If Zhao Xingde wants to attack Baozhou, he must first capture Laiyuan County on the west bank of the Yalu River. Laiyuan County is across the river from Baozhou. If he ignores it and crosses the river rashly, he will be cut off by the Goryeo people at any time. Although Sun Wuzi and Han Xin, the two major soldiers, have had the case of fighting against the water, Zhao Xingde can only admire it. The unscrupulous artillery bombardment of the Fourth Battalion warships completely attracted the attention of the Goryeo army on both sides of the Yalu River. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, under the leadership of Ma Rui, Zhao Xingde personally inspected the terrain of Laiyuan County.

This city is quite distinctive. On the one hand, in order to control the estuary of the Yalu River, the city walls were extended as much as possible to the river bank and connected with the dock water village. On the other hand, the riverside terrain was low and not conducive to persistence, so a firm city was built on the hills slightly far away. A string of seven pearl-like villages connected the riverside water villages and the mountain city, and then built a city wall on the north and south sides, surrounding the open space in the middle, forming it very rare in the Central Plains.

The chain villages and narrow and long cities are seen. Opposite the Yalu River, the shape of Baozhou City is roughly similar. However, the Baozhou City is large and solid, and the city wall is made of rammed earth and gravel. Laiyuan City is small. Under the foundation of the city wall, there are only wooden balustrades on it. This is because Baozhou is an important town in Liaodong. In addition to blocking the Yalu River, it is also an important stronghold for the Liao Kingdom to control the former Jurchens in the east of the Yalu River. Laiyuan County is just a small city affiliated to Baozhou.

"The Liao Kingdom had a lot of effort to design the design in the remote city, but unfortunately it was a pity that it was backfired." Zhao Xingde said a little regretfully. Although he did not understand what Zhao Zhengwei said, "It was backfired", Ma Rui nodded and asked, "Do you want to issue a letter of war first?" Zhao Xingde shook his head and stomped a few feet hard. The soil here is very solid and suitable for structural fortifications. "Put up the cannons and then issue a letter of war for them."

Soon, the gunners carrying iron picks and shovels began to build positions. The main position happened to be on the extension line west of Lianzhai Village in Laiyuan County, about a mile away from the westernmost mountain city. Six three-inch cannons lined up, and the muzzles were aimed at the city tower on the hill. Because the Liao people built the city into long strips, they fired shells on this extension line. Even if they were not aimed accurately and flew over the city wall, they would most likely fall into the city.

In front of the artillery position, Zhao Xingde led the infantry soldiers to dig a wide herringbone trench together. Two artillery positions were set up at the bottom of the herringbone trench, with two artillery pieces mounted on each position. Two archers and 100 archers were stationed on the flanking artillery base. Tang Qiyong led two hundred spearmen to guard the wide trench, and Du Chujiao's sword and shield hands were behind them. They were both the last line of defense for the main artillery base and were also ready to rush up at critical moments. Zhao Xingde's central tent was on the main artillery base little by little behind the central protrusion.

Two hundred cavalry under Ma Rui and Jian Cheng were stationed behind the artillery positions, and then behind were the garrison battalions responsible for the baggage. Five hundred soldiers of the garrison battalions honestly built a circular battalion, with trenches outside and low walls inside, with carriages and baggage inside. However, since most of the soldiers of the garrison battalions were not qualified archers, the role these fortifications could play in killing the enemy was really limited, and at most they could only delay the enemy's roundabout operations. The safety of the main position of Chengying Camp mainly depends on superior cavalry to ensure it.

"General Zhao, when will we start siegeing the city?" Cha Shen asked. When he arrived at the ground, Zhao Xingde, except for approaching Laiyuancheng to survey the terrain, he urged the soldiers to dig trenches and build fortifications. He did not mention the matter of siege trenches facing Laiyuancheng. After digging the herringbone trenches facing Laiyuancheng, Zhao Xingde ordered the soldiers to dig a symmetrical trenches behind the position and still build artillery towers. The soldiers were not lazy, but were a little confused. "Do you have to wait until the Han army arrives?" Du Chujiao said with a smile. The lives of the soldiers in Chengying's Eighth Battalion are precious. It would be better if they could drive the Han army to attack the ants in the first place.

Zhao Xingde was observing the movements on the city wall. Hearing this, he put down the Qianli Mile Mile Mile and said with a smile: "The troublesome thing about siege in the city is for the Goryeo people to do."

"Ah?" Du Chujiao and Tang Qiyong looked at each other, becoming more and more confused. Just in front of them, a wide trench was gradually taking shape. The soldiers piled up the digging of soil behind the trench into a short chest wall, with arc-shaped cannon positions inside the low wall, and the gunners were ramming the earth on each gun position.

Compared with the hills where Laiyuan County is located, the position of the Eighth Battalion of Chengying can only be considered as a smooth terrain. Therefore, their every move fell into the eyes of the Goryeo people at the top of the city. The information Zhao Xingde had previously obtained was that a total of 3,000 Goryeo people were stationed in Baozhou. However, the Goryeo Kingdom had long been determined to push the border to the Yalu River. Over the past few days, it has been continuously added to strengthen Baozhou's defense. Three thousand Goryeo troops were stationed in Laiyuan City alone, and more than 5,000 troops were stationed in Baozhou City.

Li Sihai's warship suddenly attacked, and the Goryeo Navy had not yet reacted, and the city tower and naval tower ships of Baozhou Water Village were destroyed. It was not that the power of the Xia State-owned artillery was amazing, but that the wooden ships of this era were too unsolid, and the possibility of being bombarded by artillery was not considered at all. The destroyed and stranded warships blocked the waterways of other naval warships. The gunners kept in mind Zhao Xingde's instructions, and when they were not sure, the closer they would be, the better. In this way, two rounds of artillery would sink several naval boats, and then turn around and bombard the water villages in Laiyuan County.

Seeing his ship being sunk, Cui Xianxi, the Left Army envoy, was not only angry and surprised, but also secretly recorded the shape of the gunship in his heart, preparing to draw it and report it to the court to quickly build a batch of such gunships. The Goryeo Kingdom also had firearms and even made iron barrel cannons. The former emperor Suzong also formed an ignition army, but he never thought that rows of guns could be arranged on the sea boats like this.

"My military commander, enemy troops appeared on the land in the west."

"What?" Cui Xianxi frowned. Could it be that the Liao people went back on their word. He punched the railing with a fist. "Brave faith, he is really a barbarian!" He cursed angrily. When he came to the west of the village, the artillery positions built by Zhao Xingde and others were clearly visible. Even how many of them were counted. "It's only a thousand people, maybe they are the vanguards." He pondered, "Does the Liao people really want to take back this place? Do they still think they are not close enough with the Jurchens?"

While pondering, suddenly there was a loud bang on the position of the "Liao Army" opposite. A dark round bullet passed through the wide wilderness. It could almost be seen flying towards the city. With a "swoosh", it passed over Cui Xianxi's head. "Be careful!" The personal soldiers beside him shouted, saying that at that time, the shell had already flew over Cui Xianxi's head. He seemed to hear the strong wind in his ears. He watched the shell fly over the high city tower and smash heavily on a roof in the city. With a huh, he heard a loud noise. It was not until this time that the sweat on Cui Xianxi's back had just flowed down. "Iron barrel cannon, the Liao people actually brought the iron barrel cannon over, and they made up their minds to attack the city."

Looking at the position of the "Liao Army", there were ten cannons on the positions, Cui Xianxiqiang endured his weak legs and comforted the soldiers beside him and said, "Although the iron barrel cannon is powerful, its firing speed is not fast." Before he finished speaking, there were several loud noises under the city. It seemed to be a test shot just now, but now the "boom boom boom" sounded, and the round and dark cast iron cannonballs drew arcs and flew towards the top of the city. Then, a shell hit the city tower. With a few thrusts, the wooden tower collapsed a corner, and there were wooden chips flying everywhere.

Choi Xianxi squatted behind the dou till the first time. However, right beside him, a shell was in the dou till the wooden dou till the dou till the dou till the dou till the dou till the cannon. The cannonball almost didn't slow down. When Choi Xianxi turned his head in fear, he happened to see a corpse with only half of his head splattering blood and falling down. Suddenly, he felt his throat itchy and a burst of blood surged in his chest. Choi Xianxi, a hereditary martial artsman

Although he was a martial arts master in the three armies and six guards since he was a kid, he had never seen such a bloody scene. The round cast iron cannonballs seemed to fly slowly, not as huge and as amazing as the iron barrel cannonballs he had seen, nor as fast as the crossbow arrows, but it was hidden the power of crushing the pile. Cui Xianxi felt frightened, and he shouted loudly in panic: "Shoot the arrow! Shoot the arrow!"

The elite troops stationed in Laiyuan County were the Goryeo Army. Although they were about to break their terror, they still risked their lives to shoot a dense round of arrow feathers. At this time, everyone seemed to have lost their minds. No one told the military commander that the artillery was three or four hundred steps away, and the effective range of crossbows in the army was only a hundred steps. Hundreds of arrows shot out from the city like locusts in the sky, drew arcs, and finally the casting was exhausted and fell to the ground weakly. Looking at this scene, Cui Xianxi was on the side of the scene.

He realized that he felt a little embarrassed. Although he was unable to change his military orders, the archers consciously put down their bows and arrows and desperately lay down behind the balustrades. Some even lay on the ground. Under the city, the sound of cannons with "boom", "boom", "boom", "boom", "boom", and "boom", were endless. Round iron bullets were drawn with visible arcs, and they clumsily smashed on the top of the city, smashed on the wall, smashed on the open space, hit the roof, and hit the flesh and blood body.

Cui Xianxi's face was pale and murmured, "Don't the iron barrel cannon cannons can only fire more than a dozen rounds a day?" He poked his head carefully and looked at the enemy's position. He saw those ant-like gunners loading ammunition almost unceasingly, igniting, firing, and pushing the cannon back to their original position. His heart suddenly became cold. After a closer look, he was frightened and a glimmer of hope arises, "Although the firearms are sharp, the protection forces are short. We cannot be trapped in the city and wait for death. They only have one thousand people, and I have three thousand people. If the military strategy is twice as good as it can be attacked, and we can still try it."
Chapter completed!