Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 117
Luoyang, the arsenal in the north of the city.

When Xiang Zhuang, surrounded by generals Wei Liao, Wu She, Tian Heng, and Xiao Kai, walked into the Dajiao Yard, the first ladder supervised by the public transportation vehicle had already taken shape.

The whole aerial ladder is composed of tower frame and stepladder.

Viewed from the front, the tower is trapezoidal, six feet wide at the top and one foot six feet wide at the bottom.

Viewed from the side, the tower is three feet high, the bottom is four feet deep, and the slope is five feet long. It is a standard Pythagorean triangle.

The total length is five feet, and the width has been reduced from one foot six to six feet. The steps have been separated by six-inch square wooden strips, and the interval between each step is three feet.

The stepladder is hinged to the top of the tower.

The stepladder is about six feet long, with an iron barb on the top, and a foot protruding from the end of the tower. The end is connected with a rope. The hinge at the top of the frame is turned upwards on the axis, up to eight feet high, and then flipped forward to hook the battlements, then the tower frame and the stepladder are connected to form a complete ladder to seize the city.

The bus transporter took dozens of carpenters to demonstrate by pulling the iron cables. After confirming that all the components of the ladder were normal and reliable, they led the carpenters to start dismantling the built ladder.

Xiang Zhuang frowned, and immediately stepped forward to stop him: "Mr. Gongshu, why did you tear down the ladder you built?"

The bus patiently explained: "General, if the ladder is not removed, it will be too difficult to transport, and there is no way to get out of the city, because the city gate is too short."

Xiang Zhuang thought for a while, then asked again: "How long will it take to disassemble and reinstall the ladder?"

"This, it should still take a little time." The public transporter smiled wryly, "Because of insufficient manpower, it is impossible to reinstall twenty ladders, twenty well rails and five siege vehicles at the same time."

"Then don't dismantle it." Xiang Zhuang said decisively, "Hurry up and take your people to install the rest of the ladder!"

"Ah, won't it be dismantled?" The bus transporter said in amazement, "But General, if it is not dismantled, it will be very troublesome to transport?"

"You don't need to worry about this." Xiang Zhuang waved his hand and said coldly, "Your task is to assemble all the remaining ladders, well rails, and siege vehicles in the shortest possible time." Said this After a pause, Xiang Zhuang said again, "As for how to get these equipment out of the city and how to transport them, this general has his own way."

"No." The bus transporter bowed, and led the carpenter away.

The ladders, well rails, and siege vehicles have all been built, and now there is only trial assembly left. Originally, they had to be disassembled and packed. After going to the battlefield, they had to be reassembled. However, since Xiang Zhuang said that there is no need to disassemble and pack, the bus On the contrary, it's easier here. By tomorrow morning, the ladder, the well rail and the siege engine will all be installed.

When the transport vehicle left, Wei Liao suddenly said: "General, are you planning to..."

"That's right!" Before Wei Liao could finish speaking, Xiang Zhuang nodded his head and said, "Five thousand prisoners of the Han army will be able to walk with equipment, which will only be faster than an ox cart, not slower! As for the problem of how to get out of the city ..." Xiang Zhuang paused, then turned back to Xiao Kai and said, "General Xiao Kai, take five hundred prisoners of war immediately and tear down the west gate of Luoyang!"

"No!" Xiao Kai suddenly agreed, and immediately took the order.

When Xiang Zhuang was about to return to the Sheriff's Mansion, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes behind him.

When everyone looked back anxiously, they saw a fast horse flying towards Xiang Zhuang. When they were less than ten steps away from Xiang Zhuang, the knight on the horse reined in his mount, got off his horse, knelt on one knee, and panted to Xiang Zhuang. Report: "Admiral General, Liang Liang Liang's army has aggressively entered and attacked Hulao Pass, pass!"

Xiang Zhuang's expression froze immediately, Liang Jun really came!

Wu She was shocked and said: "General, Liang Jun came so fast!"

"Military division." Xiang Zhuang's eyes fell on Wei Liao, and he said in a deep voice, "What do you think?"

Wei Liao stroked his long beard and said worriedly: "The Liang army is sharper than the Han army. Although the two generals Huan Chu and Ji Bu have fought battles for a long time, the soldiers under their command have not fought much. Because in Aocang, the Liang army never attacked the city in a serious manner, so the old man is worried..."

Wu She said awe-inspiringly: "The military advisor is saying that Huan Chu and Ji Bu's [-] troops can't hold Hulao Pass?"

"I'm sure I won't be able to defend it." Wei Liao shook his head, and said in a dignified tone, "If we only rely on the two armies of Huan Chu and Ji Bu, I'm afraid we won't be able to defend it for half a day!"

Wu She looked up at the scorching sun, which was almost in the middle of the sky, and said in shock, "That is to say, Hulao Pass will definitely fall before it gets dark today?"

"Hulao Pass must not be lost!" Xiang Zhuang said decisively, "At least within ten days, it must not be lost!"

After saying this, Xiang Zhuang suddenly turned his head and shouted: "Where is Jingqian?"

Jing Qian immediately took two steps forward, clasped his fists in both hands, and said proudly: "The end is here!"

Xiang Zhuang stared at Jing Qian for a moment, his sharp eyes were like cold sharp knives, and he shouted in a low voice: "Order five hundred light soldiers, and rush to help Hulao Pass immediately!"

"Promise!" Jing Qian suddenly agreed and took the order.

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The cloud of war has completely shrouded Hulaoguan.

The densely packed and overwhelming Liang army has already formed a formation in the wilderness outside the East Gate. At least [-] heavy armored infantry formed a thick defensive formation at the forefront. Behind the heavy armored phalanx, at least [-] archers are Waiting indifferently, on both sides of the archers, at least two thousand cavalry were waiting in formation.

Liang Jun's defensive formation can be said to be impeccable.

Not to mention the [-] men under the command of Huan Chu and Ji Bu who have not yet formed an army, even if they are the elite of Xiangzhuang's pro-army, if they dare to challenge Liang Jun's soldiers from the front, they will definitely be defeated by hundreds of thousands of Liang Guo's troops. Grind it into powder!
In the rear of the Liang army, tens of thousands of light soldiers were cutting down trees on the mountain to build simple ladders.

For Huan Chu and Ji Bu, this is the only good news. Judging from the actions of Liang Jun, they should not have heavy siege equipment, or they are still on the way to Hulao Pass, at least not in a short time. Go to Hulao Pass, otherwise, Liang Jun would not bother to cut wood from the mountain to build a simple ladder.

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Time passed quietly in the suffocating wait.

When the setting sun was about to hide behind Songshan Mountain, Liang Jun finally built hundreds of long ladders.

Peng Yue, who had already waited a little impatiently, raised his right hand and waved forward lightly. In an instant, the sound of "dong dong dong" war drums sounded in the army. The soldiers got up one after another, the military soldiers began to put on heavy armor, the light soldiers and dead soldiers drew their swords one after another, and the archers began to count the arrows in their quiver.

The war drums in the army became more and more urgent and louder, and the expressions of Liang Jun's soldiers became more and more excited.

All of a sudden, the sound of the drums that sounded like a torrential rain stopped abruptly, and the soldiers of Liang Jun who had already been aroused by the sound of the drums turned their heads to the sky and howled. The chest, its shape, looks like a group of wild beasts with their fangs bared, frantically destroying the opponent's will.

Peng Yue waved his hand again, and Liu Kou put his helmet heavily on his head, and then got on his horse. Behind Liu Kou, Chu Chun and a dozen other generals also got on their horses one after another, and followed Liu Kou to the front of the Liang army.

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Liu Kou straddled his horse and crossed his halberd, looking indifferently at the not so towering wall in front of him.

On the Guan wall, which is no more than four feet high, there are crowds of people, bustling with people, at least thousands of people.

Suddenly, the corner of Liu Kou's mouth showed a cold murderous intent. In his eyes, there is basically no difference between the wall of the Hulao, which is less than four feet high, and the smooth road. As for the rebels guarding the pass, those who just Can woodcutters and farmers who put down their hoes and poles be considered soldiers?Could such a mob be considered an army?
Chu Chunce, the general of the Ministry, immediately went forward to ask for the battle: "General, why don't you call for the formation first?"

"There's no need for that." Liu Kou raised his right hand, then stretched out his index finger and shook it lightly, "A group of mobs are not worthy of General Chu's fight!" After saying this, Liu Kou pressed his index finger forward again, He said indifferently, "Order the whole army, all battalions go out, and attack the city with all their strength. After half a quarter of an hour, the general will rest his horse in the pass!"

"Promise!" Behind Liu Kou, more than a dozen generals made the promise loudly, all of them showed incomparably ferocious expressions, and they all rode away one after another.

The next moment, the passionate battle drums sounded again in Liang Jun's formation.

Accompanied by the fierce and high-pitched sound of war drums, tens of thousands of Liang Guo's troops chanted uniformly and marched uniformly, like a rolling iron stream, crushing towards Hulao Pass with an unstoppable force , the Hulao was closed, and Wei Minzhuang, who was hiding behind the battlements, was suddenly terrified, and all of them were as frightened as chaff, and their faces were ashen.

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Just as Wei Di Minzhuang, who was closing the gate, was terrified, there was a continuous sound of horns outside the West Gate, accompanied by the sound of horns, and the sound of heavy and orderly footsteps.

When the closed Weidi Minzhuang looked back one after another, they saw that the tightly closed gate of Xiguan had been opened, and groups of Chu troops in bright armor were already marching in neatly, arrogantly and vigorously. Qing Dun, striding forward, shouted in unison: "Great China, rites are broken and music is broken; reorganize the rivers and mountains, and I am the only one!"

Seeing this scene, Wei Di Minzhuang, who had almost fallen into a commotion, calmed down one after another.

"Great China, rites and music are ruined; to reorganize the rivers and mountains, I am the only one who cares about Chu!" Amid waves of chants, the Chu army coming in from Xiguan quickly crossed the central street, and then went down the ramp. The long horse road drove up to the top of the Dongguan City, and along the way, all the Weidi people flashed to the left of the road, watching this heroic army ascend the city with incomparable reverence.

"Aww..." Jing Qian, who was walking in the front, leisurely raised the horizontal knife in his hand, and the next moment, the five hundred light soldiers who rushed behind him rushed to the back of the Dongguan battlement, one by one with the ring knife. He slapped the big shield, and roared provocatively at the army of Liang Guo who was slowly rolling over outside the pass.

(End of this chapter)