Soldiers have no fixed formation, water has no constant shape. The way of war is ever-changing. The so-called morale is often not so easily grasped. But if one were to quantify and summarize it, there are actually many things with sufficient universality. Search: \(Complete Book Website\) to read quality literature for free.
Throughout history, what has truly broken armies in battle has never been physical attacks. An individual's consciousness is hijacked by the will of thousands. What one thinks is never the point. What truly determines victory or defeat is often each person's perception of the entire group. If one could synthesize and summarize, then take the average, that would be the strength of the army.
Strict training, every person around having a strong physique, having reasons not to retreat, strict military discipline, every exercise executed with unwavering obedience. All of these things, in the end, add a chip in people's minds: "We are strong," "We will never retreat." The heavier the chip, the stronger the army. The so-called morale, in the end, is just such a simple thing, and achieving it requires countless refinements.
The Liangshan heroes were originally an army with such beliefs when they descended the mountain. However, their perception of "strength" did not come from training or military discipline, but gradually formed from the fear of the enemy in every robbery and slaughter. When the Wu Dynasty faced internal and external troubles, and friends from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks gathered, it gave everyone a sense of inevitable momentum. Unfortunately, this confidence of being invincible in Shandong alone suppressed too many hidden dangers.
When these things were ignited all at once within a few days, when the battlefield slaughter unfolded, not many people thought they would retreat. They still craved to win, craved victory. Unfortunately, the so-called morale never lies in this, but in whether people feel "impossible" or "possible" when the opposite side shouts out such rumors.
The psychological difference of just one line, when merged into morale, determines the fate of millions of lives.
The sunlight shone on the clouds, rendering the afternoon scenery bright. At the Zhu Family Manor, the sounds of killing continued, never ceasing. The shouts within the manor continued excitedly. Wave after wave of people rushed up the stone walls, only to be killed and forced back down. Only the high-ranking Liangshan generals could understand that their casualties were steadily increasing, and as time passed, the Liangshan soldiers' will to fight was constantly decreasing.
In just one hour, the number of casualties on the Liangshan side was probably close to three thousand. This was a huge loss caused by the Liangshan leaders' desperate all-out attack. Countless flags surged forward, only to be pushed back. The circle of stone walls of the Zhu Family Manor was constantly becoming stronger and taller in the eyes of the Liangshan heroes.
By this time, the rate of casualties on the Liangshan side had begun to slow down. After the initial frenzy passed, and with the constant shouting within, the wavering of morale and the decline of spirit, after wave after wave of brothers were submerged as they rushed up the stone walls, the soldiers charging head-on were already somewhat hesitant. Even some small and medium-sized leaders began to weigh whether retreating was the right course of action. No one had expected that fifteen thousand people would end up in a war of attrition against three thousand.
"What's there to say! Didn't we know this from the beginning! If we can't take this manor, none of us will be able to go back!" On one side of the battlefield, Lu Zhishen bandaged his wounds, picked up his monk's spade, and began to organize the next wave of attack. At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot from killing. "Those with guts, follow this monk and charge again!"
On the other side, Lin Chong and other generals were also constantly encouraging their subordinates. When familiar brothers or subordinates in the mountain hesitated and came to ask whether they should preserve their strength, and whether the superiors would want to retreat after fighting like this, it was these leaders who had opposed the all-out attack to some extent before Song Jiang's mobilization who chose the most resolute attack at this time.
Morale was already in chaos. Those who came to them to ask might still be able to be suppressed, but in such an army, there were countless people who probably already had such thoughts in their hearts, but were unwilling to say them. That was the real problem.
But once the arrow is released, there is no turning back.
For the Liangshan heroes, enduring the constantly accumulating huge casualties, feeling the collapse of morale and the decline of spirit, was an enormous pressure. But for the people of the Zhu Family Manor, resisting such wave after wave of attacks with a mere three thousand people, even if the Liangshan soldiers' combat strength had fallen to an outrageously low level at this time, they would definitely not be without pressure. The loss of numbers was also accumulating on their heads. The attacking side, in any case, still had tens of thousands of people who could continue to launch a saturated offensive, but the defending side also had to saturate their defense.
When they could no longer maintain a saturated defense, the real opportunity would arrive.
Inside the Zhu Family Manor, Ning Yi, who was constantly protected by shields, could clearly feel this. The constantly carried-away wounded and dead, the cries of women and children in the manor, were also spreading anxious emotions in everyone's hearts. Some people had even rushed over crying and asking: "Where is the imperial army! Where is the imperial army!"
Zhu Biao and others had been encouraging the people in the manor: "You see! These Liangshan bastards are getting weaker and weaker! They're about to give up! If we hold on today, they will die—"
The Liangshan people were indeed getting weaker and weaker, but the leaders' charge was still not to be underestimated. Ning Yi had already separated the crossbows around him into two groups, specifically to deal with these elite chargers. At the same time, the various pre-arranged shouts were also constantly playing their part. But he, with his lack of practical experience, could not really see how the battle would develop, or how long the Liangshan people could last before collapsing.
The fact that the Liangshan mountain was divided into many factions was its biggest weakness. However, when many of the opposing leaders still retained their rationality, they were able to maintain their control over their subordinates at a baseline, constantly using their own charisma to command a portion of their subordinates to launch attacks.
At this time, if a major leader could really defect on the battlefield, that might determine the course of the war. Unfortunately, even though many people could see that Liangshan might be defeated, he still couldn't give them the confidence to simply surrender. At most, they would only choose to preserve their strength and then retreat.
The schemes that could be played had already been played. Ning Yi led people running around the manor, trying to fill the loopholes he could see, and repelling wave after wave of attacks. At the same time, now that the battle had reached a fever pitch, in the prisons within the Zhu Family Manor, some things were also quietly happening. Several men imprisoned here had used the tools they had prepared to open the locks of their cells.
In the past few days, Ning Yi had given the released prisoners tasks, and after they completed them, they could return to receive the protection of the Zhu Family Manor. Of course, such protection would not immediately be provided with the treatment of honored guests, but they would still be imprisoned in the prison, given some good food and drink, and dealt with after the battle to avoid accidents. It was also because of this model that, before this, Wu Yong had deliberately chosen some people to return to the Zhu Family Manor to carry out counter-espionage. At this time, when the Zhu Family Manor was already overwhelmed and even the prison guards were no longer sufficient, they cleared the obstacles and quietly rushed out of the prison.
What greeted them was chaos and smoke from all sides. The manor was like a lone island in a storm, constantly shaking under the huge offensive...
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Burning firewood crashed down from the stone wall.
Zhang Shun rolled on the ground, passed a half-burnt corpse, and rushed towards the crowd on the side.
"Brother Zhang..."
"Charge—"
Shouting hoarsely in the attack, he recognized the small leader leading the attack. In Zhang Shun's shout, he grabbed the ladder and rushed up. Zhang Shun followed closely behind. However, before he could climb onto the stone wall, blood flew out from above. A long spear pierced the small leader's body, sending him down. Several Zhu Family Manor villagers appeared on top, one of them using the bloody spearhead to stab down. Zhang Shun blocked with his knife. Seeing more people coming, he had no choice but to retreat again.
The sea of soldiers intertwined. The Liangshan side was constantly changing the points they chose for a strong attack. Zhang Shun ran through the battlefield. Before long, he joined up with Yang Zhi, seized an opportunity, set up three long ladders, and led his soldiers in a head-on assault. They killed several people on the city wall. After gathering more than a dozen brothers, seeing Zhu Biao leading people to kill over there, they immediately abandoned this point on the wall and charged into the manor with a dozen people.
The wave-like offensive had already made it difficult for the Zhu Family Manor to defend. As long as they caused chaos in the manor, the other side would definitely send more people to besiege them, and they could completely charge at any point on the stone wall. Although Zhang Shun was nicknamed "White Stripe in the Waves," he was highly skilled in martial arts and had a fierce nature. Cooperating with Yang Zhi, they were not afraid of anything even with only a dozen people. In the blink of an eye, they rushed to the other side of the stone wall. They rushed past several houses, killed two passing villagers, and suddenly, saw an iron shield flash by on the other side of the road running parallel to them across the houses.
"Haha, Chaotic Thunderbolt Hand!"
Yang Zhi ran all the way, pointing over there and whispering to Zhang Shun, "Kill him."
More than a dozen people sprinted over. Reaching the intersection ahead, they turned and charged over there. On that side of the road, the figure finally appeared: iron shield, crossbowmen, the noble young master surrounded in the center turned his head towards them.
"Kill—" Yang Zhi held his saber with both hands and charged forward madly. Zhang Shun was the same. The crossbows on the opposite side had already risen and aimed at them. There was really no time for hesitation. However, suddenly, Zhang Shun saw that face. The other person stood there, tilted his head.
"Chaotic Thunderbolt Hand" Lei Feng. Before this, even though the Liangshan side had been thrown into chaos, he felt that the other party was a big trouble. But to be honest, he didn't have much feeling for this person. When Yang Zhi said to kill him, he also felt: naturally, he should be killed.
But at this moment, complex feelings arose in his heart along with that person's appearance. This person is... this person is...
Remembering the blood and fire of that day...
The other person sighed, plainly: "Ah... Zhang Shun."
***************
Outside the stone wall, a portion of the people attacking the manor suddenly heard a desperate shout: "Ya ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah—"
They actually heard such shouts often. When the crowd launched a desperate charge against the stone wall, mixed with courage, a shout issued to resist fear. It's just that outside the stone wall, some people could still hear what person this voice belonged to.
They just didn't understand why Zhang Shun would shout such a sound in the manor.
This side was closest to the earthen slope where Song Jiang and others watched the battle. Xi Junyu and others were looking at the stone wall inside, originally still saying: "Brother Zhang Shun and Brother Yang Zhi have already broken in, when they create chaos, perhaps there will be an opportunity..." Vaguely, this shout came over, and everyone held their breath and listened. Then, some chaos, as expected, came out from the stone wall, the inside was fighting.
"Strong attack! Tell the nearby brothers to attack strongly!" Xi Junyu shouted, signaling the soldiers, and nearby leaders including Lin Chong, led people to surround and attack. Before the ladder was set up, suddenly, figures appeared on the stone wall, they were a few silhouettes of being forced back crazily, forced onto the stone wall, and then stabbed down outside the wall, including Zhang Shun's figure, they were all pierced with several crossbow arrows, what was being pushed over at this time was a few iron shields and spears constantly thrust out from behind, Zhang Shun's body was pierced in the air by two or three spears, and then fell down.
Several iron shields stood on the side of the wall, the crossbows behind began to shoot down the wall, Song Jiang watched with tears in his eyes, splitting his canthus, and at this time, another change suddenly happened on the stone wall.
Several men sneaked over from the side, suddenly killing into the shield formation on the stone wall.
Wu Yong stood up under the tree supporting himself with the tree trunk: "Haha, they struck! They struck! My arrangement worked! Kill him! Kill him!"
That sudden attack caused a small range of chaos on the stone wall, everyone watched attentively, even when a scout quickly came from behind, to report something to Song Jiang and Wu Yong, Wu Yong waved his hand vigorously telling him not to disturb him. Xi Junyu looked at Wu Yong's performance, and understood something: "Continue the strong attack! Cooperate and continue the strong attack!"
The fighting on the stone wall was fierce and fierce, the people Wu Yong arranged were already quite experienced in assassination, with deliberation calculated against the unprepared, they killed their way in in the blink of an eye. The soldiers protecting next to them did not react in time, and two were killed, an iron shield also fell down, Song Jiang, Wu Yong and others watched attentively, Xi Junyu also watched attentively. Finally, two people killed towards that Chaotic Thunderbolt Hand Lei Feng, after a few simple exchanges, that Lei Feng looked like he retreated in a mess, also knocking down the people next to him, two assassins followed closely behind, one was pierced by a flying spear, the other waved a steel saber and chopped down straight.
Xi Junyu, Wu Yong clenched their teeth, took a step forward.
With a bang, it rang on the stone wall, blood splattered out from behind the assassin.
Suddenly, the surroundings seemed empty, Xi Junyu's words that were originally already at his throat, suddenly could not be spoken because he realized something.
Not far away, Li Kui, who was raising his axe to prepare to charge, was stunned when he heard this sound, near the earthen slope, there were also two people, each with different reactions, respectively the injured "Sick Guan Suo" Yang Xiong and the "Brocade-haired Tiger" Yan Shun who happened to be passing by.
On the stone wall, the noble young master pushed away the assassin's corpse that pounced over, under the tree here, Wu Yong's hand slowly, patted the tree trunk: "Still... failed ah..." He murmured and sighed, but at this time the sense of frustration that rose was not much. Thinking of the scout who came to report just now, seemed to anxiously say "Wu Rui Camp", turned back to ask, suddenly found that a few brothers' faces were wrong: "What's wrong?"
Yan Shun looked over there, pointed with his finger, opened his mouth, after looking at Xi Junyu subconsciously, his lips opened as if they were a bit dry: "That is... that is..."
Song Jiang turned his head: "Unfortunately still failed to kill that Chaotic Thunderbolt Hand..."
"But that is... Blood Hand Butcher..."
"That one from Jiangning..." Yang Xiong muttered.
Song Jiang was stunned: "What Blood Hand Butcher?" Everyone more or less had such questions, after all their brains could not turn around for a while, but after a moment, when everyone suddenly recalled some things, an extremely complex and somewhat cold strange feeling, silently descended.
"...He, he is... ah?"
Surrounded by beacon fire, the fighting continued, blood and lives constantly flowing away, on the continuous battlefield, a strange feeling, carrying the continuous frustration and heavy pressure of the past few days, descended here.
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