Chapter 323 Anxi Strategy (13)

The sky is high and the clouds are light, and the north wind is howling. On the bleak earth, a black army appeared at the end of the intersection of heaven and earth. "Dong! Dong!" With the sound of low drums, the main forces of the 80,000 Tang troops finally arrived at the boundary of Shule. This is the ancient city of Kashi fifty miles away from Shule. The city is not tall. It was originally the capital of Kashi. Like Shache, it was born by the migration of many rivers and declined with the decrease of water volume. It was finally annexed by Shule and became the eastern gate to protect Shule's east.

Most of the wars between the Anxi countries were fighting cavalry on the plains, and the fierce attacks and villages were captured. In addition, the population here was sparse, and the casualties were surrendered. The construction of cities was far less important than the Central Plains. Most of them were simply compacted with soil to prevent cavalry from entering. This was the case with the Kashi City in front of the Tang army. The city wall was about three meters high, and it was compacted with soil, and sand was filled in the middle. The entire city was about six hundred steps long from east to west and four hundred feet wide from north to south.

Bu, there are a total of six city gates for people to enter and exit, and they do not have a horse face like the Central Plains city wall (protruding one piece of the city wall to eliminate the blind spots of defense). It can be seen from this that the people here have very weak awareness of defending the city. It is no wonder that Shule has the defense of the Pamir Mountains in the west, the difficulties of the desert in the east, and there are few large-scale foreign invasions. When the Tubo army arrived from Tochar, with Shule's weakness, it immediately surrendered to Tubo to preserve the royal family and the people.

But the Great Cannibals are different. Their invasion is even more destructive with a culture and belief. Therefore, the resistance of countries in the Western Regions to Daqi is often more tragic and lasting. At least Shule is like this. Daqi's forced implementation of Islam in countries west of the Pamir Mountains aroused strong resistance from Shule King Pei Lenglen. When the Daqi Army had just crossed the Pamir Mountains, Pei Lenglen led the Shule army to attack the Daqi army, but eventually failed due to the huge gap in strength.

At this time, there were no merchants in the city of Kashi. The grand occasion of camels was growing in groups. It was more like an old man who was sleeping. There were only thousands of food soldiers defending the city walls covered with mottled years. The city was empty. All residents were forcibly moved to Shule City. All the houses were pushed down. The wells were sealed. There was no barking of dogs or green. In the cold wind of early winter, more than two thousand food soldiers were like cold statues, staring at the approach of the Tang army without moving.

The 80,000 army was divided into three square formations and approached from a distance. Finally, they slowly stopped three miles away from Kashi City. Zhang Huanyue stepped forward and stood on a high ground surrounded by hundreds of generals and looked at Kashi City. This was the first time he saw the great cannibals who had defeated the Tang army. They advocated black. Both the crescent flag and the armor were all the same black, but they were far apart and could not see their faces clearly. This left some regrets for Zhang Huan.

After watching for a moment, he turned around and smiled at the generals, "Why don't you tell me that the great cannibals don't give up on Gashi directly, but put thousands of people to fill our teeth? What's the reason?"

Seeing Cheng Lie eager to speak, he knew that he had learned some military tactics in the Military Academy and was willing to show off, so he smiled and said, "Please tell me, General Cheng!"

Cheng Lie was known as the most powerful general of the Western Liang army, but there were not many opportunities to fight. He had been stationed in Hehuang and he did not participate in many battles. This Western Expedition, he happened to study in the military academy again. It was not until Pei Mingyuan came to Anxi a few days ago that he led 10,000 Qiang troops to follow the West. Seeing Zhang Huan asking him, Cheng Lie stepped forward and bowed and said, "My subordinates thought that the great cannibals stationed in the weak army in Kashi have only two purposes. One is to stop our attack momentum in one go, and the other is to investigate our strength, and it is not to sing an empty city plan to scare us."

"I actually know the empty city plan. It's good, it's a little progress." Zhang Huan smiled at him gently, then looked at Wang Siyu and said, "What do General Wang have any ideas?"

Wang Siyu also bowed and replied: "I basically agree with the general's opinion. After all, the last contest between the Tang Dynasty and the Dashishi was decades ago. Our army was approaching. There is no reason why they don't want to know how strong we are, but their subordinates have another idea to supplement the general's opinion."

"What's your thought?" Zhang Huan asked in a deep voice.

Wang Siyu stared at the city for a moment and said, "I'm wondering if the great cannibals will have other ambushers in the city. When our infantry attacked the city, they suddenly rushed out and killed us by surprise?"

Zhang Huan nodded, which made some sense, "Then according to your opinion, how should we take down this city?"

"The subordinates suggest digging trenches first, or using tinder oil to block the enemy's cavalry's attack, and then use giant stone cannons to directly destroy the city walls, so as not to fight with them in close combat."

Zhang Huan looked up at the sky. The sun was about to set west and the sunset was full of sunset. He immediately ordered: "The army retreated two more miles to camp, and digged three trenches in the fortification camp!"

With a command, the army slowly retreated and set up a camp five miles away from Kashi City. That night, the Tang army began to assemble stone cannons in the military camp. Two thousand fortification soldiers dug three long trenches five hundred steps away from the city wall, and ten thousand cavalry guarded them a hundred steps away. Although the Tang army was working hard, the city was still very silent and there was no movement.

The night is very quiet. The sky is slowly climbing up the moon, and it is still a waning moon. Straws of silver illumination illuminate the gray grasslands that are undulating like the vast sea and dense tents. There is a low mound in the camp. There is three hundred-year-old red willows growing on the mound. It is close to the tent. The dry Miduo River winds southward.

Zhang Huan stood on the hill with his hands behind his back, and the silver moonlight shone on his face. Time was like a clever makeup artist, silently carving Zhang Huan's temperament and face. During the years of marching, the beard that became a burden has been shaved off, which set off his silhouetted face without reservation. The sharpness in his eyes has gradually restrained, showing more a mature and calm peaceful expression, but this kind of peace makes people feel an inner majesty.

At this time, a slight sound of footsteps came from behind Zhang Huan. He stood about ten feet behind him and stopped moving, as if he was afraid of disturbing his meditation.

"Mingyuan, is it you?" Zhang Huan asked lightly.

"It's me!" Pei Mingyuan replied in a low voice: "I have one more thing to report to you."

"Come on! Sit down and talk."

Zhang Huan sat down on a stone. He waved his hand and asked Pei Mingyuan to sit opposite him, smiling and said, "I heard you gave birth to a daughter?"

Pei Mingyuan thought of his daughter and showed a look of love in his eyes. He shook his head and smiled: "Although the little guy was born, his crying loudly. He could cry for an hour in one breath, which made people feel very headache..."

Zhang Huan smiled, "This is a sweet headache!"

He suddenly thought of Cui Ning's son, whom he had never seen before! He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and then laughed and said, "What did you remember again and forgot to tell me?"

"Actually, I didn't forget it. I just heard Li Xuhe talk about it. It is said that Li Qiu has built a new temple in the Taimiao, and it has not been completed yet, but there are rumors that it is Prince Yu..." When talking about the three words "Prince Yu", Pei Mingyuan suddenly felt that it was not appropriate to call him, but he couldn't stop, so he said, "Du Mei also told me that Li Qiu's attitude has changed drastically recently. Zhang Potian celebrated his birthday. He also came to congratulate him in person. This is something that has never happened."

Of course Zhang Huan knew why. He smiled faintly, but didn't say much. Pei Mingyuan didn't seem to take it seriously. He couldn't help but say anxiously: "Emperor Xuanren died in an unknown way. There are many dissatisfied people in the central clan. This is your opportunity. If you don't seize it, time will change, and it will be too late when the new emperor becomes deeply rooted in the hearts of the people."

Zhang Huan stood up and patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry! I naturally know it."

Pei Mingyuan also sighed and said, "Get sick, please forgive me for your frankness. Most of you follow you and want to have a future. I hope you can ascend that position. This is not only your own business, but also the interests of the entire group of forces behind you who support you, and it is also the wish of hundreds of thousands of Xiliang soldiers. To this day, you have occupied half of the Tang Dynasty. If you can't get into that position, I am very worried that the Tang Dynasty will one day become a division."

Zhang Huan stared at the West with his hands behind his back. Didn’t he know this? No! He knew this better than anyone else. As early as the day he knew his life experience, the seedlings of ambition sprouted in his heart. He started a business all the hardships and made it to this day. He was no longer satisfied with seizing a throne. His mind was wider. Can the territory of the Tang Dynasty extend to the endless West and whether he can become a veritable Tian Khan? From this perspective, ascending to the throne of the Tang Dynasty is only the first step for him to realize his ambitions.

Zhang Huan suddenly turned around and smiled at Pei Mingyuan, "I heard that you had been to Jerusalem back then. After this battle, can you represent me on Baghdad?"

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The next morning, the Tang army's drums sounded again, shaking their souls. The dark army approached Kashi City overwhelmingly. Ten huge stone cannons were slowly moving in the army. From a distance, it looked like ten giant spirits standing tall, rumbling and rolling sounds resounding throughout the world.

Today's city guards are just like yesterday, there are only a few thousand.

On a mound about two miles south of Kashi City, General Moyali stared at the Tang army with a serious expression. He had heard the retreating Tubo army say that the Tang army had a kind of thunder and was extremely powerful. The Tubo army was defeated under such thunder, so he wanted to see the so-called thunder of the Tang army in Kashi City.

Meyali was about forty years old, with a very burly figure, with a fluffy shawl curly hair that looked like a lion. He was also a famous general in the food. He had always been taciturn, but when he mentioned the name of Persian butcher, Baghdad knew that his ancestors were Persian nobles. At the age of twelve, he joined the army of the Caliph Abbas to march into Byzantium and personally slaughtered hundreds of young men of his age. He was deeply appreciated by Abbas and promoted him to the guard in front of the tent. At the age of twelve, he became the youngest guard in the Caliph.

After the new Caliph ascended the throne, he did not like his cruelty, so he sent him to Egypt to fight. He thus became Aros's subordinate, and followed him to fight south and north, making great achievements. However, his ambition to move upward has never subsided. In this battle between Agush and Aros, he was attracted by Agush, betrayed his master and killed Aros with his own hands.

Although Agush seized military power, he was not good at fighting, so he handed over the command of the war to the war-torn Meali. Meali participated in many wars against Byzantium and witnessed the power of the "Greek Fire" with his own eyes, so that after he heard that the Tang army had a new weapon, the "Da Tang Thunder", he was deeply afraid and wanted to witness its power with his own eyes in order to decide the corresponding strategy.

At this time, Moyali's deputy general saw that there were already Tang cavalry coming here in the distance. He immediately urged his horse to rush up to Xiaoqiu and shouted: "General, the Tang army is about to attack, please evacuate immediately!"

But Moyali didn't move at all. He wanted to know whether the thunder that the Tang army fell from the sky was fired by a stone thrower from a distance.

The Tang army's stone cannons were less than a mile away from the city. The Dashi Army was also good at using stone throwing machines and knew that they were powerful. In particular, the Tang army's stone throwing machines were even more powerful than the largest one of its own army, which made the defenders tremble.

The cross stone cannons have stopped in front of the trench five hundred steps away from the city wall. This stone cannon was also newly developed by the Xiliang Military Weapons. It uses the principle of rolling wheels on the well platform to reduce the lever that originally required 300 people to be twisted to a hundred people. It can hit hundreds of kilograms of large stones a thousand steps away and adjust the range.

The sound of drums of the Tang army also stopped, and the world was quiet. Only the sound of a squeaking winch was heard, mixed with sharp whistling sounds, ten black rocks rose into the air, drawing arcs and hitting the walls of Kashi City. At this moment, the Great Food Army on the walls were no longer like stone sculptures. They shouted and ran to the sides. At this time, Moyali was also forcibly pulled down the hill by more than a dozen personal soldiers and fled to Shule City.

‘Boom!’ Four huge rocks hit the city wall, and two ten-meter-wide gaps were shot out, and yellow dust was flying all over the sky. Dozens of big food soldiers had no time to dodge and were smashed into meat pie by the huge rocks.

"Let it go!" The commander of the stone cannon shouted again, and ten more huge rocks flew into the air. After adjusting the range, the hit rate this time increased significantly. A total of seven huge rocks hit the city wall. The city wall shook violently. With a 'slam', a section of the city wall against the city gate collapsed, revealing the yellow sand filled inside.

"Let it go again!"

The third round of stone cannons shot out, not only half of a piece of the city wall collapsed, but also two huge rocks hit the city gate one after another. The iron bolt that locked the city gate was broken and was shaken open, revealing a ruined wall in the city.

At this time, a scout rushed over and stopped in front of Zhang Huan to report loudly: "Report to the governor, a thousand Dashi Army fled westward."

"Stop the attack of stone cannons." Zhang Huan ordered decisively: "The army advances and flattens the city of Kashima!"
Chapter completed!