Chapter 997: The Magnificent Power of Han (One Hundred and Twenty-One)

For Tian Fucheng, the attack launched by the Red Turban Army had no signs in advance. The intelligence gathered by all parties before confirmed that the Red Turban Army was still collecting food and transporting weapons, and the army was still resting. It seemed that there was no sign of a large-scale attack on Jimo in the short term. According to Tian Fucheng's analysis, the other party should not want to fight him head-on in Jimo. Although he was in a disadvantageous situation now, he still had tens of thousands of experienced soldiers in his hands. If he was irritated, he would fight him to the death. For the Red Turban Army, this gang of bandits, strength is the basis for guaranteeing their status. Once they fight with him and both sides suffer losses, he will certainly be seriously injured, but the Red Turban Army will definitely be defeated by Tian Yuancheng. Swallowed skin and bones.

Based on this judgment, Tian Fucheng's main defense direction was mainly concentrated on the offensive route of Tian Jingwen's troops, but the result was far beyond people's expectations. On the first day of September, the Red Turban Army suddenly launched a large-scale attack and took Yifengdian at lightning speed. The army then advanced towards Liuhao River.

Tian Fucheng, who was shocked and angry, immediately sent Wang Pei to lead 10,000 elite troops to Liuhao River, making sure to block the opponent on the other side of Liuhao River. On the seventh day of September, Wang Pei arrived at Liuhao River. Almost on the same day, the vanguard of the Red Turban Army led by Hengdao also rushed to his opposite side and set up camp in Niu Ge Village. The two sides faced each other across the river, and one side began to collect wooden boats. , wood, preparing to build tools for crossing the river, and on the other hand, began to build a defensive position on the opposite bank.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, the Red Turban Army under the command of Hengdao began preparations for the crossing.

Starting from a dozen steps away from the shore, logs were hammered into the bottom of the river by sledgehammers, and chains connected wooden piles about several meters apart, which were quickly covered with wooden boards. In just half a day, the Red Turban Army built a floating bridge nearly 30 meters to the opposite bank. The speed shocked Wang Pei on the opposite bank. Simultaneously with the bridge construction, logs were tied into rafts, pushed into the river, and densely lined up on the opposite bank.

Shocked as it was, Wang Pei was not idle. He built a raft on the riverside. Countless deer horns and chevaux de frise were placed on the ground, and countless caltrops were thrown into the mud. These triangular cone-shaped spikes were buried in the mud, and no trace could be seen from the outside, but if you stepped on them, you would be hit immediately, which was the most insidious.

Rows of crossbows and stone cannons were placed on the river bank. At this distance, these weapons could shoot to the center of Liuhao River. This was a great gift prepared by Wang Pei for his opponents to cross the river.

On the tenth day of September, the horizontal sword attack officially began.

With the deafening sound of war drums, a team of Red Turban Army pushed the raft into the water. When the raft was completely floating, the Red Turban Army climbed up , desperately waving the simple paddle in his hand, rushing to the other side.

The center line of the river will be their life and death line. At this moment, they are in the river, which is the weakest and most vulnerable moment. When the Red Scarf began to attack, on the other side, the construction of the floating bridge did not stop, and the floating bridge extended to the other side of the river little by little.

"Shoot!" Wang Pei looked at the opponent's raft crossing the center line of the river with an expressionless face. With a wave of his hand, he issued an attack order. The roar of the stone cannon and the whistling of the bed crossbow immediately resounded through the river bank.

The calm Liuhao River suddenly boiled, and the stone cannon weighing more than ten pounds hit the water, stirring up a stream of water, hitting the raft Swaying left and right, rafts were hit by stone cannons from time to time, breaking into wooden stakes and drifting down with the water. The soldiers on the rafts naturally fell into the water and were quickly washed downstream by the river.

Compared to the crossbow, the stone cannon was obviously much more efficient in dealing with these rafts.

Standing on the riverbank on the opposite bank, he watched the heads wrapped in red scarves floating on the river, without any joy or anger. Years of war had made him accustomed to life and death. Besides, these soldiers who fell into the water would not necessarily die. There were not many people in the Red Scarf Army who could not swim.

What made him frown was not Wang Pei's attack on the Red Scarf Army crossing the river, but the long, like The mudflats with almost no visible edge were the real place of death.

Although there were many stone cannons and crossbows, many rafts still avoided their attacks and successfully reached the river bank. Groups of Red Scarf soldiers waved swords and guns, jumped off the rafts, stepped on the river water that was over their knees, and rushed towards the mudflats.

The big feet of the soldiers stepped on the mudflats, and with a "puff", they sank more than half a foot. The soldiers struggled to pull out their feet and took the second step forward.

The further forward, the more difficult it was.

Someone screamed and sat on the mudflats, but then jumped up with a scream. On his buttocks, bright red blood oozed out, and the barbed iron thorns A thorn thorn stuck in his buttocks. A soldier beside him pulled out the thorn thorn for him. He walked forward a few steps, screamed, and pulled his foot out with great effort. A thorn thorn was deeply embedded in the sole of his cloth shoes, which were tightly tied with straw ropes, and pierced his foot.

The team was moving slower and slower. The Red Turban Army not only had to fight with the mud, but also had to deal with the invisible hidden weapons.

Wang Pei looked at the Red Turban Army struggling forward on the mudflats and sneered, "Archers, concentrate your shots!"

Hundreds of archers emerged from behind the river bank, drew their bows and arrows, carefully aimed at the Red Turban Army on the mudflats, and shot their sharp arrows.

After several rounds of arrows, there were few Red Turban soldiers left standing on the beach. Many wounded soldiers groaned, lying on the beach, slowly crawling back until they fell back into the water, and then swam to the other side with their hands and feet.

Hengdao tilted his neck and ordered: "The second wave of attackers should bring more wooden boards and straw, and branches will also work. After landing, spread the wooden boards on the beach, and throw the straw and branches on the beach."

The second wave of the Red Turban Army's attack began. This time, the number of people crossing the river was much less, and more rafts were loaded with bundles of Thatch, branches, planks, and some were loaded with crossbows. Arriving at the river, the Red Turban Army fixed the raft in the shallow water by the river, and then began to adjust the crossbows, ready to shoot at the other side. When the first crossbow whistled from the river to the riverbank, Wang Pei was really scared, because the crossbow arrow was only a few steps away from him, and shot a soldier beside him far away.

The Red Turban Army spread thatch and planks on the mudflats, and then paddled back again, ready to transport the second trip. Wang Pei looked at all this, but just sneered, Let the Red Turban Army do what they want.

As dusk approached, the Red Turban Army launched a large-scale attack again. This time, the mudflats were no longer an obstacle for them. Countless wooden boards, thatch, and branches were laid on the mudflats, allowing them to easily pass through the mudflats. Watching the soldiers rushing up the riverbank under the cover of the crossbows on the shore, Hengdao's eyes gradually lit up.

"Stone Cannon!" Wang Pei shouted in a low voice.

The stone cannon fired again, and this time countless cans were tied to the stone cannon and fell towards the densely packed crowd on the mudflats. The stone cannon fell to the ground, and a strong oil The smell of fat immediately spread.

"Fire attack, they are going to set fire!" Experienced soldiers shouted.

Rockets were shot down from the fire bank, and with a bang, balls of fire rose on the beach, mixed with bursts of thick smoke. The stone cannons were still roaring, throwing more grease bottles over and smashing them on the beach, turning this place into a sea of ​​fire.

On the other side, Hengdao roared angrily. He didn't expect that the other party would relax in this place. He was careless. The planks and straw he transported became the helpers who killed his own troops.

Two waves of troops attacked, Hundreds of men were lost in vain, but they did not even step foot on the embankment. Seeing that it was getting dark, Hengdao could only withdraw his troops somewhat dejectedly.

The next day, just after dawn, Hengdao launched another attack. After a night, his raft for crossing the river had changed greatly. Shields were installed on the front of the raft. After crossing the river, the soldiers jumped off the raft and pushed it onto the mudflat. After a night of improvement, the lower half of these wooden boards had been shaved flat. Only a dozen soldiers were needed on the mudflat to push them forward.

Going ashore Afterwards, the Red Turban Army first smeared a thick layer of mud on themselves and the rafts. This time, even if Wang Pei used fire attack, he would have no chance.

These rafts quickly moved towards the river bank. From time to time, soldiers pushing the rafts would be hit by arrows and fall down, but immediately, soldiers on the rafts would jump down to fill his position. Although the rafts were slow, they moved forward towards the river bank unswervingly.

Wang Pei was also amazed by the Red Turban Army commander's ability to respond. He knew that this time the two sides would definitely fight hand-to-hand.

"Prepare for hand-to-hand combat!" He raised his gun and released The big knife beside him, behind him, rows of soldiers holding spears rushed up, the archers poured a lot of feather arrows onto the mudflats, and the more they shot and killed, the less pressure on the spearmen.

From time to time, Qi soldiers were hit by the crossbows whistling in the river and the arrows fired by the Red Turban Army on the mudflats, but no one retreated, these Qi soldiers still retained their pride as the elite troops of Qi.

"Kill!" A Red Turban Army general jumped out from behind the raft, waving his saber, and attacked the river bank. More Red Turban Army soldiers almost at the same time At the same time, on the river bank, rows of Qi soldiers rushed down with spears in hand. The two sides fought desperately on this slope about ten meters high.

Just when Hengdao was fighting fiercely with Wang Pei in Liuhao River, Tian Jingwen received the news that the Red Turban Army suddenly launched an attack on Jimo. In anger, he had to change his original plan. He was now nominally the commander of all the Qi army, but in fact, the Red Turban Army always treated his orders as a fart.

"Order the whole army to launch an attack on Nanquan." (To be continued)