Chapter 317 Artillery Commander (Part 1)

Soon, merchants transported a large amount of grain one after another, and then successfully obtained approval documents for salt sales from the camp. (, watch the latest update of this book) One-to-one spread, the powerful merchants in the Later Zhou Dynasty were a little moved, and this was a huge profit! More and more people hired civilians to escort grain to the city of Jinzhou. Even several well-known wealthy businessmen from the Northern Han sent their subordinates to disguise themselves and offer food in exchange for salt attractions!

The merchants made profits from it, and the Later Zhou army also used this to get rid of the food crisis and hoarded a lot of food. Then, Guo Rong announced that he would use labor to provide relief, recruit people and men to repair fortifications, settle the food, and settle it every day. At the same time, Guo Rong gave porridge to the elderly, weak and women and children. Each person could receive a bowl of porridge from the porridge shed set up in the camp every day, and he could receive it twice a day. Although this porridge was very thin, it could save his life. As long as he could survive for a while, when the summer grain was harvested, the people would have a way out.

After solving the survival problems of the people, Guo Rong began to preach military discipline, strictly demanded the generals of the army, and severely punished those who did not change their teachings in the army! Especially those soldiers who were always angry, as long as they were reported by the people, they were thrown into the dead soldiers' camp!

There were hundreds of death row prisoners in this Dead Soldier Camp, and they were all sent to the frontier after committing death row in the mainland, and they were all unruly. However, most of these people have family and friends in the mainland, otherwise they would not have the chance to come to the Dead Soldier Camp, and they had been beheaded by the government in the local area. With the restraint of family and friends, the Dead Soldier Camp would not turn against him at the last minute. After replenishing a large number of veterans who made mistakes, the Dead Soldier Camp expanded to about 1,500 people, and its combat effectiveness was greatly improved.

Not only were the soldiers who made mistakes killed and were instigated into the Dead Soldiers' camp, but some of the lower-level generals were sent by the iron-fisted Guo Rong to serve as commanders. For example, the three brothers Zhang Long, Zhang Hu and Zhang Bao, although they were promoted to Du Yuhou for their achievements in combat, they forced the women of the people, ransacked the people, and stole military rations. The people's anger was overwhelming, and it was not enough to calm the people's anger if they were not killed!

So Guo Rong removed the three of them from their posts, and instigated them to the Death Soldiers' camp, and acted as commanders of the three battalions (500 people per battalion). Guo Rong told them very clearly that attacking the city of Jinyang City, the three of them could be exempted from death; opening the gate of Jinyang City, and the three of them would be restored to their posts!

Guo Rong also promised to the generals: "This time we attack Jinyang City, I hope everyone can make achievements, get promoted and make money! I promise here that even if someone makes a mistake before, he can use his military achievements to cleanse his shame! After capturing Jinyang, I will never pursue it! Moreover, those who take the lead in breaking the city will be promoted to three levels and rewarded with 100 taels of gold! Those who capture Liu Chong will not only be promoted to one level, but also get the title of "Founder of the Country"!"

Guo Rong's promise was like a stimulant, and everyone was ready to try it out. (, watch the latest update of this book)

April 16th, sunny, great luck.

Early in the morning, the Zhou army started eating, with each person a bowl of fat pork, a pickle strip, and four large steamed buns.

The firehead soldier was abnormal today and filled the fat pork very much. He saw the broth swaying in the wooden bowl, and it was about to overflow.

Everyone drooled and ate the fat pork cleanly. Even the overflowing broth was rubbed into their mouths with steamed buns. It was difficult to eat so much pork on weekdays. Besides, today we will start siege. Who knows if they can save their lives and eat supper!

A quarter of an hour passed quickly, and the soldiers began to wear armor, tied the short sword that had been polished last night to their waists, and lined up with weapons to prepare for the battle.

Dong Zunhui also put on his close-fitting soft armor outside his underwear, and tied up the trip bar of the outer armor with the help of the guards. In addition to the short knife he carried with him, he also tied a waist knife around his waist, then stepped onto the war horse, hung a long spear on the Desheng hook, and headed towards the artillery battalion.

A few days ago, the war was arranged by Dong Zunhui, who made military achievements not long ago, did not get the opportunity to take the lead this time, but was in charge of the artillery battalion, that is, the catapult chariot troops. There were ten large catapult chariots in the artillery battalion, each requiring fifty soldiers; twenty neutral catapult chariots, each requiring twenty soldiers; forty small catapult chariots, each requiring ten soldiers. In addition, more than 700 soldiers were responsible for transporting catapults, the entire artillery battalion had more than 2,000 soldiers. Dong Zunhui not only had to be in charge of the artillery troops, but also commanded the 5,000 troops in his hands. According to the size of his troops, he also occupied a place in this 100,000 army.

Early in the morning, the artillery soldiers displayed all the catapults and placed them roughly in the position according to the angles measured in the past few days. Dong Zunhui had an order, and the small catapults were responsible for bombing the city and covering the attack of the Zhou army in the rear; the medium catapults were responsible for suppressing the Beihan catapults troops at the front of the city, so as not to use their height advantages to counterattack the catapult troops; as for the heavy catapults, Dong Zunhui personally controlled them and waited for the order at any time.

In the past few days, Dong Zunhui has commanded the troops to make many rehearsals, and the soldiers are not panic and quickly take their seats. Dong Zunhui came to the camp, inspected it, and left with satisfaction, heading to the imperial camp south of the artillery battalion to obey orders.

Soon Dong Zunhui met Zhang Yongde, who was in charge of the imperial camp police. The two of them exchanged a few greetings and stood aside, waiting for the emperor Guo Rong's great command.

Soon, Guo Rong, wearing golden armor, rushed out of the camp quickly, surrounded by the generals, rushed out of the camp and inspected the soldiers. The soldiers who had already lined up to stand by the emperor's heroic figure couldn't help but shout: "Long live! Long live! Long live!"

Guo Rong gently tied his war horses, this is my army, this is my confidence to challenge the countries! He held the reins in his left hand, drew out the sword with his right hand, pointed to the Jinyang City, shouting loudly: "Catch Jinyang City, be promoted to three levels, and be promoted to one level, and be crowned as the founding uncle! Capture Liu Chong, be promoted to one level, and be named the founding uncle!"

Guo Rong had just repeated this reward pattern, and all the generals' eyes were green: This is the founding uncle. Although his official rank is only the fourth rank, it can be passed down to future generations. Once rewarded, it means that all the descendants can receive this favor!

Everyone began to jealous of the reward. Everyone bowed to Guo Rong and returned to their respective troops. Soon the troops began to advance in an orderly manner and set out toward the city of Jinyang. Dong Zunhui also returned to the artillery position at the forefront of the camp, ordering the troops to load stones and prepare for attack.

At this time, Guo Rong came to a small hill south of Jinyang and set up a command post here. This hill had long been occupied by the personal guards. Not only did simple fortifications be built on it, but also built a watchtower, arranged a watchtower, and erected a command flag.

Soon, Guo Rong's yellow battle flag was raised on the hills, and the pre-war names were started to be called on each unit! Every time the flag representing a unit was raised here, the main flag of the unit began to shake, signaling to the main business that it had received orders and was ready for battle.

After the flag was in motion, the main camp began to beat drums, and the first flag raised was the flag of the Dead Soldiers Camp. The three brothers Zhang Long, Zhang Hu and Zhang Bao quickly ordered the troops to start moving forward and prepare to launch an attack on Jinyang.

Zhang Long shouted loudly: "We are so sinful. Fortunately, my lord is grateful to you. Today I am willing to fight to the death and make achievements for my Great Zhou. As long as we strive forward, we will be forgiven for our crimes and be promoted to the title! Brothers, fight to the death!"

The second flag raised by the main camp was the battle flag of the artillery battalion. Dong Zunhui quickly ordered the light catapult to fire at Jinyang City and cover the infantry to step forward.

Of course, firing a cannon does not mean that all the catapults are fired in one piece, but rather, select two catapults with the best accuracy and calibrate the city wall. After calibrating these two catapults, the remaining catapults in the camp will fine-tune their catapults according to the calibration results.

Soon, all the catapults were adjusted properly, and forty light catapults were divided into two groups and attacked the head of Jinyang City. Then they saw the stones constantly shooting out of the camp, crossing the heads of people, and hitting the heads of Jinyang City hard!

From time to time, battlements were smashed and broken. The soldiers of the Northern Han Dynasty hiding behind the battlements blew blood and fell to the ground. There were still many stones hitting the archers of the Northern Han Army, causing blood to bloom!

Soon, the main camp raised the third flag, and the archer troops immediately advanced behind the Dead Soldiers' Camp, preparing to suppress the archers at the top of Jinyang City.

Seeing that the Later Zhou army began to attack under the city, Li Cungui, the guardian of the Southern Gate of the Northern Han Army, hid in the solid city tower and shouted to the left and right generals: "Don't worry, our Jinyang City has been repaired for many generations, how could the Zhou army take it down with one attack?!

Now the Zhou army rushed up were only three battalions, about 1,500 people. This was just a bait sent by Guo Rong. We must not be fooled by archers and catapults!

Everyone must keep calm and not be scared by their catapults! Our Jinyang City is also equipped with a lot of catapults to defend the city. When the enemy troops rushed up, it will be the time for them to show their power!

I am passing the order, the catapult troops and the archer troops, don’t fight back for the time being, these more than a thousand people are not worth their dispatch! The rest of the troops are ready to fight and swallow all the baits of these thousand five hundred people!”

Just as Li Cungui was talking, Zhang Long's troops had already rushed to the city. The reason why it was so smooth was that Guo Rong had not taken any action during the siege of the city. Obstacles such as moats and trenches outside Jinyang City had been completely filled by the soldiers, and the troops could rush directly to the city of Jinyang.

As the eldest brother of three, Zhang Long led 500 people to the forefront. There were twenty long ladders in the camp, and basically one team could get two ladders. Everyone carried the long ladders and soon ran across the former site of the moat and rushed to the city.

But the more smooth the charge, the more worried Zhang Long was: no matter how cowardly the soldiers of the Northern Han army were on the top of the city, even if the generals of the Northern Han army were incompetent, they would launch a severe blow to the first siege of the Later Zhou army to shock the Later Zhou army. The less there is movement now, the more it means that the attacks of the Northern Han army will be more rapid in the future!

Zhang Long couldn't help but be shocked. While he encouraged the soldiers to rush forward, he quietly slowed down. Just as the soldiers of the Dead Soldiers camp leaned the ladder against the battlements, he heard someone shouting loudly on the top of the city: "Attack!"


Chapter completed!