mtl008 Chapter 349: Dingbian in Trouble
Chapter 349: Dingbian in Trouble
Luancheng's weapon upgrade focuses on guns. One type is a rifle equipped with a magazine, and the other is an extremely powerful automatic Gatling gun.
In terms of artillery research and development, Zhao Sheng even proposed a grand goal similar to Katyusha.
Although this thing is shockingly expensive, its firepower is so fierce that it can be called the overlord of the battlefield.
Zhao Sheng even thought to himself that even if it was launched by igniting a fuse, it would be able to cover the enemy group with an overwhelming force.
Whether it is an offensive or a defensive battle, Zhao Sheng is determined to surpass the enemy in weapons and equipment.
……
Time flies, and September is about to come.
The weather is getting cooler and the chill is getting stronger.
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching news came from Qin.
In Dingbian City where Zhao Hong was located, fierce friction broke out between Wang's army and Keji Ze, the chieftain of the Qiang tribe.
At first, it was just some bandits from the Qiang territory who acted recklessly, burning, killing and looting in Dingbian.
Unexpectedly, the Wang family army under Zhao Hong was equipped with such a powerful weapon as artillery.
Thousands of bandits were reduced to ashes and turned into scorched earth in an instant before they could even get close to Zhao Hong’s newly built luxurious mansion.
Who could have expected that among these bandits there was a group of fierce criminals secretly nurtured by Kejize.
After they fled back in a panic, they turned black into white and falsely accused the Dingbian officers and soldiers of massacring their herdsmen for no reason.
Keji Ze was an influential chieftain among the Qiang people. He was usually arrogant, domineering and unreasonable.
Upon hearing the news, he was furious and immediately wrote a letter to King Dara Urbu, strongly requesting that he unite several tribes and go to Dingbian together to bring the case to justice.
Although Dingbian is dilapidated, it is still the territory of the Great Zhou.
In the past, it would have been fine for these Qiang people to disguise themselves as bandits and plunder, but this time, mobilizing troops to Dingbian in such a high-profile manner was undoubtedly tantamount to launching a national war.
Of course, over the years, the King of Qin has always been weak and incompetent in dealing with the wrongdoings of the Qiang people, and has often turned a blind eye to the affairs of the border people.
As a result, the Qiang people easily gathered more than 100,000 troops, and like a surging tide, they swept towards Dingbian with great momentum.
"What? Only 100,000 people? 100,000 against 50,000. The advantage is mine."
Zhao Hong smiled nonchalantly after hearing the news brought by Dingbian County Magistrate Luosang.
When the magistrate of Luo County learned that the Qiang army was approaching, he was extremely anxious and ran to report to Zhao Hong in a hurry.
He knew that Zhao Hong's private army numbered 30,000, and with the addition of his household guards, the total number was as high as 50,000. However, Dingbian City only had a few hundred yamen runners and a few thousand soldiers guarding the city.
Moreover, most of these officers and soldiers were already old, and the court had not provided them with new recruits for a long time. If a war really broke out, these people would probably only bully the residents of the city while fleeing.
Hearing Zhao Hong's blindly confident words, Luosang forced a smile on his face.
"Our county is dilapidated and its defenses are weak. If war breaks out, we can only rely on your assistance, young master."
Luosang knew that although Zhao Hong had been deposed as a prince, he was still not someone he could easily offend. Therefore, he spoke carefully, fearing to anger this powerful noble.
"I can't control your county. When the time comes, you should escape. It's just right to have these people guarding my huge yard."
Zhao Hong was unmoved and flatly refused the county magistrate's request. After all, he was exiled here and had no obligation to use his private soldiers to guard Dingbian City.
Seeing Zhao Hong being so heartless, Luosang cursed him in his heart for being irresponsible and not considering the interests of the Great Zhou, and said that he deserved to be stripped of his status as a prince.
However, these thoughts can only be thought about in my mind, and I dare not say them out loud.
In desperation, Luosang had to return to the city to mobilize the people and let those who wanted to escape leave as soon as possible.
As a result, on the second day of the mobilization, dust was flying all over the east gate of Dingbian City, and the people who were able to move fled in a hurry with their families.
Of course, some people choose to stay.
Most of these people are elderly people who are too lazy to travel long distances and endure such hardship.
On the afternoon of the day when the people evacuated, the county government and the garrison also evacuated.
At this point, Dingbian City instantly became an empty and isolated city.
When Keji Ze's army approached Dingbian City like a dark cloud, there was not a single defender in front of the city gate.
They broke into the city effortlessly and then set up camp inside the city to rest.
It was not until the third day that they launched a fierce attack on Zhao Hong's fortress.
There were 30,000 elite troops in Zhao Hong's fortress, and the city walls were tall and thick, so the Qiang soldiers did not dare to take it lightly.
They divided their troops into three groups and attacked from three different directions.
The South Gate, which was far away from Dingbian City, was chosen by Keji Ze's army as the main battlefield for the frontal offensive, and 40,000 troops launched an attack at the same time.
"Dividing the troops to attack the city, these people are too stupid."
The officers and soldiers of Wang's army defending the city, relying on the powerful cannons and light and flexible small artillery brought by Zhao Hong, looked at the swarming enemy troops attacking the city and couldn't stop smiling.
These 40,000 men attacked together, but their tactics remained the same old ones.
First, the cavalry charged forward, trying to get close to the city wall, then moved to one side and shot at the city wall with bows and arrows.
Unexpectedly, before they got close, they saw wisps of blue smoke coming out from the opposite side, followed by a deafening loud noise.
More than a dozen cannons fired at the same time, and the huge projectiles fired whizzed to the ground like meteors, instantly setting off a bloody storm among the crowd and horses.
Some shells even bounced off the hard ground, continuing to create chaos and death among the enemy.
More of them crashed directly into the dense crowd of people and horses. In an instant, people and horses fell to the ground, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the ground presented a horrifying bloody scene.
However, the cruelty of the battle did not stop there. Under the coercion and inducement of the generals, the cavalry continued to charge forward desperately like irrational beasts.
Then, there was another more intense sound. Although the sound was slightly smaller this time, countless tiny projectiles came crackling like a rainstorm.
In this round of attack alone, nearly a thousand cavalrymen fell off their horses screaming.
Those soldiers who fell off their horses were instantly trampled mercilessly by the surging horses' hooves behind them. The tragic scene was unbearable to watch, and the shrill wails echoed one after another on the battlefield.
The cavalrymen's fighting spirit collapsed instantly under the relentless artillery fire, and some of them had already begun to flee frantically on their horses towards both sides of the battlefield in panic.
Little did they know that it would take a considerable amount of time to reload these powerful artillery pieces.
But once the warriors' fighting spirit fades, it will be like the receding tide, and they will never be able to gather their powerful strength again.
The soldiers at the back who were originally preparing to continue attacking the city were already filled with fear when they saw the miserable state of the cavalry in front.
At this moment, the bullets waiting for them came down again like the scythe of the god of death, forming a terrifying death crushing line, which instantly plunged the entire battlefield into an abyss of despair.