It is believed that at this time, the monarch and subjects of Liao country were shrouded in the shadow of the iron and blood division of Han family, which was only heard in legend. They are the dominant divisions who swept the Huns under the leadership of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the invincible fighters who wiped out the Turks in Mobei in the heyday of Li Tang's exploits.
Although Liao is strong, will it be stronger than Huns and Turks at that time? Liao has been above the Central Plains dynasty for several decades, but since the birth of Chai Rong, the fighting capacity of the Central Plains Han army has shown a straight upward trend. It can even be said that since Chai Rong rebuilt the Imperial Army, this constantly updated and growing army has never lost a battle. After Zhao Kuangyin took the baton from Chai Rong, the army trained and trained by the emperor himself was even more invincible. During this period, they destroyed Jinghu, Nanping, Houshu, Nanhan, Nantang and Beihan successively. Their accumulated battlefield experience and the resulting super self-confidence are far from what the Liao army, which has been cheerful and arrogant for years, can match.
These may be nothing, because they are just psychological effects, but Yelusha, the prime minister of the southern government of Liao country, was defeated by his enemy Baimaling, the Queen Ji of Liao country was beheaded in the fierce battle, and Wang Xidi of the northern courtyard of Liao country was defeated by an unknown general, which made him very depressed. When these ironclad facts were presented to the monarchs and ministers of Liao, their fears came true. If the fighting capacity and cohesion of the Han army have evolved into invincible lions in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Taizong after hundreds of years of extinction, will Liao become another Xiongnu or Turkic who suffered from the disaster of national destruction and family collapse?
Knowing these thoughts of Liao monarch and his subjects, it is not difficult to understand why they gave up Youzhou and retreated to the Great Wall. If this happens, the history of China and the world will be rewritten, and Zhao Guangyi will be immortal. But-at this time, the person who provoked the historical situation appeared-Yelvxiuge!
In the face of this pile of pessimists who are noisy on the court, Yelvxiuge made a generous speech to Yelvxian and tried his best to fight. In his view, it is better to take the initiative than to retreat. It's a war anyway, so it's natural to burn it as much as possible. Besides, Youzhou is still in the hands of Liao. Considering that Taiyuan can hold on for several months under the siege of hundreds of thousands of people, why can't Youzhou? When he arrived with reinforcements, the Liao army could attack Song Jun. He was already a tired teacher. In addition, outside Youzhou, there are troops from Xie Tie, Sha and Xidi. The Liao army attacked together, and it is still unknown who will win or lose this war. In that case, why should Liao be eager to give up Youzhou and retreat to the Great Wall?
This impassioned speech successfully moved Yelvxiuge, who finally adopted Yelvxiuge's suggestion and appointed Yelvxiuge to take over the military affairs of the war ahead instead of Yelvxiuge. In this way, Yelvxiuge led hundreds of Liao soldiers to the south.
Of course, Han Derang doesn't know these things. All he knows is that thousands of people are screaming and smashing his door crazily.
Song Jun didn't bring any large siege equipment to pursue the effect of rapidly increasing the number of soldiers in this northern expedition. At the beginning of the siege, they could only attack the city in an almost primitive way-climbing the wall with a ladder. In view of the fact that there are few records about the specific process of the siege of Youzhou in historical materials, it is impossible to determine whether Song Jun has temporarily built siege weapons such as washing cars and ladders, but the manufacturing process of this high-tech gadget is very complicated, so it is estimated that they have no time to make it for the time being. The relatively simple siege equipment, such as trebuchet and cave dwelling, was later sent to the battlefield, but it was also made by temporarily driving ducks to the shelves.
The evidence can be found in The History of Song Dynasty, Zhao Chuan. At that time, Zhao had a special position in wartime-he besieged the city eight times as a special envoy, and his duty as an official was to do this work. Zhao Guangyi ordered him to build 800 trebuchets. He was given half a month, but Zhao only took eight days to finish it. It took 12 days from Zhao Guangyi ordering the siege of Youzhou on all sides to the outbreak of the war of Gaolianghe, which means that it took only four days for these trebuchets to enter the battlefield. Unless one is built, they will immediately enter the battlefield.
The above just shows one thing. In this siege war against Youzhou, Song Jun soldiers completely used their own flesh and blood to fight against the towering Youzhou city wall and the rolling stones and arrows falling all over the sky. In order to capture Youzhou, Song Jun even "dug a hole and entered". They tried to break into the city by digging a tunnel, but this stupid method, which was conceived out of helplessness and implemented, failed in the end, because it was discovered by Liao people. As a result, Song Jun was naturally too busy to sweat but did something useless.
Some people may say that Zhao Guangyi is stupid. This kind of siege, which obviously sends people's heads, is actually going on endlessly. Can't we be patient and impose a siege on Youzhou? Cann't we wait until all the large siege equipment is built before we attack the city with all our strength? Sorry, the answer is no.
Zhao Guangyi knows better than anyone that now he needs to occupy Youzhou as soon as possible. After all, he is fighting on enemy territory. The daily consumption of hundreds of thousands of people is amazing, and there is a great demand for logistics. But as long as he wins Youzhou, he can instantly turn passive into active, and he can instantly regard this battlefield as his home. In addition, the Liao people cruising around Youzhou City are like cunning and fierce wolves at this time, waiting for the right time to rush over and bite him hard.
These are nothing. What Zhao Guangyi was most worried about was that the Emperor of Liao would send troops to save you after learning that you were besieged. If he hasn't captured you when Liao reinforcements arrive, then his failure is probably inevitable. Although he has hundreds of thousands of troops in his hand, these people have been at war or on the road for the past six months. This is already an exhausted army, and the Liao people who are in danger of national subjugation are bound to burst into unusual fighting capacity at this time. If the two armies fought a decisive battle under such circumstances, Zhao Guangyi would never dare to say that he was sure of winning.
To sum up, Zhao Guangyi felt that he must win Youzhou as soon as possible, so that he could do whatever it takes. As long as you win Youzhou, it's useless for the Liao people to come. At that time, he can make Youzhou a graveyard for burying Liao people. Liao people are good at riding, shooting and charging, but it is hard to climb the city wall. When the Liao people's vigor is exhausted and Song Jun's main battle army is revived in the city, it is the time when the Liao people are completely eliminated.
So Youzhou must win it as soon as possible! At all costs!
Here's a question: If Liao people don't have Youzhou City, will they repeat the fate of Huns and Turks? This question is unclear, and it is also a topic that will make many people splash. This assumption is actually meaningless. Even if there is no Youzhou, even if there is no Shi Jingtang in history, Yelv Baoji plundered so many Han people in those years, and with the assistance of Han, Han Valley, Kang and other Han people, even if there is no Youzhou in Liao, there will be other cities. With these cities as defensive fortresses, plus the grassland cavalry who are brave and have the ability to win in the field, such a country, even Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, is alive. This is the sorrow of Zhao Guangyi, and also the sorrow of the Song Dynasty and even our nation at that time. When I met a hybrid like Liao, he was also Hu, and completely inherited the excellent genes of both sides. The Song Dynasty can only be said to be ill-timed.
Let's go back to Han Derang.
Although Song Jun was attacking the city in the most primitive way, it didn't make Han Derang feel the pressure suddenly relieved. Just the chorus of ten thousand people that has been ringing outside the city is enough to keep his heart in his throat. Besides, although Song Jun at the gate rarely climbed to the top of the city, they didn't kill anyone at the gate. After all, it is an army of hundreds of thousands of people. Even if a person shoots only one arrow, it is enough to cause extremely horrible lethality, and those trebuchets that can carry out long-range bombing are even more annoying to him. However, what can he do except carry it to the end? He can barely hold on, and others can't say for sure.
Since Song Jun began to advance to Youzhou, under the great momentum and deterrence of Song Jun, Liao people (both Han officials and non-Han Liao generals) in and outside Youzhou have surrendered to Song Jun. First of all, there was a traitor in the field army of Liao country. In the Liao army, there is an army composed of Bohai people who were wiped out by Liao several decades ago. Their leader is called Daluan River, and he led his men to surrender to Song Jun collectively.
After the siege began, Song Jun attacked the city and plundered the land, and launched a large-scale propaganda offensive. Every day, a small note tied to the arrow shaft announces that surrender will bring all kinds of benefits into the city. After pulling and beating, some comrades in Liao country who were psychologically fragile and not very firm finally gave in. In the iron forest of Youzhou City, Liao ordered Li Zalu Village to surrender to Song Jun with his men in the middle of the night. Why in the middle of the night? Because these people didn't come out of the city gate, but sneaked down the rope in the middle of the night.
A few days later, hundreds of people in the SHEN WOO Hall of Liao State in Youzhou City copied and pasted it perfectly according to the posture of Li Zhalu Village, and also surrendered to Song Jun over the wall. These were still organized surrenders, not to mention how many lonely people risked their lives to surrender their careers. At that time, the soldiers and civilians in Youzhou City were in a panic, and each had its own small abacus.
In July, with the strengthening of the besieged city, Liao sent reinforcements to save it, and the Liao people on the periphery of Youzhou finally gave in under the glare of others. First, Liu, the resident of Liao country, led officials to surrender, followed by Liu Shouen, the magistrate of Jizhou, Liao country, who led the people to surrender. Officials from many counties and counties in Liao country near Youzhou also voluntarily surrendered. The Han people around Youzhou spontaneously led cattle and slaughtered sheep and sent wine and meat to Song Jun.
In this situation, Han Derang and his Youzhou City seem to be an island in Wang Yang, which will be swallowed up by the sea at any time. The only thing that supported him to keep guarding the city was the miracle he thought would happen. That is, one day when he stood on the tower and looked up, he would see the cavalry of Liao suddenly appear in the sky, covering the sun and rushing towards him. However, this scene only appeared in Han Derang's fantasy. All he can really see now is Song Jun, who is fighting for this city, and all he can hear is Song Jun's deafening shouts and curses.
Here, Zhao Guangyi ordered Song Jun to capture Youzhou as soon as possible regardless of life and death, and here, Han Derang gritted his teeth and desperately carried it. Both sides are straining their nerves and muscles to squeeze themselves, and no one dares to let go of this breath, otherwise it will only be doomed. It is in this stalemate that Song and Liao finally ushered in the final judgment day of fate.
On July 6, 979, as usual, Song Jun continued to attack the city step by step, Han Derang continued to drag his tired legs around the city wall, and Zhao Guangyi continued to inspect the front line. However, these days, I have been watching Han Derang being punched and kicked by Zhao Guangyi's Ye Lvxie and Ye Lvsha, but they have waited for their dream of a decisive battle with Song Jun-Ye Lvxiu and his hundreds of troops have rushed to the periphery of Youzhou.