In ancient times, in order to defend the homeland from being violated,The ancients often chose places with difficult terrain and built strong cities。These cities not only have high walls, but also deep moats that form a natural barrier.
At this time, as long as there is enough grain and grass in the cityThe city is as impregnable as a fortressto daunt the besieging enemy.
As a result, in many historical-themed film and television dramas, we can see the scene of the siege:A group of soldiers carried a long ladder, struggled to climb the wall, and then scrambled up the ladder.
And the soldiers defending the city stood on top of the city walls, smashing them hard at the enemies who tried to climb with all kinds of heavy ** and stones.
At this time, many people may have questions:
Why didn't the soldiers defending the city just knock down the ladder? Wouldn't that be more effortless and more straightforward?
In fact, there are several important reasons for this.
In ancient times, the ladders had different forms and ingenuity. At first, it was just a simple and pure wooden ladder, long, straight, as if it could touch the sky. Because of its length and characteristics, people call it a "ladder".
Nowadays, we can see it in many costume film and television dramas. Cities in ancient times are very different from those of todayThey are relatively small in size and more like a fortress for a large family.
The upper classes of these cities, in order to protect their homes, built high walls. Those walls were towering and impregnableIt's like a natural barrier to external threats.
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were flames between the countries, and the Chu State wanted to capture the Song State in one fell swoop. As the top craftsman at that time, Lu Ban was ordered by the king of ChuCraft a siege machine that can change the landscape of warfare。He is well aware of the great responsibility, and thinks about it day and nightI finally found inspiration from the ancient hook aid of the Xia, Shang and Zhou periods.
Subsequently, after countless days and nights of painstaking study, Lu Ban successfully invented the ladder. This kind of ladder cleverly combines mechanical principles with the needs of warfare, and its powerful functions make the Chu army like a tiger with wings, occupying an absolute advantage in siege warfare.
Since then, the ladder has become a sharp weapon in warfare, and it has been used until the end of the era of cold weapons.
The full name of the ladder isLadder trucks, which is unique and sophisticated in its construction. The main part is a traditional ladder, which is long enough to reach the height of the city walls. And the bottom of the ladder is equipped with wheels, which allows the ladder to move freely on the battlefield like a modern tank.
These wheels not only enhance the maneuverability of the ladder, but also hold the ladder to the ground if necessary. In addition to this, the ladder has another amazing feature:It can be raised and lowered at will. This design was designed to cope with the different heights of the city walls, ensuring that the besieging soldiers could climb smoothly.
The top design is even more ingenious, fitted with a special grappling hook. These grappling hooks are firmly attached to the city walls, and they cannot be shaken by wind and rain or enemy attacks.
In ".Romance of the Three KingdomsIn the record, there is a battle in which Zhuge Liang attacked Chencang. In order to take this city, Zhuge Liang gathered the elite **, among themRush car and arrow towerand other instruments are extremely powerful.
Although Zhuge Liang led a large army to attack, the soldiers defending the city did not feel afraid. With their wisdom and courage, they successfully resisted the fierce onslaught of the other side. In the next battle of the Cloud Ladder Siege,Zhuge Liang deployed a large number of soldiers to climb the ladder with the intention of breaking through the city wall.
However, the soldiers defending the city did not panic, they were calmUse rockets and boulders to attack climbing enemies and inflict heavy damage on them.
One might ask,Why didn't the soldiers defending the city just knock down the ladder? The reason lies under the ladderLoad-bearing trucksThe load-bearing vehicle, the ladder and the city wall form a stable triangular structure to ensure that the ladder remains stable in all conditions.
What's even more ingenious is that the load-bearing car has a mechanism hidden inside, and once activated, the load-bearing car will be locked, and no amount of force can push the ladder. In addition,The besiegers installed poisonous needles on the top of the ladders, making the defenders fearful.
They know that once they are pricked by a poisonous needle, the consequences will be unimaginable. Even if there is a chance to get close to the ladder, enemy reinforcements and ** support will continue to attack, and at the same time, they will also attack the defending soldiers with arrows, catapults, etc. Therefore,Even if the defenders of the city have enough courage and strength, it will be difficult to successfully knock down the ladder under enemy attack.
With the evolution of history, the use of the ladder as a weapon of war on the battlefield has become more and more frequent, and its manufacturing technology has also been continuously improved. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the craftsmen showed endless wisdom and innovationInstall the wall cone at the top of the ladder. The wall cone is like a door-breaking hammer in modern warfare, which can easily break through enemy walls, making the ladder a powerful siege city**.
By the time of the Song Dynasty, the art of war had a new development. The equipment for defending the city was constantly improved, the hull was carefully designed, and cowhide armor was added to the lathe to make the chariot more robust. The ample space inside can even hide several soldiers with knives, and the vehicle has both defensive and offensive functions, making it impossible for the enemy to defend against them.
In order to meet the needs of the war, the ladder was modified. The clever design of the ladder lies in its collapsible middle, which allows the length of the ladder to be adjusted at any time according to the height of the city walls. On the battlefield, this design makes the ladder look like a Transformer, and can be easily handled regardless of the height of the wall.
These innovations not only reflect the wisdom and skill of the ancients, but also demonstrate their deep understanding of war strategies. From ladders to ladders, every improvement is made to gain an edge on the battlefield.
With the advancement of the ladder technology, in order to ensure their own safety, fewer soldiers dare to take the risk of pushing the ladderBecause it is possible to lose life by exposing your head or bending over.
Even if a soldier has enough courage and determination, it will be difficult to knock the ladder down in a short period of time, as it requires a lot of strength and skill. In contrast,If a soldier is able to successfully shoot the enemy with a bow and arrow, then it is possible for him to destroy the enemy more effectively without risking his life to push the ladder.
Conclusion
Today's film and television dramas often adapt real history for the needs of the plot. This is like the ancient siege scene we see in film and television dramas:The guards defending the city wielded broadswords and cut or knocked down the ladders, causing the besieging enemy forces to fall. But in reality, it's just a stereotype of ancient warfare.
To delve deeper into the wisdom of the ancients, we need to correct the misunderstanding of the ladder. The ladder, a tool that played an important role in ancient warfare, is far more ingenious than we think. Its design not only takes into account the needs of actual combat, but also incorporates the wisdom and ingenuity of the ancients.
For example, Sun Tzu's Art of War, a brilliant systematic book on the art of war, not only covers war strategies and tactics, but also penetrates into people's hearts and human nature. Sun Tzu once said: ".Know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles。This phrase is still regarded as the wisdom of war.