Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 258 Li Jing: Hengshan Big Stage, Come if You Have a Dream
Li Shimin was really uninformed. Such scenes had already happened in various places in Hebei.

From south to north, the Red Turban Army persevered in resisting the barbarian invasion.

Although they were very smart in fighting, the gap between the enemy and us was too great, it was like hitting a rock with an egg, so the fighting process was very difficult.

The tragic scenes have long been engraved in the memories of local people, and then spread along with the fleeing crowds to the vast area east of the Taihang Mountains and north of the Yellow River.

As the war deepened, the people of Hebei, who were described by Li Shimin as "strong and brave", completely submitted to Li Ming.

It’s not just because the Liaodong army under his command is capable of fighting.

And because of this army.

When the government troops and the barbarians were behaving like wild beasts, only Li Mingcai extended a helping hand to these unloved people of Hebei.

Also as the war deepened, the common people reached a consensus with His Majesty the Emperor on one issue.

That is--

Why haven’t the Red Turban Army retreated yet?
Why do they still continue to fight on the front line?

Compared with the numerous enemies, there are only a few people in Liaodong, which is really just a drop in the bucket!

This has happened countless times. The main force of the Red Turban Army was caught by the enemy and was surrounded countless times.

Each time he relied on skilled technical and tactical skills, the help of fellow villagers, and some luck to escape from the siege and turn danger into safety.

"But I guess I can't escape this time."

Su Dingfang huddled in the trestle trench on the mountainside, his throat hoarse as if it were smoking, and arrows flying around his head.

He hasn't slept for several days and nights.

At the beginning, he still insisted on the traditional way of command, giving orders from a high vantage point on the top of the mountain where he had a wide view.

But he soon discovered that in the mountainous environment with complex terrain, windy and snowy weather, and noisy sounds, neither drums nor flags were effective.

In this battlefield where visibility and sound recognition are extremely low, unified command is impossible and each part of the army must fight on its own.

So, he followed the advice of his predecessor in the field of mountain warfare, Xue Rengui, and hid in the trenches.

"Do you want to break out?" Xue Rengui asked him.

This young player seemed to have aged by dozens of years, with sunken eye sockets and bloodshot eyes.

Li Ming's strategy was: "Attract the enemy's main force to the Yunzhou Hengshan line, and wait for an opportunity to retreat."

In other words, he did not intend to let Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui never return, and allowed them to escape.

Although Xiao Li would issue difficult combat objectives, he never let his subordinates carry out purely suicidal missions.

The dregs of "all-out struggle" will have a devastating impact on the army's morale, heritage and tactical capabilities.

"You are still young, take your people with you." Su Dingfang answered without even thinking, his voice as rough as sandpaper:
"I'll stay a little longer, delay a little longer."

Zhang Jian’s words, “Hold on firmly and there will be a way,” have always lingered in his mind.

Although Li Ming did not say it explicitly, it is not difficult to understand that the longer the enemy is kept in Hengshan, the more conducive it will be to the implementation of the "strategy".

"Then I'll stay too." Xue Rengui said without hesitation:

"You are good at cavalry and security warfare, but I am good at mountain warfare."

"Generals, be careful..." The sentry had just sounded the alarm when his throat was pierced by a spear thrown at him.

The Tiele people's vanguard has arrived!

They were not stupid. After noticing that there were often messengers coming in and out nearby, they concluded that the Red Turban Army's command post was hidden there, so they rushed up in one breath.

At this time, they were already standing outside the trench!

"They're coming!"

"Dry!"

Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui jumped up at the same time, picked up their short weapons, and together with the ordinary soldiers, engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand fight with the barbarians.

…………

After a while.

The trench was filled with blood, and several corpses were lying in disorder.

After leaving behind nearly a hundred corpses, the remaining Tiele people retreated in panic.

"Damn, that's so difficult!"

Xue Rengui spat.

Su Dingfang stepped on the enemy's corpse and pulled out the sword with great effort.

With a snap, the sword broke between the corpse's ribs.

Old Su frowned, threw away the hilt of the sword, and asked Xiao Xue hoarsely:

“How many people are left in this ditch?”

"There are probably twelve or thirteen more."

Xue Rengui replied, picked up a Hu man's scimitar and threw it to Su Dingfang.

This wave of attack was successfully defended.

temporary.

In small-scale conflicts involving less than fifty people, the Red Turban Army had an absolute advantage.

This is because Li Ming "invented" a very novel combat system in response to the terrain environment of the Northeast, which is mainly mountainous and forested.

Three to five soldiers form an independent combat unit, and under the command of the school officer, they complete a complete set of tasks from supply, construction of simple fortifications, reconnaissance, combat to retreat.

Under the creative guidance of the leader, and through long-term training and practice by frontline soldiers, the Red Turban Army gradually explored and perfected this specialized combat system for mountain warfare.

These combat units are capable of completing simple combat tasks independently and coordinating with each other on the battlefield, taking into account the flexibility of small units and the concentrated force advantages of large units.

This is no longer on the same level as the armies of the same era.

In the seventh century AD, only the Red Turban Army could carry out this form of guerrilla warfare using multiple small forces.

Because this puts forward requirements on the military quality and subjective initiative of grassroots officers and ordinary soldiers that far exceed those of this era.

If other feudal armies were divided into groups of three or five people, let alone cooperating with each other and fighting independently, it would be a blessing if they did not desert in the middle of the battle.

However, tactical advances can hardly make up for strategic shortcomings.

The Red Turban Army had only one strategic shortcoming.

That is - there are too few people and too little room for maneuver.

"Hey, Xiao Xue, look."

Su Dingfang was leaning against the deer horns next to the trench, and raised his chin lazily towards the hillside.

Xue Rengui looked in that direction and couldn't help but smile bitterly:
"I know it will come sooner or later."

The two men were chatting casually in the trench.

Outside the trench, just a few dozen feet away on the hillside.

The Tiele people gathered several hundred infantrymen and arranged them into a strict square formation, with heavy armored shieldmen in the front, spearmen in the second, and archers on the left and right.

It was obvious that the Tiele people discovered that the fish in the trench was unusually large and were about to launch a full-scale attack.

They are very good at taking advantage of the few advantages they have.

That is, there are a lot of people.

The Red Turban Army’s spears and arrows may eventually run out, but the Tiele people’s heads are infinite.

When the number of enemies was so great that the Red Turban Army did not have the energy to kill them all, the nature of the situation changed.

Xue Rengui calmly issued a series of orders.

"There are several trenches and traps in the rear, so we have to fight and retreat.

"Order soldiers, beat the drums!"

As the drums sounded, the Red Turban Army, which were fighting independently, seemed to be strung together by an invisible thread and moved towards the command center in an orderly manner.

The Tiele people certainly did not sit still and wait for death, and immediately made corresponding countermeasures -

Isn’t it just calling people? Who can’t do that?

Several sharp bone whistles sounded in the woods.

The Tiele people's phalanx became thicker and thicker, and more numerous, like pieces of tofu, ready to attack at the foot of the hillside.

A bloody and brutal tug-of-war is about to break out.

…………

"Huh...ha..."

sunset.

Su Dingfang was panting and leaning tiredly against the mountain wall, his arms shaking from excessive fatigue.

It was impossible to tell whose blood it was, as it dripped down the bloodstained armor onto the hard, cold ground. The battle lasted from morning to evening, until the sky was dark and the sky was dark.

"Senior, can't fight anymore?" Xue Rengui sat on a huge rock not far away, smiling calmly.

"Ahem... phew!"

Su Dingfang spat out a mouthful of blood and spit, and managed to raise the corner of his mouth:

"If the hammer handle hadn't been broken, I could have hit a hundred more."

Xue Rengui: "Su Lang, you are already old, so don't try to be so stubborn."

Su Dingfang: "Bullshit, when I broke through the Eastern Turkic tent and captured Jie Li Khan alive, you were still a baby."

The two of them joked with each other unscrupulously, throwing all etiquette and rules out of their minds.

There is no need for a dying person to be concerned with such things.

At their feet, the bodies of the Tiele people were piled up like a mountain, and their blood was still steaming on the cold snow.

Near the pile of corpses, there were some Red Turban Army soldiers standing sporadically.

Their situation was not much better than that of the two generals. After a whole day of fierce fighting, they were almost exhausted.

Killing people is also a very physically demanding activity.

The Red Turban Army had long run out of arrows, their spear tips were broken, their swords were chipped, and their armor-piercing hammers were shattered. In the end, they picked up the huge rocks at hand and smashed them on the heads of the enemies who were surging down the mountain.

On Mount Hengshan, the Northern Peak, the Red Turban Army fought bloody battles and killed countless Xueyantuo soldiers.

However, the number of enemies was too great.

If one person is killed, two more will come up to fill the position, connecting seamlessly. To the Red Turban Army, the enemy is literally endless.

They made the entire battle line airtight, like a rope, slowly and inexorably tightening around the soldiers' necks.

Call——

The shrill sound of bone whistles rang out from all directions, and they were very close to the valley where Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui were resting.

The enemy also learned in the war. When they first went up the mountain, they were completely in the dark and ran around the mountain like sheep. They also learned to use sound to conduct simple commands and dispatches.

The whistle is short, meaning: There is a big fish here, come over here quickly!
"Hey, young man." Su Dingfang called out to Xue Rengui:
"Is there any trench behind that I can hide in?"

"You come to dig in this cold weather? No!" Xue Rengui retorted disrespectfully.

Su Dingfang: "Are there any reinforcements?"

Xue Rengui: "Do you think there will be reinforcements after the drums are beaten? All the troops have been pinned down in the mountains by the Tiele people, unless they grow wings and fly over!"

Su Dingfang sighed:
"It seems like I really have to die here. I've lived enough, but it's a pity for you. You're quite good at fighting. If you live longer, you might be able to become a governor."

Xue Rengui tied the only remaining dagger on his hand to a dead branch, making a simple spear, and snorted with a curl of his lips:
"The Xue family fell into poverty, and I joined the army to make a living, and I was ready to sacrifice my life for my country.

"On the contrary, Su Lang, you were originally the General of the Central Army in the capital, and you could have enjoyed your life in peace and stability.

"How could I be tricked by His Highness Li Ming into returning to the army, and end up dying in this barren snowy mountain? Don't you regret it?"

"Regret...?"

Su Dingfang looked up at the sky. The winter sunset was as weak and powerless as his vitality.

"Your Highness has allowed me to return to the army, command an army, and fight a good battle in Hengshan. This is the greatest gift I have received."

Xue Rengui raised his eyebrows: "Hmm?"

Su Dingfang's voice was low, as if it came from the distant past.

"When I was young, I followed my father to fight against bandits, and I followed Dou Jiande and Liu Heita to defeat the Eastern Turks.

"But because he was too close to Li Jing, he was accused of 'allowing the troops to plunder' and remained in the capital for more than 20 years."

Xue Rengui whistled: "The waters in the capital are deep, and the interpersonal relationships in our Yingzhou garbage can are simpler."

This time it was Su Dingfang's turn to raise his eyebrows:

“Yingzhou trash can?”

"Who else but the unwanted rubbish of the imperial court would be exiled to the barren Yingzhou?" Xue Rengui laughed at himself, his eyes darkening:

"Until His Majesty Li Ming came and built the place into what it is today..."

Su Dingfang smiled: "You also accepted his favor?"

Xue Rengui stood up, leaning on his "spear":
"Who in Liaodong has not owed him a favor? If it weren't for His Highness, who would be willing to sacrifice their lives in a strange land? For His Majesty?"

Down the hillside, footsteps can be clearly heard.

The Tiele people lined up and launched a final attack towards the valley where they were.

The long line is endless and there is no end in sight.

The remaining Red Scarf Army soldiers clenched their weapons.

Unfortunately, not only were the arrows used up, but even the stones that could be thrown were used up.

Su Dingfang stood up:
"Ready, set."

Xue Rengui was a little hesitant:

"Have we... completed His Majesty Li Ming's instructions? Have we pinned the enemy's main force... to Hengshan?"

Su Dingfang curled his lips:
"Just live as long as possible."

Boom, boom, boom.

The footsteps of the sheepskin boots on the frozen ground were as dull as the sound of drums.

The Red Turban Army looked down the hillside, their eyes filled with determination.

The Tiele army was approaching.

Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui could even clearly hear the Tiele officers' calls and commands.

Is this the final battle?

Just when the two sides with a huge disparity in strength were about to come into direct combat.

Whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, a series of sounds of breaking air were heard overhead.

On the mountain peak behind the col, countless arrows slanted down like a torrential rain, landing ruthlessly and accurately on the Xueyantuo army's formation, instantly sweeping down a large number of people.

The Tiele people had never expected to encounter such a fierce counterattack and were caught off guard.

Their archers wanted to shoot at the top of the mountain, but the poor terrain made it impossible for them to do so.

After the second round of volleys, they were all pierced like sieves.

"They have reinforcements?!"

"Run!"

"Don't move! Maintain the formation!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Our army is defeated, our army is defeated!"

The sudden attack threw the Tiele people into disarray.

Everyone ran for their lives, dodging the arrows that seemed to have eyes, and their formation collapsed in an instant.

"Kill! Good kill!" the Red Turban Army cheered.

But the sudden turn of events left the two commanders puzzled.

Su Dingfang nudged Xue Rengui with his elbow:

"That's great, Xue Dalang. You're really patient. You hid such a large army behind my back!"

Xue Rengui turned around in confusion:
"Ah? I thought it was your cavalry!"

Su Dingfang: "Where did I get the cavalry? They would have gone up the mountain and eaten the dirt together."

Xue Rengui: "Even if I have so many people, I can't create so many arrows!"

Su Dingfang: "Then they are..."

There was a boom.

Several war horses leaped down from the top of the mountain and landed steadily behind them.

The leader was a fat old man.

The old man had white hair and beard, but he was in good spirits and his eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky.

"Li Jing... Lord Li Wei?!"

Su Dingfang murmured the name of his old boss.

Li Jing faced the setting sun, his body covered with dazzling golden light.

He pulled the reins of his horse and looked at the two men who were trying to survive with disdain:
"What are you two young men doing standing there like idiots? Why don't you seize the opportunity to pursue the enemy?!"

(End of this chapter)