As the sun passed through the sky, the Ming army continued to rotate its siege soldiers, but the offensive never slowed down. Since entering Hubei, the First Division has always suppressed the Qing army, so that their original fear of the Tatars has almost disappeared, and the three walls
The hint of disdain made the First Division, which already had some strong troops and pride, feel particularly unconvinced. In their view, the Three Walls were not as good as their own in terms of equipment, food and clothing, training, and experience. Well, this is
The Three Walls are stronger, but wasn't the First Division just established? If we fight more wars in the future, what else can the Three Walls do to be so arrogant?
Therefore, in the battle of Xiangyang, the First Division acted as the main attacker. Everyone was holding their breath and desperately wanted to prove themselves. In this half-day siege battle, the First Division had no reservations. From officers to soldiers, everyone would fight to the death.
"The two words were firmly remembered in my mind. The Qing army was suffering terribly and the entire front was crumbling. If it hadn't been for the desperate suppression of Lieutenant General Hu's personal soldiers, it would have collapsed long ago.
In the chaos, the Qing soldiers who retreated in panic accidentally poured the golden juice that had not been boiled to the ground. The Ming soldiers, who were wearing iron boots, stepped on it and instantly slipped and fell.
Ba Su couldn't get up for a long time. Fortunately, the Qing army was busy retreating and didn't have time to make a last strike, otherwise he would have died without dignity. The retreating Qing army didn't pay attention, but Vice General Hu's eyes lit up and he shouted
: "Quickly, pour all the gold juice on the ground. The iron boots worn by the thieves cannot stand on the gold juice. Master Magistrate, please quickly ask Minzhuang to bring oil. Vegetable oil or lard will do. I will burn this gang later."
Thief!"
The prefect was also overjoyed and hurriedly went. The Ming army at the head of the city could not stand on the golden juice, could not maintain its formation, and was unable to pursue for a while. Upon seeing this, Vice General Hu immediately ordered the archers to fire arrows at the Ming army. The Ming army had no choice but to
They could only hide behind the shield, and the battle at the top of the city became stalemate for a while.
Outside the city, Wang Qilong's claws were numb after receiving the news, and he didn't know how to deal with it. After thinking about it, he felt that the soldiers could not be suppressed remotely and unable to fight back, so he mobilized two platoons of fire gunmen and let them climb the city to fight. Fire gunmen
As soon as they arrived, they immediately dispersed the Qing army's archers, but the Qing army followed suit and put up large shields, and the Ming army also had difficulty making progress. The defenders kept pouring all kinds of oil on the ground, and the Ming army had no choice but to attack.
Suspend the offensive and wait for the superior officer to think of a solution.
Outside the city, Wang Qilong couldn't think of anything and came to Li Laiheng for discussion again. After hearing this, Li Laiheng frowned and said: "Let the soldiers wrap their boots with linen. The problem of unsteadiness can be easily solved, but the Tatars did not just splash gold juice.
We also poured oil on the ground in case the Tatars set a fire when our army attacked..."
Wang Qilong was shocked. Only then did he realize how big the gap was between himself and Li Laiheng, a veteran on the battlefield. At that moment, he no longer dared to be reserved and arrogant, and asked anxiously: "My lord, what should I do?"
Li Laiheng consoled him: "The Tatars will not set fire unless something is wrong. If this fire comes, the First Division may suffer heavy losses, but there is no need to defend Xiangyang City. Our army is not only the First Division.
The Tatars are watching. In fact, if you are not willing to die, it would be a good thing to let the Tatars set the fire."
Wang Qilong was speechless. I came to ask you just because I didn't want to die. Are you here to attack the city and don't take the lives of your men seriously? Seeing that Wang Qilong was angry, Li Laiheng smiled and said: "This matter will be easy to handle. Let the first division
My sons will first guard the city, and then use Uncle Hao's auxiliary soldiers to carry some wet mud and stones up and spread them on the ground. I think the Tatars won't be able to burn the city."
Wang Qilong was overjoyed and immediately went to discuss with Hao Yaoqi. Hao Yaoqi also simply mobilized the auxiliary soldiers who were full of food to work again. At the top of the city, the two armies were still facing each other. Vice General Hu was unable to drive away the Ming army.
Going down to the city, the Ming army received the order and was no longer in a hurry to attack. Setting fire now was of little use. Lieutenant General Hu was very anxious. He felt that his previous method of letting people block the city gate was stupid, and now it was difficult for him to leave. He
Thinking of letting the Ming army step into the preset place to set fire, he lit a fire and returned to Wuchang. This Xiangyang was not his station, so why did he lose his life here? Setting fire to a group of Ming soldiers was also
He was worthy of the salary given to him by the court. Vice General Hu deliberately exposed his flaws several times to lure the Ming army to attack, but the Ming army seemed invisible and only defended this section of the city wall without gold juice and lubricant, unable to advance forward.
.
"These damn thieves, do you want Xiangyang anymore?" Vice General Hu scolded angrily. The prefect of Xiangyang on the other side looked blank. Is Vice General Hu reliable? What are he saying?
"We can't defend anymore. A group of thieves appeared out of nowhere. They are well-equipped and they are risking their lives. How can we defend? The crooked melons and cracked dates in Xiangyang are not enough for one person to charge.
." Vice General Hu cursed when he saw the prefect's unkind expression. He was really depressed. This Ming army that came out of nowhere was extremely powerful, and none of them were inferior to his own soldiers. But God, he
A deputy general can only maintain more than a hundred soldiers. This is thousands of people. Are they Li Dingguo or Liu Wenxiu's old soldiers? But if they were their soldiers, how could they come to Xiangyang?
"General Hu, can't we set fire to them?" the prefect asked tremblingly. "Burn them all. There are still so many under the city. Once the towers are burned, what can we do to defend the city next?" Vice General Hu said in a bad tone.
He replied patiently.
"Then, what should I do? I have the responsibility to defend the territory..." Vice General Hu has a way out, but he doesn't have one. He must either surrender or die in the city. There is no third way to choose. Surrender, maybe he can
If you stay alive, your family will be slaughtered by the Manchus. If you die in the city, you will die, but your family will survive. The desperate prefect turned to fire attack as the only life-saving straw, and would never give up until the last moment.
"I have tried my best. If you want to blame me, I can only blame General Ma for overestimating your capabilities and actually fighting against three walls." Vice General Hu said coldly, "What is the relationship between Xiangyang and this general? Could it be that this general is going to die fighting for Xiangyang?"
This? This is all General Ma's fault. Lord Magistrate, I will stay until tonight and then leave. Whether to fight or surrender, Lord Magistrate will decide for himself. When I return to Wuchang, I will report the truth to the Governor and try my best to save your family.
.”
The prefect was in despair and fell to the ground as if he had no strength. Vice General Hu said no more, turned and left to make arrangements for leaving the city at night. The prefect sat blankly for a while, made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and walked home
On the way, the master chased him with sweat profusely. Without looking at the face of the prefect, he said urgently: "Dong Weng, the Lu family business firm came to the city two days ago, and there were more than a hundred strong men accompanying them. The students just went to find them."
People are guarding the city, and the young master of the Lu family ignores the students, so Dong Weng needs to come forward..."
The prefect ignored it and was walking alone. He suddenly stopped and asked, "The Lu family, the Lu family in Wuchang?"
The master did not notice anything unusual and reported: "This is the family. The young master of the Lu family has brought more than a hundred strong men. The students look like they have been in battle. Isn't it a waste not to go to the city to fight? Let the students go
I found Master Lu, but he refused to let his companions go to the city. Dong Weng, do you think you should go and talk about it?"
The magistrate nodded, turned around and walked towards the Lu family. "They don't want me to live, they all want me to die, right? I want to live, but I don't want to die!" He secretly felt cruel in his heart, and came up with a bold plan.
.
At the Lu Family Trading Company, Lu Guo was so anxious that the corners of his mouth bubbled up. Vice General Hu had people block the city gate, and all his original plans were ruined. The prefect's master also came to him to help him fight, and he armed himself with a gun and a stick.
, and kicked the master out politely. At this moment, he was discussing with the team leader sent by Li Laiheng.
"It has been confirmed. The man named Hu has blocked the city gate." Lu Guo said solemnly, "We are all trapped here."
"Then go to the city. The Tatars will not guard us. We will look for opportunities to cause chaos." Zhang Lei replied immediately.
Li Jinghua, the team leader sent by Li Laiheng, shook his head and said: "No, there are too few of us to cause much trouble. Besides, we haven't contacted the generals. They don't know if we launch the attack here."
We will not act rashly given the situation."
Everyone discussed for a while, but still couldn't figure it out. Just when they were anxious, a servant came to report, and the prefect came. Lu Guo said impatiently: "The master must have gone back to complain, and the prefect came to ask for the person in person."
I was still impatient, but I still wanted to see him. When the magistrate came in, before he could say his purpose, Lu Guo declined and said: "Sir, it's not that I don't want to serve the imperial court. There are many goods in the small business, and now the city is in turmoil.
It needs to be guarded by the attendants. The younger one still has some tung oil in stock, all of which are dedicated to the lord, and I ask the lord to show your kindness."
The prefect smiled and said, "Young Master Lu, you're welcome. I'm not here to ask for help." He looked at Li Jinghua and Zhang Lei, winked at Lu Guo, and motioned for him to step aside. Lu Guo rolled his eyes helplessly.
, I can't control these two uncles, you go ahead.
"Sir, if you have any advice, it's okay to speak out." He was slandering in his heart, but on the surface he had to support the young master. Lu Guo said reservedly, "These are my close family members, but if you have important matters, they must be handled in the end.
"
The magistrate of Xiangyang said no more, nodded, suddenly fell to his knees on the ground, and cried out in pain: "Please save my life, Master Lu. I am willing to dedicate all the gains I have made in office over the years to Master Lu. I only ask Master Lu to give me a gift."
I am leaving the city."
Lu Guo and the three of them were dumbfounded and lost their voice for a moment. The magistrate did not get up and hugged Lu Guo's thigh and continued to cry: "Master Lu, I have decreed that the local officials have the responsibility of guarding the land. Seeing that Xiangyang is in danger, Master Lu refuses to do so."
If you save me, I will die without a burial place. Master Lu, saving one life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. My title will be knotted with grass and my body will be broken to pieces in repayment."
Lu Guo hesitated and said: "My lord, please get up quickly. I, the villain, how can I afford this? Sir, please get up quickly. Everything can be easily discussed. Why is it necessary?"
The prefect was lying on the ground, refusing to get up. Li Jinghua and Zhang Lei looked at each other with dark expressions. This was the first time they had seen the shamelessness of Manchu officials, and they felt that their views were shattered. To put it bluntly, the prefect was in trouble.
If Lu Guo didn't give him permission, he wouldn't get up. Lu Guo had no choice but to say reluctantly: "Sir, how about allowing me to discuss it with my family? This matter is too big for me to accept directly. What's more, I can't accept it directly."
, even if the villain is willing to help, now that the four gates are blocked, the villain has to think of a perfect way to get the adults out of the city."
The prefect was so happy that he got up from the ground and went to wait in the outer hall with a lot of thanks. As soon as the prefect came out, the three of them looked at me and I looked at you. They stared blankly for a long time. Li Jinghua then
He broke the silence and said: "Well, young master of the Lu family, how can you agree to this Tatar, this dog official?"
Lu Guo was tired. It's not like you didn't see what happened just now. I won't allow this dog officer not to get up. He comforted: "It's just a delaying tactic. This dog officer is also a dog in a hurry. He doesn't want to think about it. Even if he escapes now,
, if he loses Xiangyang, how will the court let him go?"
Zhang Lei suddenly asked: "This dog officer just said that the deputy general named Hu plans to burn the city tower?"
Lu Guo nodded and said thoughtfully: "No wonder so much tung oil has been taken away from me. It turned out to be this idea. It seems that Duke Linguo can defeat Xiangyang without us taking action." He felt a little frustrated in his heart and made the reservation.
The plan was all in vain. Now the Lu family can't contribute much. Li Laiheng won't turn his back and deny it.
Zhang Lei worriedly said: "If we really let the man named Hu succeed, even if our army takes Xiangyang, we will suffer heavy losses. No, we must notify the division commander and the Duke of the country immediately."
Li Jinghua comforted him: "My lord has been in battle for a long time, how can he not see through this cunning trick of Hu? Let's discuss how to help our army break the city as much as possible?"
The three of them stared at each other for a while, and Lu Guo had to remind: "You two, I say, there is a prefect outside to deal with. Should you think about how to get rid of him first?"
Li Jinghua said impatiently: "I don't care whether he lives or lives. If a traitor works for the Tatars, just drive him out."
"He is a prefect after all, so he is somewhat useful." Zhang Lei hesitated, "He is dead in the Tatar court. Can he be roped in to serve the Ming Dynasty?"
"It's difficult." Lu Guo shook his head, "The situation in the Ming Dynasty is unfavorable, and anyone with a discerning eye can see it. No matter how afraid of death this dog officer is, he will not dare to board the Ming Dynasty's ship now."
Li Jinghua snorted coldly: "It's because there are so many traitors like you who are greedy for life and afraid of death that the Tatars poison the Central Plains and treat my children of the Ming Dynasty like slaves."
Lu Guo was embarrassed and felt angry in his heart. Zhang Lei smoothed things over and said: "Old Li, please calm down. Master Lu is working for our Ming Dynasty, isn't he? He is different from that dog official outside. Master Lu, Old Li and the Tatars have been fighting for half their lives.
, I hate the Tatars so much, don’t take it to your heart.”
Lu Guo quickly shook his head to show that he didn't care, and Zhang Lei continued: "Actually, this dog officer is still useful. He is a scholar, and Chengdu is in short supply now. How about we just put a sack on him and send him to Chengdu?"
"Unless you can capture all his family members, he will not be able to settle down." Lu Guo shook his head.
"It's simple." Zhang Lei said with a smile, "Find someone of similar size to him, throw him into the fire and burn him to death, so that the Tatars will think that he has died in the city. Then they will not embarrass his family and take him back to Chengdu."
, ask him where his family is and ask Jin Yiwei to run over and pick him up."
Li Jingjing nodded and added: "It just so happens that he controls the minzhuang in the city, so he can command the minzhuang to light the fire in advance. The man named Hu must have planned to set fire to the city tower after our army attacked it, so he set it on fire in advance.
Well, let him fetch water from a bamboo basket in vain."
Zhang Lei cheered loudly: "The problem of destroying the city has been solved, Lao Li is so good at planning!"
Lu Guo was stunned. Aren't these two junior officers of the Ming Army? Are all the junior officers of the Ming Army so corrupt? No wonder the famous Kong Youde and Nikan couldn't defeat Li Dingguo. How corrupt was Li Dingguo?
The two of them had decided on their plan and turned to look at Lu Guo. Lu Guo stammered: "You two, why are you looking at me like this?"
Li Jinghua said with a smile: "Master Lu, you have to come to quarrel with the prefect. Don't worry, when Xiangyang is broken and you have contributed, I will report the truth to the master."
The smile froze on Lu Guo's face. None of these guys who like to smile are good. This chapter has been completed!