Back to the Song Dynasty as a tyrant

"Tell me, what happened!"

These people are obviously still in panic, and they are incoherently telling what happened at noon today.

Including the situation of the tower, and the situation of retreating into the city.

"You said that the Song Army has a stronger cannon that can emit a deafening roar and is very easy to carry?"

"Yes, two people can lift it up and move to fight at any time."

Chapter 1046 The Breath of the Battle (Part [-])

"It only takes two people to lift it up. Such a light and compact thing can make an ear-splitting roar?" Brother Li Cha was a little surprised, which undoubtedly refreshed his cognition again.

"It seems to be the explosion of gunpowder, pushing the shell out, but how much gunpowder does this need?"

The fire in the tent flickered on and off, reflecting Brother Li Cha's deep face.

He was lost in thought.

"Mr. Zhang."

"My subordinate is here." Zhang Chunming said.

"This king remembers that you participated in the making of the Thunderbolt."

Zhang Chunming is Brother Li Cha's staff and confidant.

It was Zhang Chunming who introduced Sun Fu to Brother Li Cha when Sun Fu was sent to Xixia for the first time, and this led to the new grievances of Song Xia in the next ten years.

Zhang Chunming said: "The lower officials did participate."

"Zhen Tianlei ignites the wire, the gunpowder explodes, and the iron fragments inside will be sprayed out to hurt people, right?"

"Yes."

"How big is the shell thrown by an ordinary trebuchet?" Brother Li Cha asked again.

"About the size of a fist, but the gunpowder would probably shatter the shell."

Brother Li Cha looked at those people again.

The few people quickly said: "It's not broken pieces, what exactly is it? The scene was very chaotic at the time, and we didn't see it clearly."

Zhang Chunming said suddenly: "Unless the shell is made of iron."

"Iron!" Brother Li Cha was startled, and seemed to realize it suddenly.

But for people like them who have never seen artillery, this question cannot be deduced in a few words.

"If it's iron, how much gunpowder is needed to hit it far away?"

We all know that a piece of iron of the same size is heavier than a stone of the same size.

The heavier it is, the more effort it takes to throw it.

Deep in thought in the tent, Brother Li Cha really wanted to ask these people: You are not lying, how could such a thing exist in the world?

But the recent series of defeats in Xixia were so unbelievable that Brother Li Cha hardly dared to easily deny the existence of artillery.

Because Brother Li Cha believes that this "new weapon" may be an important reason why Song Jun's journey is so smooth.

Zhang Chunming said: "Your Highness, this problem may not only be about the gunpowder, but the structure of this thing is also very important. Although I have never seen this thing before, if the gunpowder explodes and pushes the iron ball out, then at least it has something to do with Zhentianlei." One of those similarities."

"What similarities?"

"The gunpowder is placed in a closed environment, and the gunpowder is ignited through the fuse, but the iron fragments in the Thunderbolt burst out after the gunpowder exploded the outer skin. Then how did the iron ball of this new cannon of the Song people come out?"

Zhang Chunming deduced it carefully.

"If it is the same as Zhentianlei, the gunpowder blasts the outer skin, and the iron ball comes out again, it is suspected of doing something wrong, because from the description of these people just now, this kind of gun is very easy to carry and can be used repeatedly. In this way, there is no iron ball coming out after blasting."

Brother Li Cha nodded, he approved of Zhang Chunming's deduction.

For Xixia people who have never seen tubular thermal weapons, it is already very powerful to be able to infer this step.

"If so, wouldn't it be exposed?" Brother Li Cha continued to ask.

"Exposed, the gunpowder exploded, and the direction of the iron ball was uncontrollable."

Brother Li Cha asked those people again: "Did you not see clearly at all?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness. There was a scuffle at that time, and the weapons of the Song army were quite far away. We were standing behind the crowd, not in the first row, so it was difficult to see clearly."

I'm afraid those who can see clearly will either die, or it will be difficult to escape to Brother Li Cha.

"If you want to control the direction of the iron ball, you must fix the iron ball. If you want the iron ball to be ejected, you can't fix it dead." Zhang Chunming continued, "It is best to put it in a hollow pipe in the middle."

"Pipe?" Brother Li Cha seemed to be awakened, his eyes lit up, "There is some truth in what Mr. said, if it is placed in a hollow pipe in the middle, it is possible, but how much gunpowder will be used depends on Only when the pipeline is damaged can the iron ball be pushed?"

After another period of silence, Zhang Chunming said: "If you want to push the iron ball and make the iron ball fly far, you really need to increase the dosage, but there is also a possibility."

"What is possible?"

"When we were making Zhentianlei, we did many different tests. Different gunpowder formulas have different powers. Song Jun should have a new gunpowder formula. This formula is more powerful with the same amount of gunpowder. .”

Now Brother Li Cha's face became completely dignified.

From the perspective of the long-term grand strategy, what is fought in war is indeed logistics.

But people can't always talk about those macro narratives that can't fall from the level of grand strategy.

In the end, people still have to go to the tactical level and complete one thing step by step.

From a short-term tactical point of view, this new weapon of the Song Army will undoubtedly make the Song Army even more powerful.

Brother Li Cha started to walk back and forth.

After thinking for a while, he said, "What do you think of the current situation, sir?"

"Your officer believes that it is inappropriate to fight the Song army head-on right now. It was just our guess just now. Even though these people have personally experienced the new weapons of the Song army, our department has not seen it. It is not good for our army. Send the cavalry first. To harass the Song army in a highly mobile manner, watch the changes in the battle situation, understand the Song army's weapons in this mobile operation, and then find a place to break through."

Zhang Chunming paused, then continued: "Furthermore, Your Majesty is in the capital to rectify the elite. If we can hold back this Song army, it will not be too late to attack the Song army together when His Majesty's elite arrives."

Brother Li Cha nodded, and said: "Sir, you are right, now is not the time to care about the gains and losses of a city or a pool."

In the early morning of the second day, Brother Li Cha's scouts came and went quickly.

"Your Majesty, we have discovered multiple scouts from the Xixia people." Fan Zhixu walked in early in the morning.

Zhao Ning was eating steamed buns, with a few slices of meat sandwiched in the steamed buns, and some spices sprinkled on them.

It's a pity that there is no pepper in this era, otherwise it would be more delicious to grind some pepper powder into it.

"Understood, let them continue to spy, I guess Brother Li Cha will not take the risk of fighting us easily." Zhao Ning ate with relish, and drank the mutton soup.

In the morning of late autumn in the Northwest, it was much colder than in Bianjing. Drinking this mutton soup felt warm all over my body.

"Our army has defeated the Xixia army many times in a short period of time, and our troops have an advantage. Brother Li Cha will definitely use harassment tactics to delay us until Li Qianshun rectifies the army and comes."

Fan Zhixu heard Zhao Guanjia say this, and said: "Why don't our army take this opportunity to take the initiative to attack northward, and defeat Brother Li Cha before Li Qianshun's army arrives?"

"Whether you can defeat it or not depends on what you say."

PS: I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and remember to say hello to your family and friends, whether you are around or not.

Chapter 1047 Encircled Yuzhou! (Second more)

Fan Zhixu was impatient, otherwise in the first year of Jingkang, he would not have been blocked in Tongguan by Wanyan Lou's family when he led the Sixth Army from Shaanxi to King Qin in Bianjing.

If this guy could listen to Li Yanxian's strategy at that time, the battle situation in the first year of Jingkang would certainly not be so passive.

"Brother Li Cha is not an ordinary person, and we don't know the actual situation of his military strength. Are there still few cases in history where fewer people win more?" Zhao Ning continued, "To defeat Brother Li Cha, one must understand while fighting. If he is defeated under the circumstances, if he is determined to fight with us first, we can't chase him, and if he leads us into an ambush in the mountains, wouldn't it be a waste of all our previous efforts?"

"What your majesty said is that the minister did not think properly."

"Liu Kai will receive the letter soon. Liu Kai's troops are enough to attack Yuzhou. As for Li Qianshun, don't forget that Zhang Jun still has an army of [-]. He must have arrived in Weizhou by now, and both Li Yanxian and Zhe Yanzhi Already started."

Not to mention Li Shifu who was in Longzhou at this time.

On the evening of September 29th, Liu Kai, who was in Xiazhou, received a letter from Zhao Guan's family, and learned that Hongzhou had been conquered, and the main Xixia army in Youzhou had left the city.

In the evening of that day, Liu Kai called all the senior generals in Xiazhou to discuss the matter.

"According to information, there are only [-] Xixia troops in Youzhou now, and Xingqing Mansion has already mobilized a new round of troops dozens of days ago. Based on this time, the reinforcements from Xingqing Mansion will be within five days at most. Arrived within." Liu Kai said.

"Our task is to capture Youzhou within five days, otherwise once the reinforcements from Xingqing Mansion arrive, the situation of the battle will be completely different."

Liu Rui immediately stood up and said: "Liu Shuai, please give the last general [-] soldiers and horses, and the last general will go and take Youzhou down!"

"Don't be impatient." Liu Kai said, "We have to make a careful strategy, and we don't rule out the possibility that we won't be able to take it down within five days. If we can't take it down, we must be prepared to besiege the city and fight for aid."

Xiao Heda said: "If a new round of reinforcements from the Xingqing Mansion is really on the way, then Li Qianshun will definitely come to lead the troops in person. The terrain in the Youzhou area is already very flat, which is very suitable for cavalry operations. Li Qianshun's personal guards There are a large number of armored cavalry, and it may not be that simple if they want to besiege the city and fight for reinforcements."

"Don't spoil your prestige by making others ambitious." Liu Rui said.

"Liu Shuai, the final general does not want others to destroy his own prestige." Xiao Heda continued, "In recent years, Xixia has greatly supplemented its armaments and military resources, and its financial resources are greater than any period in the past 100 years. Strong, we should not underestimate the enemy."

Liu Kai nodded.

As for war, the fighting time is short and depends on generals.

It takes a long time to fight, and it depends on money and supplies.

Now it is obviously a short-term tactical level operation.

"Then how do you say to fight?" Liu Rui asked Xiao Heda.

Xiao Heda said: "If you can capture Youzhou within five days, it is the best strategy. If you can't, you can only temporarily retreat to Xiazhou and wait for the opportunity. You must not besiege Youzhou while fighting with Li Qianshun's personal guards. The army is fighting head-on, it's not that the last general has any doubts about Liu Shuai's ability to command the army, but if Li Qianshun comes in person, Xixia must come with soldiers from the whole country, and the strength is superior to our army, but our army failed to capture Youzhou, you The Western Xia army in the state took advantage of our battle with Li Qianshun to go out of the city to harass us, and the battle situation was not good for us, besides, there was a Xixia army in Longzhou, and Longzhou was only a hundred miles away from Youzhou, so they would go north to join the battle at any time when necessary."

"Longzhou has been besieged by Li Shifu." Liu Kai said, "If Li Shifu can break through Longzhou and go north to join our army in time, the buffer space of the battle will inevitably increase."

On September [-], after many spies, Brother Li Cha separated two groups of cavalry and made a rapid charge towards Hongzhou in the south.

After they came over, they wandered outside the various barracks of the Song Army many times.

If you encounter the scouts of the Song Army, go to pursue them immediately.

Of course, Zhao Ning was not ambiguous, since Brother Li Cha sent cavalry over, he naturally also sent cavalry to fight.

Both sides now have a purpose to test each other through high mobility tactics.

If Zhao Ning dispatched a larger infantry regiment, Brother Li Cha's troops would quickly withdraw. If the Song army pursued them, Brother Li Cha would continue to withdraw, planning to lure the Song army into the mountains and attack with ambushes.

Of course, Zhao Ning decided to divide his troops here. After all, his army is sufficient, and he can allocate [-] troops to restrain Brother Richard and go north by himself.

After all, the most important thing right now is Youzhou.

It is unknown how many troops Li Qianshun will lead southward. If Li Qianshun goes south and Youzhou has not yet been breached, Li Qianshun has a chance to come back.

Because the Xixia people are very cunning in combat.

Xixia war horses are extremely abundant, and although the cavalry tactics of the Dangxiang people are not as powerful as the Jin people, they are still very difficult to deal with.

This has something to do with their special national conditions.

Xixia has at most 300 million people, and people are an extremely important strategic resource for them.

After all, people die, and newborns can't grow up overnight, let alone in ancient times when medical conditions were extremely scarce.

This is doomed that the power holders of Xixia value the soldiers of the army more than those of Liao, Jin, and Song.

Xixia people can't win, basically they can't fight like chicken blood.

They will do one thing without any psychological burden: run!

But their run was not to escape, but to withdraw first, to withdraw in all directions, to protect the living forces.

Xixia soldiers also have a special skill, finding teammates.

They have war horses and hounds, look for comrades based on scent and footprints, and then quickly assemble.

This is the way of survival of the weak.

It can be said that Xixia has played to the extreme at the national strategic level and the military tactical level, and it has only existed among several major countries for 200 years.

It's not an exaggeration to describe them as Xiaoqiang who can't be beaten to death.

It is precisely because of this extremely unscrupulous tactic that the Xixia people have saved themselves from danger many times in times of crisis.

On the same day, Zhao Ning left 3000 troops in Hongzhou, and ordered Zhang Bofen to command [-] troops, including [-] cavalry, to contain Brother Li Cha.

His main force quickly moved northward.

It has only been more than a month since the start of the Miexia war, and half of Xixia's Hengshan defense line has been destroyed.

The battle situation is obviously entering the most critical moment of the first stage, and it is still changing rapidly.

On the evening of September [-], Zhang Jun's [-] troops arrived in Weizhou, and Weizhou was besieged.