Chapter 980
: King Jin Almost Lost His Voice
Chapter 980: King Jin Almost Lost His Voice
Outside Tongzhou City,
On the official road in the south,
A group of soldiers and horses came from the south in a dense crowd. The leader was actually Wang Ziteng and his group, as well as Han Zhiwei, the general who stayed in Changning in the Beijing camp. They escorted 20,000 Taiping rebels and traveled day and night until they arrived at Tongzhou.
Originally, they were going back quickly, but escorting these prisoners slowed down their march. In addition, they met Wang Jieshuai and others later, so they simply joined forces and returned to Beijing together.
But on the way back to the capital, General Wang sat alone in the carriage without saying a word. To this day, none of the generals have seen General Wang. If it weren't for Jia Lian and Wang Ren, who brought him food every day, they would have thought that General Wang was a traitor.
On the official road,
Several generals of the imperial army had sad faces. They didn't know what the court would do if they returned to the capital with such a defeated army. It would be unfair to their elder brother. Only one tenth of the troops they brought with them survived. How could they go back with dignity?
Peng Shiying had a full beard and his clothes were still messy. He hadn't even changed into a better set of clothes. Not only were they stained with blood, but the cloak and armor on his back were also torn in many places. The other people were also dressed in the same way.
Hu Le, the commander of Hongnong, and He Yong, the garrison commander of Sizhou, were both covered in blood, the clothes they wore being worn during the day of the battle. Almost all the soldiers of the provincial army behind them were injured, and their eyes were filled with sorrow. Seeing this sight, not only others but also the soldiers left behind in the Beijing camp were terrified.
Especially General Han Zhiwei of Changning, whenever he saw this, he would unconsciously tighten the reins in his hand.
"General, these government troops were so arrogant half a month ago, how come they became like this after going to the south? I have seen these Taiping Cult villains, but I am not a supernatural being."
Behind him, before the guerrilla general Xie Cheng finished speaking, Han Zhiwei whipped him with a horsewhip.
"You are talking nonsense, aren't you? Are you blind? Don't talk about the soldiers of the government. They were so arrogant when they left. Now there are only tens of thousands of soldiers left, less than 30% of them. Look at the bandit soldiers. How many are intact? Most of them are injured. Many died along the way. If the Marquis hadn't instructed to send these people to the capital, saying that they had to be given medicine, they would have died before reaching the capital."
Not only did he complain about being frightened all the way, but he also had to send people to look after these rebels. I guess the Marquis was also considering the issue of General Wang Jie returning to the capital, and I don't know what the court would say.
"The general is right, but the army has run out of medicine for injuries, and we can't keep the people who are holding us back."
Xie Cheng had a bitter face. It wasn't just one or two people who died along the way, but hundreds of people. After all, the Marquis had captured a lot of prisoners. He didn't know what the point of keeping these people was. Even if they were to offer the prisoners, they wouldn't need so many people.
Just looking back, they saw the generals of the government army looking worried. Perhaps these captives suddenly had an idea, and then saw their generals keeping silent and looking at them meaningfully, and they understood a lot in an instant.
"General, rest assured. I will try my best to have my men take good care of the patients. Hopefully, fewer people will die."
"That's right. There are some things you know but can't say them out loud. Go ahead."
"Yes, General."
The two chatted briefly and then went their separate ways without attracting anyone else's attention.
At the front of the team,
Wang Ziteng led the generals of the palace army. His face looked a little ugly, but he still had a resolute face. Seeing the capital city just ahead, how could the generals not be uneasy?
In addition, many generals and captains were injured after fighting for so long. Even their commanders had their arms wrapped in layer upon layer of brocade cloth. Even the general, when retreating back to Daliang City, had drawn his sword and fought on the city wall. He was covered in blood, which had already dried up today and turned dark red and hung on his clothes and armor.
Hu Le was impatient and could not hide many things, but he was not a brainless person. He rode on his horse, approached He Yong, and touched General He's arm with the whip in his hand.
He Yong was a little confused. He looked back and signaled with his eyes, asking what was going on.
General Hu kicked his horse's belly, rode in front of him, came to Wang Ziteng's side, clasped his fists and said:
"General, the capital is just ahead. We have been defeated and returned to the city with the loss of so many soldiers and horses. Although the Marquis and His Highness did not say much, how can we explain to the Emperor if we return to the capital like this?"
He sighed. When he left the capital, he was so arrogant and proud. Now he was defeated in the south of the capital and was in a very bad state. In addition, Marquis Luo Yun had won a great victory over the enemy army. Compared with the victory and the defeat, how would the ministers of the court see it? What would His Majesty think?
This question brought out the thoughts of these generals, especially some of them, who still fantasized about winning a great victory and gaining military merit, so that they could pass down a title to their descendants.
"Yes, General, we fought bravely and our men advanced desperately without retreating. Now we have suffered heavy casualties. The money for these pensions is not a small amount. Can the court pay the full amount?"
Although military merit is related to their own interests, the pensions of their brothers are more related to their lives. With such heavy casualties, the silver needed is not just a little bit. According to the nature of the Ministry of Revenue of the original court, half of the silver was lost before leaving the capital. If it really came to them, I don't know how much would be left.
He Yong's words almost woke up all the generals. They were absolutely right. So, all the generals looked at him inquiringly. Even Wang Ren and Jia Lian were the same.
Wang Ziteng rode on his horse, looking in the direction of the capital. Perhaps he was thinking a lot, but in the end, he remembered clearly what the emperor had said before he left. He underestimated the enemy and rushed forward rashly. Also, that old guy Yu Shiyuan has not been seen until now. Could he have really surrendered to the enemy? He looked back and spoke;
"Everyone, the reason why we lost this battle is that I underestimated the enemy and rushed forward rashly, falling into an enemy ambush. I was also blinded by that old man Yu Shiyuan, so I hastily fought a decisive battle with the enemy army and was defeated in a panic. Therefore, the fault is all on me. I have already handed over your merits for fighting bravely to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin and Marquis Luo Yun. I think they have been presented to the emperor now. As for..."
He suddenly turned around and looked at the brothers who were still following him. Their clothes were torn and bloodstained. Even if they were defeated, they would never allow others to slander them.
"As for the pension money, if the Ministry of Revenue dares to deduct it, I will fight with them even if I risk my life. I will definitely give them a lot of silver. I owe them a lot."
Wang Ziteng's face was full of determination, and he was obviously determined to die, which shocked the surrounding generals. Wang Ren was the first to react. His eyes turned red, and his arms wrapped in brocade were still dark red. He endured the pain and cried;
"Uncle, this battle is not our fault. We fought to the point of exhaustion. We brothers tried our best, but the enemy was too strong and we fell into a trap. How can only uncle be held responsible? My nephew was greedy and reckless, so he should be punished."
"Uncle, even if I am guilty, I, Jia Lian, am guilty as well."
At this point, even though Jia Lian was afraid, his heroic spirit finally burst out.
He Yong, Hu Le, Peng Shiying, Dong Dawang and other commanders looked solemn and clasped their fists, saying,
"I am willing to stand together with the commander-in-chief"
"ah!."
"It hurts so much, ah."
In the camp west of Linshan County,
As the army doctors were treating the wounded, the soldiers let out screams of pain, echoing throughout the camp. The main tent of the rear camp, near the river, was already filled with thick smoke, and boiling water was burning on the river bank.
There was bloody brocade boiling inside. The scarlet brocade came into view, which was extremely shocking. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin looked at the wounded soldiers in the camp and listened to the screams. His face turned pale and he thought to himself, is this considered a disastrous defeat? Just as he was thinking about it, the captain He of the palace also came over with an ugly face and clasped his fists and said;
"Report, Your Highness, the three generals have entered the camp and are gathered in the big tent to prepare for the meeting. Your Highness, please move over."
"Okay, I understand. By the way, do you know how the other three generals are doing in attacking the city today? Is there any progress?"
Jin Wang Zhou Ding turned his head with hope on his face. He thought that General Duan's siege equipment should be able to play a role, especially since there were no crossbows guarding the city. He had just finished asking the question when Captain He smiled a smile uglier than crying and replied, "Your Highness, General Duan's casualties were the heaviest. All the brothers fought desperately. Although the enemy army had more casualties than us, they still failed to attack the city wall!"
"What! Why is this?"
The King of Jin was horrified. How could this be possible? Without the threat of the crossbows, the shield formation of Marquis Luo Yun could be activated to protect the archers and crossbowmen from close range. In this way, the archers in heavy armor should be able to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy army. How could there be so many casualties?
Seeing that His Highness did not believe him, Captain He could only explain more;
"Your Highness, although there are no crossbows to defend the city, the enemy reinforcements have almost doubled their number. They are fearless and brave, and they will replace as many as they die, exchanging their lives for others. Therefore, the casualties are quite heavy."
There was nothing that could be done about it. Although they had the advantage of siege equipment, the enemy army was not defenseless. They had weapons and armor, as well as shields and the advantage of the city walls. How could they hold back when fighting each other?
After hearing what Captain He said, King Jin almost lost his words. He waved his hand and walked straight out of the rear camp towards the meeting tent of Marquis Luo Yun.
It was not far away. Led by Captain He, they arrived in front of the big tent. They opened the curtain and walked in. All the generals were there, but the dull and depressing atmosphere was almost tangible. Prince Jin did not say much. He walked carefully back to his seat on the east side and looked at Marquis Luo Yun, but saw that the marquis' eyes were still fixed on the geomancy map on the table.
I don’t know how much time passed,
Zhang Jinyu looked at the detailed map of the county city on the table. The most intense siege today was at the city gate, but the strongest attack was still on the city wall. With such an arrangement, there were still so many casualties. It can be seen that there are many bandit troops in the county city, or it is very unexpected. By the way, how many troops does the Taiping Sect have? If there are still so many troops in the south, the court may have to change dynasties.
Glancing at the generals in the tent, he saw that their morale was low, a far cry from the high spirits of yesterday. He smiled and said;
"Everyone, what's going on? They're so weak after just one battle. It's just a small test. The bandit army in the county city is really unexpected. I didn't expect that the leader Chu, who is known as the think tank of the Taiping Sect, would invest so much money and dare to place so many soldiers in the county city. Is he really risking everything?"
Although there are still doubts, the number of rebel troops is indeed visible to the naked eye. I don’t know if it was the marquis who started it. General Dingnan Yin Renchang was the first to clasp his fists and say;
"My Lord, I think so. I thought that if we surrounded them from all sides and fought with all our might, there would always be a weak spot. Who would have thought that the defense of the North City was the most stringent? After I attacked twice, I suffered heavy casualties. So the third and fourth times, I used shield formations to protect the crossbowmen and contain them. The siege soldiers were just feinting, but the enemy's reinforcements arrived almost instantly. It was unbelievable."
The defense of the North City Tower was under martial law, just like the West City. Crossbows were placed at key locations. Zhang Jinyu had an idea after hearing this, and confirmed his guess. He asked;
"How many brothers died in today's battle?"
"My Lord, six thousand of our army members died in the siege and more than eight thousand were injured."
Yin Renchang said these cold words, and Jin Wang Zhou Ding secretly took a breath of cold air. With so many casualties, plus the situation in the other three cities, there were at least 50,000 casualties. What should he do?
"General Duan, General Hu, how are the situations over there?"
Zhang Jinyu sighed, looked at the two of them and asked,
"My Lord, I attacked the East City with all my strength, attacking the weak points of the city wall. I did not fight to the death at the city gates. Although there were casualties, they were not many. About 4,000 died and 5,000 were injured."
Hu Shoucheng's words became smaller and smaller. He lost so many people in one day. How could he have the face to do that? Duan Wenyuan had a gloomy face and moved his mouth with a face full of shame.
"My Lord, I suffered the heaviest losses here. Eight thousand men were killed and fifteen thousand were injured. We were suppressed by the enemy army and were unable to climb the city wall."
As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar. How could there be so many casualties in the South City? Just as the people in the tent were discussing, the Central Guard General Ma Cheng rushed into the big tent from outside, clasped his fists and bowed, saying;
"Report, Lord, the siege on the west side of the city was damaged. All siege equipment was lost. More than 10,000 brothers were killed and 20,000 were injured. They climbed to the top of the city wall for half an hour, but were later defeated by the enemy's commander. They fired rockets to cover the city tower. The front of the enemy's city tower was burned. The city gate has been broken by the siege vehicle, but the gate is not loose."
The voice came,
All the generals in the tent fell silent immediately, looking at the Marquis and Ma Cheng in disbelief. How did they fight for West City?
Especially the King of Jin, who was sitting there, swayed and almost slipped off his seat. Although he saw the tragedy with his own eyes, he could not have imagined that so many soldiers would be lost. More than 30,000 elite soldiers died and more than 40,000 were injured in one day. That is to say, nearly 70,000 soldiers lost their combat effectiveness in one day. If they continued for a few more days, would the court's army be gone? In a hurry, he blurted out,
"My Lord, nearly 40,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in one day of the siege. In addition, in the battle of Anyang Mountains, not counting the wounded, nearly 100,000 soldiers died. With such heavy casualties, how can we fight in the future?"
"We should fight as we should. We have suffered heavy losses, but the enemy army has no casualties. Today's attack on the city is just an excuse. If the enemy army shows weakness, we can break into the city today. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The garrison commander in the county city has a high status."
Zhang Jinyu did not feel the slightest bit of guilt. There is always death in war. In a siege, the attacking side will inevitably suffer more casualties than the defending side. It seems that today, the casualties of the enemy soldiers defending the city were no less than theirs, so there is no loss or not.
After this revelation, the King of Jin seemed to come back to his senses. His face turned red with shame and he clasped his fists to apologize.
"My Lord, I was just too excited."
"Your Highness, it's alright. I'm not the only one who's excited. I was also excited after reading the battle report. I originally thought that the Taiping Rebellion Army was just so-so, but I didn't expect that they would meet a worthy opponent. The counties and cities south of Beijing were not lost. If the court doesn't suppress them, the consequences will be unpredictable.
Of course, this way of fighting is not feasible. So many people died in one day. In a few days, we will have no soldiers left. Let's rest for three days first. Order people to go back to Daliang City to get all the medicines from doctors and pharmacists to treat our brothers. I think the enemy army is short of doctors and medicines, and suffered a lot of casualties."
Zhang Jinyu almost gritted his teeth to say this. He had to consider the overall situation as well as the war losses. With the current treatment conditions, the seriously injured were no different from the dead. Only the slightly injured could survive with some medicine. The outcome would be clear in three days. Otherwise, with the madness of those Taiping Cult villains, even if they died together, there would be countless injured people willing to do so. It was obvious that the evil cult was extremely harmful.
Seeing that Marquis Luo Yun actually wanted to stop the war and put up a sign to avoid fighting, the generals were a little surprised. Shouldn't they strike while the iron is hot and not give the enemy army time to rest? How could they stop the war? Yin Renchang frowned and thought carefully about what the marquis said, not understanding his meaning.
Yang Shixiong, who was sitting in the back, moved his body, stood up and bowed;
"My Lord, it is said that the first attack is the best, the second is weaker, and the third is exhausted. Although we failed to capture the city today, we did not hurt them, so we can fight again tomorrow. I don't know what your Lordship means by stopping the war. I don't understand."
The question was tactful. Zhang Jinyu glanced at him and saw that it was Yang Shixiong who stood up to ask questions. His temper had also become much more refined. He was a promising talent.
"General Yang led his troops to attack the city bravely today. His elite soldiers were very brave. The second wave of attack reached the city wall. I saw it all. What you just asked is reasonable. But General Yang, think about it. If we continue to attack the city like this, as our siege equipment is destroyed one by one, the number of casualties will increase. In addition, the doctors are short of medicine, and those who cannot get treatment are almost the same as death. Therefore, we can't take the county city now. Wait for an opportunity."
"My Lord, may I ask where the opportunity lies? Almost all the troops that the court can use are here."
Yang Shixiong was stubborn, and he was extremely sad that so many of his brothers had died today. How could he not be angry, so he did not sit down. The faces of several commanders in the front row changed, fearing that Luo Yunhou would punish him. Unexpectedly, Luo Yunhou laughed and said;
"Three days later, just like today, gather all the siege equipment, use the thunderbolt chariots and catapults, and attack the west gate. In addition, during these three days, transport food and fodder during the day under the pretext of transporting food and fodder. At night, the three of you will gather 20,000 elite soldiers one after another, sit on the carriages transporting baggage, and secretly return to the west city camp to reorganize the army. When the city is broken that day, you will charge into the city in one force."
This is Zhang Jinyu's trump card!
(End of this chapter)