Forty-one: The army besieged the city to express the wrath of the thieves
This marching battle does not mean that an army with animalistic and ferocious nature will be invincible.
From ancient times to the present, there have been countless wars between the Central Plains dynasties and the northern barbarians. But as long as it is not the end of the dynasty, or the beginning of the country when everything is in ruins and unable to use troops, there is rarely a defeat.
The barbarians were bloodthirsty and ferocious, which was a manifestation of their bestiality. But why were the armies from the farmers of the Central Plains Dynasty able to win and defeat them?
Regardless of the Han and Tang Dynasties, their opponents, the Xiongnu and the Turks, were in their heyday, not in their decline. They all fight head-on and win. Moreover, like in the Han Dynasty, more still defeated more with less. This is the nonsense of one Han competing for five.
Obviously, you don't have to be fierce and animalistic to conquer the world.
Otherwise, if all those brave and ruthless knights and thieves join the army, wouldn't they be invincible?
Although those with animal nature are ferocious, they are just like the beast. If they can be beaten, they will fight. If they cannot be beaten, they will run away. You can only fight with the wind going smoothly. Once you have a setback, the situation will take a turn for the worse.
What the army needs is not animality, but blood. The difference is that one needs to be suppressed and abandoned, and the other is something that people must possess.
Besides bloodiness, discipline comes first. It is necessary to train military discipline to the point where orders and prohibitions are enforced. As fast as the wind, as slow as the forest, as aggressive as fire, as motionless as a mountain, as unpredictable as the dark, and as moving as thunder. A general uses his fingers like an arm.
Even if a mountain collapses in front of you, it will be a mountain of swords and a sea of fire. With just one order, you will go through fire and water.
To develop such military discipline, clear rewards and punishments are the first priority.
First, let the soldiers agree. The soldiers don't agree with you, no matter how hard you train, you're still a loser. Clear rewards and punishments are the first and most basic means for generals to make soldiers agree.
Only when soldiers identify with their generals will they obey orders without hesitation. Among them, clear rewards and punishments, and a combination of kindness and power, are the core.
How to perfectly express rewards and punishments as well as kindness and power depends on the general's personal style. Every famous general in ancient times has his own characteristics and style, from Wu Qi, Xiang Yu, Han Xin, to Huo Qubing, Wei Qing, Li Guang, all of them are better than this. This is the charm of the general himself.
But this charm still needs to be matched with clear rewards and punishments. Otherwise, it is just a rootless tree.
Once orders and prohibitions are implemented, the prototype of an elite soldier will basically emerge.
What is needed next is victory. Victory after victory.
Victory forges the soul of the army.
And an army with a military soul is a truly elite soldier.
Don't talk about ideological education or anything like that. Humans are complex animals. No matter how much education they receive, they may verbally talk about how to protect their homeland, defend their country, and be loyal and patriotic. But when it comes to risking their lives, how many people will remember? Unless you can reach the level of a cult and brainwash soldiers into puppets, the real way to create elite soldiers is to fight and win.
Honor is not something you say with your mouth. It’s not that there is any glorious tradition or any righteousness such as protecting the homeland and the country. This is useless against ordinary soldiers. Soldiers work hard for their lives. With their heads hanging on their waists, they might die tomorrow without their bodies intact. What's the use of saying that?
Rewards and punishments are clear, and soldiers should not bleed and shed tears. Then there is the need for victory, war after war.
Honor is earned.
What you say can only be used to strengthen your honor. After the victory is won, the military soul is forged, and the honor is achieved, then ideological education can be used to strengthen it.
Only then can we have elite soldiers who are invincible.
So for a traitor like Xian Thief, you see how cruel he is, and he uses human lives to train his troops. It seems very powerful. But in fact, when encountering real elite soldiers, the eggs are useless and they are defeated in a single battle.
Only two days after Zhang Xianzhong captured Bozhou, Zhao Yu's army arrived.
Zhao Yu had previously made arrangements to pursue He Jin and Liu Xiyao. These two bandit leaders and their nearly 20,000 troops were overtaken by Zhao Yu single-handedly before they could even get out of the Dabie Mountains.
Zhao Yu has lived in the mountains for ten years. Everything he needs for Qingyun Temple, including using wild beasts in the mountains and practicing martial arts in dangerous places, is all obtained from the mountains and forests.
Entering the mountains and forests, Zhao Yu is no different from a dragon entering the sea.
The thieves had 20,000 soldiers and horses. They were so numerous that it was impossible to erase the traces. Zhao Yu only followed the diagram, and in half a day, he bit the tail of these two thousand thieves in the mountain.
Zhao Yu was not in a hurry to take the head of the bandit leader, but just like a ghost, he hung around behind the bandits, repeatedly killing hundreds or thousands of them at a time.
He chased the bandit like a bereaved dog, panicked like a frightened bird.
They chased them all the way, and one day later, the bandits ran out of the mountains and forests. At this time, there were less than two thousand men and horses left beside the two bandit leaders. Half of them were killed by Zhao Yu, and the others collapsed.
The outcome is obvious.
There is only death.
Single-handedly, Zhao Yu killed the two remaining thieves in Gezuo. Zhao Yu, lightly armed and simple, went straight to Yingshang.
When we arrived at Yingshang, our 50,000-strong army had already arrived!
After repairing all night, we crossed Yingshui early the next morning and headed north towards Bozhou.
...
Zhang Xianzhong did not expect that he would become a turtle in the urn overnight!
I had just woken up in the morning and was about to kill someone who was hot-handed, when my trusted aides hurriedly came to report: "There are 50,000 Ming troops under the city, and the siege is impregnable!"
Zhang Xianzhong was surprised, but not panicked.
Based on his understanding of the Ming army, unless they were somewhat capable like Zuo Liangyu, the rest were useless. Although 50,000 troops sounds like a lot, compared with what he has brought under his command now, the number is much larger.
But Zhang Xianzhong didn't care much.
It seems that an old villain like him has experienced many ups and downs. He has been defeated and surrendered, but as long as he is still there, as long as there are three or five people under his command, it will not take a year and a half to build a new team with the name of "thieves."
Anyway, if the situation is bad, just run away.
In this world, everything is lacking except for people.
There was a cold light in Zhang Xianzhong's dim eyes, and he smiled happily: "Come on, prepare your horses. I will go to the top of the city to see who dares to hang out under my nose without risking their lives."
So we went all the way to the city.
Upstairs at the city gate, Zhang Xianzhong was wearing an armor and cloak, and he looked quite presentable. His subordinate leaders and several adopted sons have all arrived.
Zhang Xianzhong looked at the army surrounding the city like a Great Wall, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but frown: "This Laoshizi army looks a bit impressive."
The army under Zhao Yu originally came from various military towns in Liaodong, and was much stronger than the local army in the Central Plains. It turned out that we had to be on guard against the Tatars, and few went south to suppress the bandits. Now that 50,000 troops have come south, and Zhao Yu has been training troops all the way, and fighting two more battles, the strength of the troops has changed differently compared to before.
Standing at the top of the city, at a glance, it was dark and orderly. There is a vague sense of evil energy.
No wonder Zhang Xianzhong frowned.
Zhang Xianzhong had only seen such an army once, whether it was Zuo Liangyu or others - when he entered Sichuan last year, the white soldiers under the command of Qin Liangyu, the female general who repeatedly ruined his plans!
Thinking of this, Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but take a breath.
Qin Liangyu has only three thousand white pole soldiers under his command, but under the city, there are fifty thousand soldiers who are slightly inferior to the white pole soldiers!
The white pole soldiers are very strong, but they are not truly elite. The reason is that Baiganbing is the servant of the Ma family. Qin Liangyu's husband had thousands of horses. Before his death, he was just a chieftain of a county. Although he had the title of general, in fact, he was not even the chief soldier.
Although the Ma family has some resources in the local area and is considered powerful, the ability to raise three thousand white soldiers is already the limit. Raising soldiers, especially elite soldiers, is too expensive.
Although the three thousand white soldiers can be considered elites, compared with the real elites, their diet, treatment, and equipment are far behind. Without him, I can't afford it.
However, such an army could repeatedly fight with less and defeat more troops, which defeated Zhang Xianzhong, who had more soldiers and horses. This shows that the fighting power of the bandits is just that.
The 50,000 troops under Zhao Yu's command are roughly inferior to the white-pole soldiers. But this 50,000-strong army comes from Liaodong after all, and its quality is much better than the local army in the Central Plains. In addition, during this period of time, the diet, treatment, training, rewards and punishments all kept up, and he gradually transformed.
But if the equipment of this army still cannot keep up in the future, its elite level will still be limited.
Equipment greatly increases the combat effectiveness of the army. A strong man with bare hands, facing a thin man with a knife, would look forward to death, so he may not be able to defeat him.
The role of equipment is here.
At present, the equipment of the army under Zhao Yu's command is still the same as before. Because it came in a hurry, and it was a large-scale change of 50,000 people, it was too difficult. Unless the prince ascends to the throne and takes power, the country's situation gradually improves, and the national treasury becomes full, it will be possible to replace it with stronger equipment in large quantities.
But to deal with stray thieves, the current equipment is enough.
Zhang Xianzhong felt guilty. He found that the army under the city was unexpected and looked different. The strength of the troops was a bit frightening.
They couldn't help but say: "Who knows the origins of the officers and soldiers under the city?"
The civil and military officers under his command, such as Wang Zhaolin, Li Dingguo, etc., all looked solemn when they saw the strength of the officers and soldiers below the city.
Under Zhang Xianzhong, the real people in power are his four adopted sons. Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, Ai Nengqi, Sun Kewang. As for those who make suggestions, they are mostly talented people and scholars who come under duress.
Zhang Xianzhong was cruel and rough-tempered, and originally looked down on these scholars, so he kept them around just to show off. Secondly, you can indeed come up with some bad ideas.
Because Zhang Xianzhong asked, those few talented people did not dare to speak first.
Just looking at Li Dingguo and others on the other side.
Ai Nengqi first said: "Father, the flag carried by this army has the character Zhao. How many generals named Zhao are there under Mr. Chongzhen?"
"The surname is Zhao, and he seems to be well trained in the army." Li Dingguo then considered it and said: "I have never heard of it before. And my foster father, this army came too suddenly. The boy thought that it should have come from the direction of Fengyang. "
Zhang Xianzhong muttered: "What Dingguo said is right. There is Li Chuang in Kaifeng. This army must not be from the north. But in Fengyang in the south are Huang Degong and Wang Xian. These two are not named Zhao. Huguang belongs to Zuo Liangyu. No one in the world is named Zhao. Where did the tens of thousands of troops come from?"
Just thinking.
But Li Dingguo looked shocked and couldn't help but said: "Father, I'm afraid Ge Zuo over there at Huoqiu will fail."
Zhang Xianzhong woke up with a start, his mind turned, and his eyes widened: "The Zhu family emperor's army is coming south. If they don't wipe out Ge Zuo, how dare they come here? Oh, it's not a big deal!"
He suddenly screamed: "If Ge Zuo fails, I will be blocked here again, and if Li Chuang is blocked in Henan again, won't we finish playing together?!"
At this moment, a soldier presented a letter and shot it to the top of the city with a bow and arrow.
Zhang Xianzhong opened it and took a look. He was furious. Without saying a word, he took out his sword and chopped off the head of the soldier in front of him. He let the blood spurt on his face and said angrily: "Young officer and soldier, how dare you bully me like this!"
"Present the thief!"
At this moment, a man rode out from the military formation below the city.
Zhao Yu is the same.
He was seen holding an iron awl in his hand and wearing armor, and he was walking slowly to the front of the formation with great momentum. The sound rolled like thunder, as if a thunderstorm had risen in the plains, causing the city to tremble: "If you are wise, quickly open the city to consecrate the head. If you are half innocent, the five thieves of Ge Zuo will serve as a warning to you!"
Zhao Yu's eyesight was very good. Even though he could see from below with a single shot, he could clearly see the people on the top of the city gate.
After finishing the sentence, Zhao Yu shouted again: "Listen to all the thieves. Whoever cuts off the head of the thief and offers it obediently, I will spare his life. If he is stubborn, when the city is destroyed, the chickens and dogs will not be spared." !”
Zhang Xianzhong was furious when he heard this, and his beard and hair stood out: "Who and I will take down this farting thief!"
Without saying a word, Li Dingguo stood up, walked to the city wall in three steps, nocked an arrow and fired his bow. With a pop, the arrow flew straight towards Zhao Yu's throat with perfect accuracy.
Li Dingguo is also a general with some martial arts skills, but his shooting skills are not outstanding.
This arrow shot was just a statement. Don't talk about Zhao Yu, even any general is not afraid of this kind of shooting skills. In addition, there was no way for a sneak attack in front of the two armies, so the arrow flew out, grazed Zhao Yu three feet, and landed crookedly on the ground.
The world today is not like it was in ancient times. As firearms become more and more widely used, martial arts and kung fu are less and less valued. In ancient times, a war general took the rank of general among all the armies. Today's generals are far behind.
"Those imperial hawks are corrupt officials!" Li Dingguo shot an arrow and shouted: "Don't talk nonsense! Your Majesty rises up to do justice for heaven. You corrupt officials who oppose your Majesty are acting against heaven. ! If you are wise, quickly dismount and surrender, fight back and overthrow old Chongzhen, so that you can share the wealth!"
Zhao Yu was startled when he heard this, and couldn't help laughing. He pointed at the city with his awl and said, "You are such a thieves who do all kinds of evil, but you keep saying to do justice for heaven. That thief, you might as well touch your conscience!"
Zhao Yu's eyes were as sharp as lightning, and he was extremely sharp: "A thief is a mad dog and a beast! Wherever he goes, poison spreads for thousands of miles. Huang An dares to say that he is doing justice for heaven? If there is such a hell as Yama, if there is a thief, you will be in the eighteenth level of hell. I want to taste it all!”
Zhao Yu was verbose not because he was adhering to ancient customs, but because the army's layout was not yet complete.
The generals and commanders are tired after marching in a hurry last night, and it is not yet time to start a battle. The key is that Zhao Yu plans to catch all the thieves in one fell swoop and cannot let any of them go. If he let him go and fled back to the ground in Kaifeng, and the intruder got the news, the situation would inevitably change.
At this moment, Zhao Yu was chattering outside the city, while Yang He was completing the encirclement.
Zhang Xianzhong's eyes were red.
Ever since he rebelled, no one has ever cursed so viciously.
Mad dog! ?
brute? !
Zhang Xianzhong shouted, jumped up, ran down the city tower in three or two steps, came to the wall on the side, raised his knife and chopped down a bandit, held the cannon at the top of the city, and shouted crazily: "Kill, kill, kill!!!" "
There was a huge boom, and Zhang Xianzhong was knocked to the ground.
A round, bowl-sized solid cannonball brought up a stream of sparks and gunpowder smoke, and dragged up a long tail of air waves, spinning like a meteor, shooting towards the approximate location of Zhao Yu!
Zhao Yu's pupils couldn't help but shrink. But the moment the cannonball was fired, Zhao Yu judged that the cannonball could not defeat him. However, Zhao Yu rode his horse and took a step to the side, and suddenly swung the iron awl!
There was only a scoffing sound, gold and iron were rubbing together, and sparks were flying. Zhao Yu's energy was so mysterious that he used a heavy iron awl to exert an extremely smooth force!
As soon as he touched the cannonball, the muscles on Zhao Yu's arms rolled and trembled like ocean waves. I heard a faint buzzing sound!
The energy and blood flowing through his body were like the sound of the Yangtze River.
The cannonball rolled dozens of times on the eight-sided pyramid head, and seemed to be stuck and unable to escape.
I saw Zhao Yu pick up the iron awl, draw a circle, raise his arms, and let out a loud roar, and the cannonball shot back towards the city head!
It was too late to say, but it was too fast to see. Before anyone could react, there was a loud bang, and the cannon on the city head exploded. Iron pieces were shot in all directions, and a series of screams were heard.
