A sky-wide fire dragon snaked outside the Kaifeng city wall to protect the city's roots. The soldiers and civilians stationed on the city became emboldened and their morale was boosted. So, the shouts of killing were mixed with cheers, whistles, and proud curses.
At this time, Li Zicheng also came to the outside of the West City of Kaifeng. He immediately stood on a sand dune less than half a mile away from the city moat. He looked at the city above and below in the distance. He held the bridle in his left hand and pointed at the city head with his riding whip in his right hand, saying: "
Didn't we also bring some light artillery over in Luoyang, put them all up, and blast them?"
He turned to Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others beside him and said, "We can't just be beaten without fighting back!"
Liu Zongmin also galloped from the north at this time. He came straight to Li Zicheng and stood up on his horse. He said, "Brother Li, this won't work. There is a sea of fire below the city, and the soldiers have suffered heavy casualties."
Li Zicheng also nodded and asked, "What does Jiexuan mean?"
"To attack the city, the entire army separates in several waves and takes turns to press forward, so that the defenders on the city cannot take care of the soldiers in the cave city. Then drive the hungry people up, and each person must take at least three city bricks back before resting.
.”
Li Zicheng turned to look at Song Xiance and said, "Military advisor, do you think it's possible to capture Kaifeng?"
After Song Xiance pretended to close his eyes and meditate, he said: "The key lies in the next two days. If we can't break through, we don't know when we will have another good opportunity."
After Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others came to vote, they really impressed Li Zicheng. In his heart, Niu Jinxing had long been regarded as an imperial teacher, and he always asked him to teach him about Confucian classics and history in his free time. He has been giving lectures recently.
The most famous one is "Zi Zhi Tong Jian".
And Niu Jinxing also regarded himself as the future prime minister, with the attitude of being the leader of hundreds of officials. Although Song Xiance and Li Yan were also highly respected by King Chuang, they were still humble to Niu Jinxing in everything and did not compete with him in everything.
After Song Xiance presented the cryptic message of prophecy "Eighteen Sons Master Divine Weapon" to King Chuang, he was valued by Li Zicheng. Before Song Xiance joined Li Zicheng, he made a living as a "warlock" and traveled around for a long time, doing divination for others.
Good and bad, good and bad.
Therefore, a group of people should be proficient in various extraordinary escape techniques. In addition, Song Xiance was also quite smart. He was very good at astronomy and prophecy. He was also well-read and had some knowledge of military strategies. He also traveled far and wide to fight against enemies.
I also have an understanding of mountain and river geography.
After joining the Chuang army, he often pretended to be a ghost, and many of his words came true. Not only did Li Zicheng regard him as the best choice as a military advisor, he was always by his side, and he always asked questions when things happened.
The general also respected him very much.
At this moment, after listening to what Song Xiance said, Li Zicheng pondered for a while and then said: "Jixuan, don't move where you are, especially those three thousand cavalry. The horses cannot unsaddle and the men cannot unarmor. They are always on standby to cope with any changes."
.”
"Okay. I will teach the cavalry to stand by and wait for the opportunity to move again. There are still two thousand infantry there. If the war requires, they can also participate in the siege."
Li Zicheng nodded and said: "Okay, your place is the last support of the whole army. I can rest assured that you are here to take charge."
He went on to say: "Just for these three days, I will prepare to attack the city with all my strength. If possible, I will attack the city with a bang. If nothing can be done, we should lead the army to him as soon as possible. We cannot stumble under the Kaifeng city for a long time, so as to avoid
Trapped in a cocoon!"
Looking at Liu Zongmin's retreating figure, Li Zicheng called another young general and said: "Shuangxi, go tell Xiao Naozi and Bai Wang to attack the west city wall with all their strength and drive out the hungry people in the cave city. After three city bricks, every additional
If you take back a city brick, you will be rewarded with an extra steamed bun."
"yes!"
After Li Shuangxi received the order loudly, he galloped to Zhang Nai and Bai Wang to deliver the order.
Here, Li Zicheng discussed with Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, and Li Yan how to turn and attack if Kaifeng failed...
…………
Liu Chengzu lost one of his worn-out shoes, and his left foot was exposed, already a little numb when he stepped on the cold, hard ground.
Suddenly, his thin body was pulled over by Uncle Wu. Just where he had just ran, a hungry man was shot through the chest by a bullet fired from the city wall. A blood arrow was shot out instantly, spreading all over the ground.
, and the body of the hungry man was also hit by the bullets and he took two or three steps back before falling to the ground.
"Quick, run, run fast, don't dare to rest..."
Before he could thank Uncle Wu, he was grabbed by him and ran forward. In his panic, he forgot to lift the thick wooden board above his head. Fortunately, the arrows flying from the top of the city only fell around him, and they flew forward.
However, he was not shot.
Under the city's foundation, although there were not corpses everywhere, it was not much different. They were all dead soldiers and hungry people, and some who were not dead for a while were still writhing and wailing.
The worst offenders are those who were burned by firewood thrown from the city walls and burned by lamp oil. Their ulcerated skin was exposed and quickly froze in the severe cold. Now they can only cry on the ground in a low and hoarse voice, waiting.
Death will completely harvest their souls.
Uncle Wu pushed Liu Chengzu to the foot of the city and shouted: "Quick, pick out the bricks from the city, quick..."
But he himself stretched out his upper body, pulled over the body of a recently deceased soldier, took off the pair of cotton shoes, stuffed them into Liu Chengzu's arms, and shouted loudly: "Change."
"
Seeing that Liu Chengzu was at a loss what to do, Uncle Wu shouted anxiously: "Why are you so stunned? Change it quickly."
Only then did Liu Chengzu react. He hurriedly took off his other worn shoe and put the still intact pair of cotton shoes on his feet.
Uncle Wu was not idle either. He took out a very short iron hook from his pocket and began to dig out the bricks. Liu Chengzu was not prepared. After changing into cotton shoes, he had to scratch the wall little by little with his fingers.
Gaps between bricks.
Most of the hungry people around him were like him, digging with their bare hands at the cracks in the bricks on the city wall, while the miners and thieves had some to deal with.
A dozen or dozens of them, together, first used thick wooden boards or door panels to support an outward-sloping roof, and then used iron drills, iron hooks, hammers and other tools to dig out the city bricks below.
The city bricks were piled next to the erected wooden shed. In some places, it was as if a brick wall had been built. They were now digging up the earth with shovels and arduous efforts to dig out the earth inside the city bricks.
This rammed earth has been wrapped in hard city bricks for hundreds of years and has become very dry and hard. Even with the help of shovels, shovels and other tools, it is very laborious and difficult to dig.
"ah……"
A pitiful howl sounded next to Liu Chengzu. He shook his head violently, and the city brick he had just excavated fell from his hand. By chance, it hit his shoe, bounced, and rolled away.
.
Before Liu Chengzu had time to pick it up, he saw a hungry man in ragged clothes rushing out of the diagonal thorn. He picked up the city brick and ran back.
Liu Chengzu was so stunned that he forgot to snatch back the city brick that he had worked so hard to dig out. He just muttered in his mouth: "My brick, that is my brick!".