Once upon a time, when the flames of war were raging and the enemy army was ferociously swarming and gritting their teeth to capture our city, as the defenders of the city, should we do our best to defend our homeland, or simply take the initiative to open the city gate and surrender? Faced with the awl-shaped ladder erected by the enemy army, the brothers standing at the head of the city looked at each other and did not know what to do. Wouldn't it be quicker and more efficient to push down a ladder directly? But at this juncture, a high-spirited veteran broke the deadlock and let out a shocking roar: "Whoever pushes is stupid!" Hurry up, pick up the rolling stones and throw them! "Why didn't the defenders of the city just knock down the enemy's ladders, but chose to stone them? What's the story behind this? Let's find out.
The top priority of the defense of the ancient city
Since ancient times, the fortifications of the city have been the most important thing in the defense of the country's territory. In that war-torn era, only by building strong and impregnable walls and gates could we resist the attack of foreign enemies and protect the lives of innocent civilians in the city. The survival of a city is often tied to the rock-solid defense of the city walls.
For any country, the defense force of the capital city is the most elite and largest. In order to ensure the safety of the capital, the rulers can be said to have done their best to build the city walls. These wall projects were often carried out by the most brilliant craftsmen and architects of the dynasty, from the use of the finest materials to the use of exquisite construction techniques. Some walls are made of hard granite throughout, some are hollow inside to increase the depth of defense, and some even have large blocks of steel embedded in them to prevent them from being damaged by siege weapons. It can be said that these majestic and magnificent city walls are the supreme masterpieces of ancient military engineering.
However, strong walls alone are not enough, and the foundation of defending the city lies in constant vigilance day and night. In those days, wars were everywhere and surprise attacks were commonplace. As a result, all capitals were staffed with a large number of guards and defenders, who patrolled the city around the clock, ready to respond to a sneak attack from outside the city. As soon as they found an enemy army gathering under the city, they would immediately sound the gong and start the battle, leading the soldiers and civilians in the city to start resisting the attack.
At the same time, the most important thing in defending the city is to firmly guard the city gates. Because the city gate is often a battleground for both the offensive and defensive sides, and it is also the lifeline of the defenders. The ancients also specially designed layers of protective mechanisms to protect this vital point. For example, an arrow tower will be set up near the city gate to facilitate archers in the city to aim at the enemy; They will also set up a heavy army behind the city gate, and once the city gate is lost, they will immediately receive reinforcements. Some gates even have traps that can be pulled to kill the gates, creating a large cavern to bury the intruding enemies.
In short, defending a city is no child's play and often requires extremely clever design and careful planning. The city wall and gate, which is the important weapon of the country, is the foundation of the entire city, and the loss will inevitably lead to the tragedy of family destruction and death. That's why those siegers who didn't know whether they were alive or dead back then would desperately attack these impregnable fortresses at all costs.
Siege weapon - the magic of the ladder
When it comes to siege weapons, the ladder is the most magical. This seemingly rudimentary tool has been used to win countless siege battles since ancient times.
The predecessor of the ladder can be traced back to the "hook aid" in ancient times. At that time, the hook was nothing more than a splicing of several long tree trunks, and then a hook was pulled out of the top with a rope for the besieging soldiers to climb the city wall. Although this thing is clumsy in shape and extremely clumsy in action, its appearance can be regarded as a milestone in the achievement of the city. With hook reinforcements, the besiegers no longer had to climb the layers of walls with their bare hands, and finally found a tool to follow.
Later, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the craftsmen of our motherland improved the hook aid and gradually evolved into a "cloud ladder". In the end, the ladder was not only equipped with rollers at the bottom to facilitate push-pull transportation, but also changed the top to a sharp triangular design to make it easier to hook the castle head. Even better, the hollow design of the ladder makes it quite slim, but it is also extremely stable and will not be easily pushed over. The surface of the ladder is often coated with animal fat to prevent soldiers from injuring their hands when climbing.
With its unique design, the ladder soon became the most powerful part of siege warfare at the time. When the enemy takes advantage of the night to thin the buds, they will quietly erect a ladder tens of meters high and use absolute manpower to push it under the city wall. Then a warrior took the lead in climbing the ladder with a spear in hand, risking the danger of a hidden arrow and pressing towards the city little by little. What's more, a flag belonging to your own side will be placed at the top of the ladder as a guide and sign for attack. Once the city is successfully captured, the internal and external cooperation can determine the overall situation in an instant.
The reason why ladders were so favored in ancient times is largely because of their special manufacturing process. At that time, each ladder was carefully carved by dozens of technicians, and the complexity of the process can be imagined. First of all, it is necessary to select a large tree that is hard and straight, and after repeated trimming, it can be spliced and formed. Next, a precision metal lock hook and roller are made to ensure the firmness of the ladder body. Finally, in order to increase the rigidity of the ladder, it is often necessary to fill the inside with auxiliary materials such as straw and hemp rope, and even inlay copper nails on the surface to prevent damage. A complete ladder is comparable to a work of art.
However, the best thing about the ladder is its tactical use. When attacking a city, the ladder is often only used in conjunction with other siege weapons, and there are often many thrilling battles in between. For example, the siege vehicle first attacked the city gate to cause the defensive focus to be scattered, and the sappers quickly pushed up the ladder while the iron was hot. Or after the ladder is erected, the archers will shoot and cover first, and then the warriors will climb the ladder and charge. In any case, the ladder was an indispensable and important part of the offensive and defensive battles at that time.
With such extraordinary power, there is no shortage of legends about the ladder in history. For example, when the Qin army attacked Zhao, it conquered the fortified city of Handan with the help of cloud ladders; During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Ban Chao's expedition to Dawan also relied on the cloud ladder to take Zhecheng in one fell swoop. Later generations of military strategists played the use of the ladder in ten thousand ways, fully demonstrating its unique charm.
The offense and defense of the two sides come and go
In that era of gunpowder, siege warfare can be described as an all-out contest of wisdom and courage between the two sides. On one side, the attackers tried their best to break through the city, and on the other side, the defenders tried their best to defend to the end. In this way, the two sides engaged in a fierce back and forth between the walls and trenches.
For the attackers, in addition to erecting ladders to go straight to the city, they often use all their skills. For example, first, they will use siege engines to hit the city gate hard in an attempt to break through from the front; For example, they will use ladder trucks to quickly push the ladder to the base of the wall to make final preparations for climbing the city. What's more, they will also install internal rebellion in the city to pave the way for early infiltration of the raid.
At the same time, the defenders of the city are naturally secretly raising divisions. In order to resist enemy raids, they often send their most elite archers to guard the city's heads, keeping enemy ladder carts out of range. And at the city gates, they will also be ready to respond to surprise attacks. What's more, the defenders will dig tunnels so that mobile units can surprise enemy forces whenever and wherever they want. Therefore, both sides are often scheming and secretly parting.
However, in addition to the offensive and defensive confrontations on the surface, the two sides often use some hidden tricks against each other. For example, in order to clear the obstacles, the defenders of the city will often take great strides to clear the dead branches around the city before the battle, so that the enemy army has nothing to hide. Sometimes they will dig tunnels to lure the enemy into pursuit, and then take the opportunity to kill them. The attackers will also often create a false enemy in an attempt to mislead the defenders about the defensive focus. Therefore, it can be said that whoever can be more alert and cautious will be able to take the lead.
With the passage of time, the offensive and defensive methods of both sides are also constantly upgrading and iterating. The defenders of the city placed a throwing machine at the top of the city, which could throw the rolling stones far away to the ladder; The attackers, on the other hand, would use catapults to counterattack and smash gunpowder projectiles into the city. In some cases, both sides will even use smoke grenades to obscure their vision in an attempt to create a favorable time for a surprise attack.
And this offensive and defensive trend often needs to last for months. Just like the Battle of Chencang in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu had to attack continuously for four months before finally breaking through Mrs. Qi's stubborn defense. You must know that at that time, Chencang was the largest city in the world, known as the country of abundance, and its solidity can be imagined. It is precisely because of this that Liu Xiu and others had to expend so much effort to achieve the final victory.
Stone became the ultimate weapon
In the face of the enemy's ferocious attack, the defenders of the city were not helpless. On the contrary, sometimes their moves are also intrigues and tricks, which makes people unguardable. Among them, the most famous is the stone.
At first, the fuse of the battle was nothing more than the enemy erecting siege ladders with the intention of reaching the city. However, in the face of this attack, the defenders did not choose to knock down the ladder, but picked up the rolling stones at hand and smashed them down. In this way, a protracted back and forth kicked off.
In fact, as early as the beginning of the war, the two sides had secretly deployed the troops at the head of the city. While the enemy is erecting ladders, they also send elite rocketeers to shoot rocks around the perimeter for cover. In order to fight them, the defenders of the city naturally lined up at the head of the city, only waiting for the enemy to get close. Among them, there is a group of special "stone hands", whose task is to throw stones to stop the enemy.
At this time, the two sides have reached a fierce point. Just as the ladder cart was slowly advancing, the ballistas all over the city suddenly fired in unison, and the dark arrows were shooting towards the enemy like a shadow of the sun. At the same time, above the city, the stonemen also began to throw the rolling stones in their hands to hit the crumbling ladder.
For a moment, I saw sand and gravel flying in mid-air, blocking all the attacking enemy troops outside the city. No matter how brave they were, they couldn't get even half a step close to the city under the stormy stone attack. What's more, some rolling stones even smashed the bracket of the ladder directly, making it impossible for the ladder to continue to advance.
In the face of such a ferocious stone attack, even the warriors in front of the formation couldn't help but feel worried. Although they were dressed in steel armor, the power of the Rolling Stone was too strong, and if they were hit, they would definitely be in a different place. Not to mention the ladder sappers who were far behind, just watching the stone hit made me feel uneasy.
In this way, the siege battles are gradually reaching a climax in the rock-throwing attack and defense that you go back and forth. Sometimes the enemy will catch a brief gap and carry the ladder forward a few steps. However, the stonemen defending the city had excellent eyesight, and when they saw that the enemy was moving, they fired another volley of rolling stones. The attackers, who did not have time to dodge, had no choice but to retreat and were forced to stop halfway.
The two sides are facing each other from afar, and you come and go. I saw the cannon stones fall down the city like a rainline, making the place dusty and wolf-smoking. Occasionally, a few rolling stones hit the edges and corners of the ladder, making a loud and deafening sound. There are even some stone hands full of vigor, who can throw a hundred catties of boulders with one hand, and launch a stone attack like a sea of mountains, completely suppressing the enemy army in the periphery, and there is no way to watch the clues of the city.
In this back and forth, the scorched earth war ignited all the fighting spirit of both sides. No one wanted to stop like this, but became more and more courageous, and increased their horsepower to continue the confrontation. At last, when the enemy's ladder was crumbling, the stonemen at the head of the city finally shouted: "Whoever pushes is stupid!" Hurry up, keep shooting stones! ＂
In this way, the stone attack battle between the two sides lasted until the offensive and defensive defeats. In the end, the enemy army could only withdraw gloomily and give up the city attack.
The ultimate decisive battle of the siege campaign
Just when the two sides are deadlocked, a unique drama will be staged on the battlefield. That is, in order to break through the current offensive and defensive stalemate, the two sides will fight to the death, and the ultimate decisive battle is about to break out.
It all started above the city. There, the defenders saw that the enemy had recently loaded a cannon, the muzzle of which was more than three feet wide, and it was aimed at the city gate. It seems that the enemy army intends to use this earth-shattering cannon to forcibly blast open the city gates and clear the way for the final siege.
In the face of this sudden change, the defenders of the city must not sit idly by. While the enemy's artillery was still loading, they began to bombard the muzzle of the cannon frequently, intending to destroy the enemy's position. I saw that the row of stone throwers at the head of the city suddenly started to run at the same time, and they continued to smash towards the enemy's guns.
In this way, the offensive and defensive battle between the two sides has completely entered a white-hot state. For a time, the artillery stones flew sideways, the smoke of gunpowder was filled, and the flames of war burned heavily under the city. The defenders of the city did not give the enemy a chance to breathe, and the rolling stones made the enemy attackable and retreated. Several rocks struck the cannon's chamber, nearly destroying the cannon.
At such a juncture, the enemy's generals finally couldn't hold back and ordered a complete general attack. I saw that the military formation in front of the city was suddenly boiling, and thousands of soldiers quickly lined up, holding spears and rushing towards the city gate. At the same time, the cannon behind it has finally completed the final loading and is aiming at the city gate for final firing preparations. For a while, the two sides were completely caught in the ultimate battle of life and death.
In the face of the enemy's general attack, the defenders of the city did not show weakness. They bravely climbed to the top of the city, deployed various heavy weapons such as catapults, and waited for the battle. On one side were rows of sharp guns, and on the other side were artillery roars, and the attack and defense of both sides were on the verge of breaking out.
At this moment, the defenders of the city suddenly showed a sly smile. I saw them shouting to the enemy: "Don't waste your efforts on your artillery!" Let's open the door for you first! ＂
With that, the trebuchets at the head of the city burst into an indiscriminate blast, firing a barrage of rolling stones at the enemy's cannons. At that time, the smoke of gunpowder was filled, and the deafening loud noise was endless. When the smoke and dust cleared, I saw that the cannon under the city had been smashed beyond recognition, and it was impossible to shoot half a minute at all.
And just when the enemy army fell into a brief stunned, the defenders of the city followed another round of intensive stone attacks. I saw thousands of stones smashing down on the army like a torrential rain, enveloping the entire city in a rain of sand and gravel. In the face of this frantic onslaught, the enemy army was simply unable to resist. Seeing that the army was gradually falling into chaos, the generals had to give up the attack and the whole army retreated.
In this way, the whole life-and-death decisive battle ended in the complete victory of the defenders. It can be said that they struck a surprisingly victorious blow in one fell swoop, strangling the enemy's general attack in the cradle. However, just as the two sides were leaving, the defenders seemed to see the enemy's strange behavior again. I saw that they suddenly changed the direction of evacuation and went straight to the city gate.
Before anyone had time to think about this unusual move, the enemy slowly dragged out a huge wooden beam from behind them, aiming at the broken city gate. In a few moments, they picked up the wooden beams and slammed them against the city gate! In this way, the ancient city gate collapsed with a bang, and finally the enemy knocked a large hole open.
end
But just when the fierce battle between the two sides was in full swing, suddenly there was a burst of shouting and killing inside and outside the city. I saw that the whole city was in chaos inside and outside, and the two sides were completely beaten into a pot of porridge. It turned out that the enemy had secretly planted an internal response a few months ago, and only waited for the opportunity to carry out a sneak attack. Through the chaos of this siege melee, they finally succeeded.
For a time, the fierce decisive battle between the two sides was fleeting, and the entire city had fallen into civil strife.