut them down and then retreat.

The victory was brilliant, but the losses were minimal.

"Hei Zi, immediately take some men and send some ginger and pepper to the Prince of Huaiyang and his men, along with some mutton. Tell the brothers in Xiaoyi City to quickly stew some mutton soup, add plenty of ginger and pepper, to warm themselves up and work up a good sweat."

Liu Heizi looked incredulous.

"In such a cold, snowy day, the Prince of Huaiyang actually went into battle naked, and his three thousand infantry and cavalrymen hacked and slashed at the Wu Zhou army, even beheading more than eight hundred of them?"

"You've witnessed the bravery of our Prince of Huaiyang. During the attack on Gushui City, he transformed himself and infiltrated the city. When attacking Liu Liu'er, he led the charge, breaking through the stronghold, and finally pursued him until midnight, beheading him." Li Yi still greatly admired Li Daoxuan.
The emperor's own nephew, a sixteen-year-old prince, could have lived a life of extravagance and debauchery like the brothers Li Fengci and Li Boyi, enjoying a life of ease and comfort. But he didn't. Even when he came to the army, he was unwilling to stay in the rear.

"Although it was a bit risky, now that we've won, there's no need to say anything more."

In Pingyao City,

Emperor Liu Wuzhou of the Han Dynasty was drinking and enjoying the snow with his ministers, while entertaining the Turkic leader Nibusheshibobi.

This young Nibushe was from the eastern part of the Turkic Khaganate, north of Youzhou. His father was the famous Shibi Khan, and he would become Tuli Khan in the future.

However, his father had suddenly died in Xia Prefecture, and the daughter of the Khatun princess, citing his young age, joined forces with some nobles to support his uncle, Silifu, as the new Khagan.

This time, Nibusheshibobi, on the orders of Chuluo Khan, led three thousand elite Turkic cavalry to support Liu Wuzhou.

Liu Wuzhou was very polite to this young man from Nibu.

Even during the march, they were treated to fine wine and meat, and beautiful women from Pingyao were brought to keep them company.

They were enjoying their drink when...
The guard rushed in and reported the news of the defeat.

Liu Wuzhou's smile froze on his face, and his expression turned ugly.

Nibushe was surrounded by these fragrant Han Chinese women, who had no fishy smell and delicate skin, unlike the Turkic women on the grasslands, whose skin was rough from the wind and sun, and who spent their days collecting cow dung, milking sheep, or spinning wool, and who always had a fishy smell.

"Dingyang Khan, keep drinking."

Liu Wuzhou waved his men away, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Nibushe, come, drink."

They lost a number of siege weapons, several thousand laborers and able-bodied men deserted, and over a thousand soldiers were killed or deserted.
Although it annoyed him.

But it's not a huge loss.

When his army reached the gates of Haozhou,

None of these tricks worked.

Li Yi, Li Daoxuan, are you ready to face my wrath?

(End of this chapter)