The guard general of Xiuyan City was called Duopuluo, the grandson of Fei Yingdong, the fifth founding minister of the Later Jin Dynasty.
Logically speaking, with his status, he should have been in a high position for a long time. Although Grandpa Naihe is awesome, but his grandfather has ten sons and nephews like Obai, so he can quickly climb up anywhere?
What's more, Dopolo's father, Suohai, is still an out-and-out cheat.
When Hai Lanzhu died of illness, Huang Taiji was in mourning. Suo Hai even invited Zu Dalue to drink and watch plays at home secretly.
Huang Taiji was furious because of this, and asked the Ministry of Punishment to discuss Suo Hai's death penalty, and then exempted him from death and reduced his position. Niu Lu was also divided into half.
Suo Hai not only offended Huang Taiji, but also offended Dorgon. He followed Dorgon on the expedition and ran to surround Jinzhou. He withdrew his troops privately before the war started, and camped far away from Jinzhou City to avoid the battle, and almost killed Dorgon there.
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What's more, Suohai's cousin Obai is a staunch opponent of Dorgon.
When encountering such a cheating father, it is normal that although Dopolo was the deputy capital commander, he was transferred to the mountains to defend the city, and he only had 800 soldiers under his command.
"What? In the mountains south of Xiuyan City, there is a large army of Nanbarbarians?" Duopolo was shocked.
The Eight Banners officers who escaped said: "The Jurchen hunters in the mountains colluded with those southern barbarians, and they deliberately led the way randomly!"
Duopuluo said angrily: "You are a member of the Jurchen tribe and you are colluding with the Nanman. How many soldiers are there in the Nanman?"
The Eight Banners officer said: "I don't know. The Southern Barbarians set up an ambush in the mountains. They fired guns and cannons at once. It's hard to see how many there were in the ambush. But judging from the formation, I'm afraid there are as many as two or three thousand!"
Two to three thousand Datong troops?
Dopoluo was a little frightened. At this time, the Manchu nobles had been psychologically shadowed by the Datong Army.
What's more, like his father, Dopolo is not a man who is good at fighting. This guy likes to enjoy himself. He has learned Chinese since he was a child, and his family also has a Han opera troupe.
Duopuluo thought for a long time and ordered: "The whole army is not allowed to leave the city anymore. Quickly collect supplies to defend the city. All the bannermen outside the city are recruited into the city and their families are also brought into the city. Also, go ahead
When Shengjing asked for help, he said that a large Nanman army was attacking Xiuyan City!"
There are also Manchus living around Xiuyan City, all of whom are the family members of the original 202 Eight Banners defenders. As for the military households of the Ming Dynasty, some were taken to Shenyang, and some were left as coatmen and serfs for the local bannermen. They are here
The land was cultivated outside the city, and the food grown was used to supply the troops defending the city.
After receiving Dopoluo's mobilization order, the Manchus outside the city quickly set out and evacuated all their families and families to the city. They took most of the slaves with them, but left a small number of soldiers behind to manage their own serfs.
Yang Zhenqing waited and waited, but did not wait until the Eight Banners soldiers came to kill him.
He sent some Jurchen mountain people to inquire around Xiuyan City. They found out that all the Manchus had entered the city, and only Baoyi and serfs were left outside the city. Only in important mountain road areas, there were some Eight Banners sentries, and the other Eight Banners
The soldiers are guarding the city.
"Follow me and kill Xiuyan City!" Yang Zhenqing immediately ordered.
500 Datong Independent Battalion soldiers used captured horses to carry grain and grass, and headed towards the enemy's city in a swaggering manner.
The Eight Banners soldiers in Xiuyan City, plus the temporarily recruited bannermen, have a strength of at least 1,200.
Dopoluo quickly received the news and said to his generals: "There are thousands of Nanman Datong troops. These 500 enemy troops are running straight towards our army without hiding anything. There must be some conspiracy! I
Dutong read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" when he was fifteen years old, and he knew the strategies of the Han people very well. The 500 enemy troops in front of him must be here to lure our army to attack. Once our Eight Banners warriors pursue us, there will be an ambush in the mountains. The enemy troops
I have seen through the plan. None of you are allowed to leave the city. Defending Xiuyan City will be considered a meritorious service. I have sent people to Shengjing to ask for reinforcements!"
"Du Tong is so smart, the Han people's strategies are useless."
"Han people are always good at playing tricks, but they will definitely not be able to deceive the emperor."
"Don't worry, Commander, we promise not to leave the city!"
"..."
Dopolo looked complacent and seemed to be really confident.
In fact, he was just afraid of death. He felt that defending the city was more secure and there was no need to go out and take risks.
This guy has been fighting with the army since he was a child, but he only fought in favorable battles. He was promoted to deputy capital commander for his meritorious service. He was the remnant of the soldiers who entered the pass to hunt down Li Zicheng. He led more than a thousand Eight Banners troops and used inexplicable tricks to defeat tens of thousands of enemies.
Doppolo was preparing to evacuate at that time, but the enemy surrendered too quickly, and it was difficult not to gain great success.
Under Duopuluo's defensive order, Yang Zhenqing's independent battalion moved unimpeded and soon arrived at a village twenty miles southwest of Xiuyan City.
The village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and three mountain passages intersect here, forming a relatively flat mountain valley. There is also a small river flowing through it, which is very suitable for farming.
Unfortunately, the cultivated land area is very small, and the total number of bannermen, coatmen and serfs living here is less than a thousand.
Now, all the flag men have run away.
Several men who looked like manor housekeepers were urging the serfs to work while subconsciously looking towards the entrance of the village.
"The Han army is coming!" a Bao Yi exclaimed, and then ran away.
The other prisoners in the village also fled after hearing the news. From the day their master left, they were nervous and guessed that the Datong Army would come to kill him.
But the area of Xiuyan City is too small. There are civilians in the city, hundreds of garrison troops, and many bannermen with their livestock withdrawing into the city. How can there be room for coats and serfs? Even if you have to bring slaves, you can only bring one.
Just two close friends.
"Chase!"
Yang Zhenqing gave an order, and several soldiers who knew how to ride horses rode on captured war horses and chased the coats.
Take a road to the north valley.
Two legs could not outrun four legs. The soldiers were soon overtaken, and they all knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Master, please forgive me, I am a Han, not a Tatar!"
Soldiers from the Independent Battalion searched the whole village and came back to report: "The camp is in full swing, there are no Tatars here, not even livestock. All the valuables have been moved away, and each family has only a small amount of food left."
"Take everyone back to the Jurchen brothers' village and wait there first," Yang Zhenqing said, "Tell the Jurchen brothers to lend them some food, and I will give them military coupons when I go back. These military coupons can be restored in Jinzhou."
Prefecture, Gaizhou gives priority to purchase grain and salt.”
A total of four coats were captured and more than 400 Han serfs were rescued.
There are also some serfs who were forced to carry money and food for the bannermen, and are now outside Xiuyan City. They cannot enter the city, and they all huddle at the city gate and become beggars.
After sending a few soldiers to lead the serfs back, Yang Zhenqing ordered again: "Burn all the houses in the village!"
The valley plains get wider as you go north, and there are more and more places that can be cultivated, so a city appears in the mountains. Xiuyan City not only has a wide terrain, but also has two rivers intersecting, so the soil is relatively fertile.
You can meet Han serfs along the way. Some bannermen are so cruel that they don't leave food at all and take away all they can eat. Some serfs have been hungry for two or three days.
Five miles closer to Xiuyan City, Yang Zhenqing finally stopped advancing.
It's not that I'm afraid, but that there are too many serfs to be rescued. If I continue forward, I'm afraid they will starve to death on the way back.
We returned to the Jurchen mountain people's village to count the number of people, and found a total of 9 sacks, and rescued more than 1,500 Han serfs. In addition, there was nothing gained, not a donkey was snatched, and half a Tatar was not killed.
Yang Zhenqing sent people to send the serfs down the mountain, and took the Jurchen mountain people with them to Jinzhou to carry food. The Jurchen people in the mountains lived a very hard life. There was not so much food supply for the independent camp, and they had to replenish it every three months. The Jurchen people
You can also take the opportunity to go down the mountain to buy grain and salt.
When he learned that the Datong army had withdrawn, Dopoluo was very complacent and said to the generals on his left and right: "The enemy's army retreated without success and only wasted military supplies. Our army can be said to have won without a fight."
The Eight Banners generals complained endlessly, but they did not dare to refute because this was Fei Yingdong's grandson.
Only the bannermen who retreated into the city hated Dopolo with itch. More than a thousand serfs were snatched away, and they were all talking animals. Should the bannermen be allowed to plow the fields by themselves in the future?
More than a month has passed and winter is almost here.
After replenishing food and grass, Yang Zhenqing marched towards Xiuyan City again.
Dopoluo still couldn't hold on. The banner men were smarter this time and took all the serfs outside the city to prevent them from being easily snatched away by the Datong army. It was impossible to enter the city. It would be too crowded, and they were also afraid of serf uprising.
, just throw it outside the city gate to fend for itself.
Some bannermen who felt sorry for their serfs would go out of the city regularly to feed them, fearing that their talking animals would starve to death.
When Yang Zhenqing arrived outside the moat, more than 3,000 serfs had gathered under the city wall. The cold wind was blowing fiercely. They were wearing ragged cotton clothes and squatting under the wall like beggars. They were cold and hungry, and many of them fell ill.
"Don't go out of the city to fight. The enemy troops will retreat on their own. They have no siege equipment." Duopolo said confidently.
At this moment, the missionary officer accompanying the army stood by the moat and shouted to the Han serfs: "Brothers and sisters of the Han family, we are sent by the Emperor of the Han to rescue you. Come across the river quickly and take you down the mountain. There will be food to eat."
, there are clothes to wear, and there is a doctor when you are sick!”
The serfs looked on blankly, speaking in Chinese several times, and finally someone stood up.
The suspension bridge of the moat was not destroyed, and the serfs worked together to lower the suspension bridge. Immediately, more than 3,000 serfs stood up one after another, hesitated for a few seconds, and then ran towards the suspension bridge in a swarm.
When crossing the bridge, it was very chaotic, and some serfs were even pushed into the river. It was so cold that even if they didn't drown, they would definitely catch a cold and fever.
"Du Tong, if all the Han slaves run away, Xiuyan City will be doomed!" an Eight Banners officer said anxiously.
The main cultivated land in Xiuyan City is in the south. Although there is some in the north, it is not as fertile and the cultivated land area is not that large. If all the serfs in the south run away, they will not be able to grow food and supply the city. In time, the garrison in the city will
They all have to go hungry.
There are so many mountains nearby that it would be impossible for the Qing Dynasty to transport grain from other places.
Another Eight Banners officer said: "Capital, please take the opportunity to leave the city to cover up the killing. Those Han slaves are in chaos. If we kill them, the Han slaves will be even more confused. There are only a few hundred enemy troops outside the city. After being rushed by the Han slaves, they will be attacked again."
If we lead the troops to cover up the attack, we will definitely be completely defeated!"
Dopoluo took a closer look and found that it was indeed true. He immediately ordered: "Follow me and fight out of the city!"