choke element

Chapter 1021 Reinforcements (Part )

Guo Zhongyuan glanced down the city and saw a man in a brocade robe, with broad shoulders and a round waist, and a fat belly that bulged high, barely supported by a wide and thick belt. He glanced again and saw the fat man talking to the military school in a careless manner, waving his hand from time to time to emphasize his tone. The right hand he waved was different from that of ordinary people, with only half of it, and the index finger and thumb were also missing.

"Fatty Wang! Why did you come to Kaifeng? Come up and talk!" Guo Zhongyuan shouted.

The fat man's name is Wang Qingshan. He is an old subordinate of Guo Ning who joined the army when he set up camp in Tangluo, Hebei. In terms of seniority, he is older than Guo Zhongyuan. In his early years, he was Han Xuan's deputy general and was appointed as the commander-in-chief. When Han Xuan attacked the famous Mongolian general Zhebie in Liaodong at night, he sent two lieutenants to lead their troops to disrupt the enemy camp. Wang Qingshan was one of them.

It was also during that battle that Wang Qingshan was pursued by the Mongolian army. After a hard fight, he was seriously injured and fell off his horse and fainted. Although the Mongolian army fell into Han Xuan's trap and did not have time to kill Wang Qingshan, after he was rescued, he was disabled and his physical condition was not as good as before after his internal organs were damaged, especially because he could not stand the cold wind in the north.

He could no longer stay in the army, but given his achievements, he would naturally receive generous compensation and be able to choose a suitable place for himself.

The warriors had complicated relationships with each other. When Wang Qingshan was under Han Xuan, he had a close relationship with his colleague Wang Dai'er. Wang Dai'er's cousin Wang Kou'er was an official in charge of horse husbandry in Dinghai Army and Li Ting's father-in-law. So Wang Qingshan was ordered to form a convoy to transport military supplies for various military units.

This was a very lucrative job, with generous benefits for raising horses and making cars every year. Most of the money Wang Qingshan earned was used to take care of his former comrades, and the rest was spent on satisfying his own appetite. As a result, his body swelled like a balloon over the years until he became a fat man that Guo Zhongyuan recognized at a glance.

Hearing Guo Zhongyuan's call, Wang Qingshan climbed up the city wall with a groan. His body was shaky, and he had to support his knees with his hands for the last few steps: "I was supposed to transport a batch of grain to Jingzhao Prefecture, but I didn't expect to meet the Mongols after resting in the parking lot for two days. It's really weird! How many people will die on Nanjing Road!"

He was an old hand, so he didn't hesitate to speak. He asked, "I heard that the Mongols were killing our soldiers and civilians outside the city, but we didn't dare to go out of the city to rescue them?"

This guy hasn't been in the army for too long, he's too slack, and he's just asking for death!
Guo Zhongyuan snorted coldly, and just as he was about to say something, Wang Qingshan said again, "Brother, there is no point in hiding when defending a big city... If we continue like this, people's hearts will be unstable! We must get out of the city and fight!"

Guo Zhongyuan's deputy general Wen Sengda rushed forward and pulled Wang Qingshan hard, then lowered his voice and told him that Guo Zhongyuan had just killed his old subordinate Wei Deng who had made a fuss to leave the city without permission. Wang Qingshan swallowed a few times, not knowing whether it was because of the cold or because he suddenly became nervous.

Guo Zhongyuan waved his hand, indicating Wang Qingshan to look out of the city with him.

"The Mongols came unexpectedly, just when Kaifeng's military preparations were continuously weakening. The day before yesterday, and yesterday, most of the people on the city wall were temporarily gathered together. Even if I used axes to intimidate them, I could only make them stand firm and hold their swords, spears and flags tightly, so as not to let them flutter in the wind... In order to scare the Mongols with my straw bag kung fu, I had to sit back and watch the fighting outside the city, and I had to behead people to establish my authority and to strictly enforce my orders. Of course, the most important thing is that the Mongols' original goal was not Kaifeng."

At this point, Guo Zhongyuan looked at Wang Qingshan, who then said, "The Mongols are not good at attacking cities. Their first choice must be to besiege the city and attack the reinforcements."

After all, he is a veteran in the battlefield, and after a few years of living as a rich man, he still has good judgment.

Guo Zhongyuan nodded: "The Mongols are not good at attacking cities. They marched straight into the heart of a great country and could not possibly carry siege equipment. But in the past few days, the Mongolian army has destroyed a large number of military camps in various places. With their ability to unite and unite, I guess now they have siege equipment and a lot of people to use as pads for their blades. The continuous victories are prompting them to turn their attention to Kaifeng more and more."

"The Marshal is worried that just filling the tower with people is not enough?"

"Kaifeng is too big, with a thin skin and a large filling. It will break easily if poked. I need time to organize enough troops to defend the city. During this period, if a team goes out of the city under the pretext of rescuing the wounded and fights in a proper manner, even if it costs a heavy price, it can tell the Mongols that there are more than enough troops in the city."

When Guo Zhongyuan said this, he seemed to agree with what Wang Qingshan said earlier. Wang Qingshan was silent for a while, and suddenly thought of something, and his face gradually became ugly.

He asked: "Didn't you just kill Wei Deng? I thought..."

"It was a different time. When Weiden was shouting and yelling, I had no one around me who could be used. It happened that you brought people with you."

Wang Qingshan muttered a few words, like complaining, like cursing. He then asked: "General, don't lie to me, you have plenty of people under your command..."

"I only have a few dozen people around me." Guo Zhongyuan raised his hand to instruct Wang Qingshan, and said leisurely: "In the past three days, the maximum number of soldiers around me was no more than 200, which is not as strong as your 3,000-man army."

"Hey!"

Guo Zhongyuan only brought such a small number of people to guard the city wall, which clearly showed that he did not take his life seriously. Even the few generals in the country were like this, what could Wang Qingshan say?
He was silent for a moment, his round face was wrinkled so tightly that his eyes were almost narrow slits. After a while, sweat broke out on his forehead.

He suddenly said: "Among these 3,000 men, half are craftsmen. They are fine for defending the city, but if they leave the city, not only will they be useless, but they will also expose our weaknesses."

"That's 1,500 people, that's enough momentum."

"I want chevaux-de-frise, lances, and shields. No need for bows and arrows, as I suppose you don't have many."

"We can't do without these bows and arrows. Go and ask Wen Sengda to give us as many as you want."

"Okay... In addition, I need good fighters around you, who can pull strong bows and fight tough battles. At least twenty of them!"

Guo Zhongyuan's eyes narrowed: "Why is this?"

"There is a young man named Xiao in the convoy's guards. His father saved my life more than once, but later died in battle in Fuzhou. If I leave the city, I must protect his life."

"Just leave him in the city. Can't I take care of him myself?"

"Even ten fingers are not the same length. Among the 1,500 men, there are those who still dare to fight, and there are those who have had a comfortable life for a few years and have lost their spirit. There are also some cunning old hands and old hooligans in the army! If these people find out that I have settled the son of an old friend in advance, how can they still be willing to fight with me?"

Wang Qingshan sneered and looked down at Guo Zhongyuan: "Marshal, you and I are both veterans. You use the head of your confidant to establish your authority, and I want to take my confidant out of the city to take risks. It's the same principle. However, I am not as ruthless as you. No matter what, I have to save the life of my old friend's son!"

Even though he has seniority, his current status is far different from Guo Zhongyuan's, so such words are extremely rude.

But Guo Zhongyuan was not angry, he just sighed: "Wei Deng was a little unlucky. If you had come when he was shouting and inciting, you would at least have a chance to leave the city and die in battle. But how can you anticipate everything on the battlefield?"

He reached out his hand and patted Wang Qingshan on the shoulder: "I'll ask Guo Luda to bring people to help you."

Just as he finished speaking, a man with thick arms, thin waist and iron-like face appeared beside him.

Guo Zhongyuan pointed at him and said to Wang Qingshan, "Guo Luda from Huizhou is a warrior recommended to me by Li Ting. I was worried that I had no place to test his ability... so let him lead the group and accompany you."

The two of them didn't say anything more, and Wang Qingshan turned and left.

Soon, the clanging of weapons could be heard one after another. To encourage the common people, the old soldiers shouted in a low voice, which was carried far away by the cold wind. After a while, the sky brightened. When the city gate opened, Wang Qingshan shouted and led 1,500 people out of the city.

They first searched for bodies near the city gate, looking for wounded people who were still breathing. Hundreds of people were transported back to the city one after another. The soldiers and civilians in the city had watched the Mongolian army slaughter people wantonly in the past few days, and heard the miserable cries of the wounded. They almost had nightmares when they closed their eyes. Seeing Wang Qingshan lead people out of the city to rescue, they cheered excitedly.

The cheers soon turned into cries of surprise: "Tartar! Tartar! The Tartar are coming!"

The Mongolian cavalry wandering in the distance discovered the team leaving the city and immediately surrounded them from several directions. The ground was dry in winter, and the smoke and dust stirred up by the horses' trampling rose into the sky like thick clouds, and the city walls began to shake faintly.

There were so many Mongols! Most of the civilians on the city wall had never seen such a mighty force. They could hardly breathe, and even though the old soldiers shouted to stay calm a few dozen steps away, they turned a deaf ear to them.

The smoke and dust covered the fields and even crossed the city walls, constantly dropping gravel on the people on the walls. In the smoke and dust, the sound of killing suddenly rose, and then became louder and louder. The sound of arrows hitting shields was like a rainstorm hitting the eaves. Occasionally, the smoke and dust settled somewhere, and it could be seen that Wang Qingshan's troops formed a dense formation, fighting and retreating.

The difference in quality between Wang Qingshan's troops was very obvious at this time. After all, they were civilians led by retired soldiers, and it was impossible for them to conduct large-scale combat drills on a daily basis.

The scattered groups fighting on the periphery were scattered after the Mongolian cavalry rushed back and forth like wolves. The Mongols shot with bows and arrows, stabbed with spears, and rammed and trampled with horses, killing them like pigs and sheep.

Only Wang Qingshan's main force formed a dense formation, using spears and large shields as outer cover, and slowly retreated.

When they were about to retreat to the foot of the city, a part of the Mongolian army accelerated and approached, as if they were going to roll into the city. At this time, Guo Lu drew his bow and aimed at a golden-armored centurion in the Mongolian cavalry and shot. From a distance of nearly 200 steps, the arrow hit the centurion's chest. The centurion fell face up from his horse, his feet still in the stirrups, and in the blink of an eye he was dragged more than ten steps by the horse, and it was obvious that he was dead.

Amid the wild cheers of thousands of soldiers and civilians on the city walls, the Mongolian army's arrogance was slightly dampened, and Wang Qingshan and his men retreated back into the city. Counting the number of people, one of the three groups was killed, and one of the remaining groups was injured. Compared with the number of wounded soldiers rescued, the gains and losses were not proportional in any way.

Guo Luda returned to the city wall and reported: "General, the boy surnamed Xiao is fine."

"Where is Wang Qingshan?"

"I was shot in the back by an arrow while retreating. It was a heavy arrow. I am receiving emergency treatment."

The meaning of "first aid" is that there is a high probability that he cannot be saved. It can be said that the general is bound to die on the battlefield. Guo Zhongyuan nodded and couldn't help coughing again.

Before the battlefield situation was completely clear, the two armies kept testing each other. The more tense the situation was, the more the testing tended to be hard testing, that is, a demonstration of force. This would inevitably bring a bloody price, but as long as it worked, all the costs were worth it.

He stopped asking questions and looked out of the city. On the battlefield where the two armies had just fought, there was a small cavalry team stationed. Guo Zhongyuan felt that the Mongolian commander should be among them.

Tolui also noticed where Guo Zhongyuan was.

But he had just witnessed the skills of the Zhou army's sharpshooters, so he was cautious and deliberately stayed at a distance and did not go near the city to investigate.

"The number of Han'er is simply endless. Any gate of a big city like this can mobilize thousands of people to fight. Our total army is so small, how can we waste time on attacking the city?"

Tuolei said a few words, and seeing that several captains were a little annoyed, he slowed down his tone and said, "The Han troops stationed in various places are rushing to help these days. Let's follow the previous agreement and fight in the open field."