Chapter 278 Qin army besieged the city Wuchang internal strife
Su Zhuang and Su Li discussed the battle plan.
They immediately called in senior officers from both armies and held a military meeting.
Su Zhuang served as the commander-in-chief of this Wuchang battle.
He directly introduced the plan to attack Wuchang to the officers.
The officers who attended the meeting listened carefully to Su Zhuang's plan.
"This is an attack on Wuchang. There is no skill. It depends on the hard power of our army.
The Second Army crossed the Yangtze River from the west of Wuchang City to attack Wuchang City.
The Fifth Army crossed the Yangtze River from the east of Wuchang City to attack Wuchang City.
The Yangtze River Navy's river warships provide fire support for troops crossing the river.
We surround Wuchang City on all sides. Even if Wuchang’s walls are tall and strong, we will wear them down slowly.”
After Su Zhuang finished the brief battle plan, he began to arrange the battle plans of each army.
After he finished explaining the battle plan, he said loudly: "Our two armies have 80,000 regular troops, which is almost as many as the miscellaneous troops in Wuchang City.
Our army attacked the city and captured the territory all the way. Even when the number of people was equal to that of the Ming army, we never failed to attack the city.
Our army pursues elite troops, and each regiment can fight independently.
This is also the reason why our victory rate in field battles with the Ming army is extremely high.
This time there are also river warships from the Yangtze River Navy controlling the Yangtze River to assist us in attacking Wuchang City.
The time is right, the place is right, and the people are with our army, there is no reason for failure.
Which army performs poorly, I will punish them directly.
Our two armies have been fighting for a long time and are both a little tired.
The city of Wuchang was fortified, and the commander-in-chief of Huguang, Zuo Liangyu, was the Ming general who had signed up with the king and would never allow him to surrender.
Zuo Liangyu also knows his notorious situation and will not surrender to us even at the last moment.
Zuo Liangyu will definitely fight back with all his strength. Wuchang City is by no means an easy city to fight.
Everyone must recharge their batteries and never underestimate the enemy's carelessness.
All armies will have a day off tomorrow. At dawn on the 10th, under the cover of darkness, we will officially start the cross-river operation."
Su Zhuang looked at Shui Yunze and said in a serious tone: "Admiral Shui, your Yangtze River Navy has the most important task.
When the army crosses the river, it must ensure that the naval guns of the Yangtze River Navy can suppress the Hongyi cannons deployed by the Ming Dynasty on the central islands of the Yangtze River and at the head of Wuchang City.
It also provides fire support for the troops crossing the river.
If the Yangtze River Navy does not have enough warships, it will borrow some warships from the Han River Navy.
We must ensure that our artillery completely suppresses the Ming army’s artillery.”
At the same time as he saluted the military salute, Shui Yunze said in a firm tone: "Captain Su, I said that there is a huge difference between front-loaded cannon and breech-loaded cannon.
You have to believe in the capabilities of our Yangtze River Naval Artillery.
There is no problem at all in suppressing the Ming Dynasty's Jiangxin Island and the Hongyi cannon at the head of Wuchang City."
Su Zhuang arranged this cross-river battle again, and many details were resolved. The military meeting ended.
The soldiers of the Second Army and the Fifth Army can have a good sleep in Hanyang City after a long journey.
The officers were tense, and they held discussion meetings one after another.
Discuss how to fight across the river so that the strength of the Qin army can be better utilized.
Time passed quickly, February 10th, at dawn.
Two artillery regiments of the Fifth Army have already set up artillery positions on the north bank of the Yangtze River.
They provided sufficient fire support for the troops fighting across the river.
They project firepower on the shore. They are not as powerful as the Yangtze River Navy's river warships, but they can also provide effective fire support.
When the troops crossing the river completely occupy the beachhead position, the artillery regiment will immediately board the transport ship.
They will be the most important force in the siege of Wuchang City.
Yun Kuohai, commander of the First Division of the Fifth Army, has arrived at the temporary dock on the north bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang Prefecture, ready to board a boat to cross the river at any time.
Tao Guifan, commander of the Second Division of the Second Army, led his troops to the temporary dock on the north bank of the Yangtze River to the west of Wuchang City, ready to board a boat to cross the river at any time.
Tao Guifan looked ahead at the opposite bank, where firelight flickered from time to time.
Their Second Army can log in at any point west of Wuchang City at any time.
Heading towards Wuchang City from the south bank of the Yangtze River.
We chose to log in near Wuchang City in order to share the pressure on the Fifth Army.
Without the Second Army to share the pressure, the Fifth Army's crossing of the river would cause many casualties.
With the Second Army sharing the pressure, the Ming army in Wuchang Prefecture would not be able to concentrate its full strength, and the defensive forces would inevitably be scattered.
In this way, the overall casualties will be reduced by a large amount.
Tao Guifan saw a green signal flare rising over Hanyang City.
He immediately gave the order to attack.
The Second Division, Zhu Shi Qutian, commanded the river-crossing regiment and crossed the Yangtze River in a small boat.
Each small boat transports a squad of soldiers.
In front of the bow, a machine gun or a 75mm artillery piece is arranged to provide fire support for ships crossing the river.
Shui Yunze commanded the Yangtze River Navy's inland river warships and rushed directly into the Yangtze River near Wuchang City.
The Han River Navy had a weak financial background, and the navy had transferred its best troops away, so it was unable to unleash the powerful strength of the river warships.
The talent training of the Yangtze River Navy was stable, and Shui Yunze obeyed the orders of Commander Su Zhuang.
Officers and soldiers of the Yangtze River Navy were dispatched to take over the inland river warships of the Han River Navy.
Now the river battleships commanded by Shui Yunze are back to their peak.
The inland river warships have a clear division of labor. Some of them attack the forts in Jiangxinzhou and the Ming army positions on the south bank of the Yangtze River to provide fire support for the Qin army crossing the river.
Some of the naval guns on the river warships suppressed the Hongyi cannon at the head of Wuchang City.
The red cannon at the head of Wuchang City was unable to function.
Few artillerymen would take the risk of being shot to pieces by aiming red cannons at the fast-moving boats on the river from the top of the city.
Sporadic Hongyi cannons opened fire, and they mainly aimed at the river warships on the river.
The boat Qu Tian was riding in quickly approached the south bank of the Yangtze River.
From time to time, shells from heavy artillery flew over his head, hitting the Ming army positions on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
His boat had already crossed the middle of the Yangtze River. The soldiers rowed hard, trying to reach the south bank of the Yangtze River faster.
Qu Tian could already see the Ming army's positions on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
The river warships of the Yangtze River Navy continued to bombard the front.
The Ming army on the shore was already in chaos.
Qu Tian was very happy when he saw the Ming army in chaos.
It is difficult for them to move on the ship. There are two difficulties in attacking the chaotic Ming army and attacking the well-formed Ming army.
The river-crossing regiment of the Second Division quickly approached the shore.
Qu Tian immediately gave the order.
"Machine guns and artillery opened fire immediately. Everyone aimed at the shore. If anyone resisted, they were immediately killed."
On the boat crossing the river, there was the rattling of machine guns and the roar of artillery.
Directly destroy the Ming army camp that was in chaos.
The ship was already approaching the shore, and the soldiers jumped off the ship one after another.
They waded through the water and rushed towards the south bank of the Yangtze River.
The soldiers raised their guns and fired at the Ming soldiers who dared to resist.
In the beginning, even with the artillery support of the Yangtze River Navy, the crossing regiment was only in a stalemate with the Ming army on the south bank.
As more and more Qin soldiers came ashore, the Ming army could not bear the heavy casualties.
The team collapsed and ran towards Wuchang City.
Qu Tian immediately commanded the army and drove the Ming army towards Wuchang City.
If we can take advantage of the chaos, we can directly seize the gate of Wuchang City.
It would be effortless for them to attack Wuchang City.
Qu Tian saw these Ming troops defeated and ran to the south gate of Wuchang City.
They deliberately avoided the North Gate and East and West Gates which were being bombarded by the Yangtze River Navy.
Qu Tian has been chasing the Ming army closely, and at the same time clearing out all the defensive positions deployed by the Ming army outside Wuchang City.
He came all the way to the south gate of Wuchang City.
Qu Tian found that the gates of Wuchang City were tightly closed, and the defeated army outside the city could not enter the city at all.
He immediately built a position and blocked the southern part of Wuchang City.
Soon he saw Yun Kuohai, commander of the First Division of the Fifth Army, leading his troops to drive away the Ming army and ran to the south gate of Wuchang City.
Qu Tian immediately commanded the army and, together with Yun Kuohai, attacked the fleeing Ming army.
The Ming army was attacked from head to tail by the Qin army, and they immediately collapsed.
The Qin army quickly completed the siege of Wuchang City.
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Zuo Liangyu, the commander-in-chief of Huguang, felt powerless when he saw the thieves in yellow blocking Wuchang City.
If it weren't for those civil servants who held back, we would have reached this point.
He thought back on what he had done during this period and did not regret it at all.
If the thief in yellow wants to attack Wuchang City, he will definitely make the thief in yellow pay a huge price.
Zuo Liangyu listened to the sound of gunfire outside and recalled his experiences during this period.
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Zuo Liangyu looked at the embarrassed Zhang Xianzhong and kicked his descendants hard.
"Run, I asked you to run, now let's see if you can run again.
Chasing your grandson is exhausting me to death."
While Zuo Liangyu was talking, he kicked Zhang Xianzhong hard with his feet.
The army suffered heavy losses during the attack on Zhang Xianzhong.
Zuo Liangyu's heart twitched when he saw the losses of the army. This was the army he had worked hard to cultivate.
Zuo Liangyu's personal soldiers immediately stopped him.
"Sir, you can't hit him any more. If you hit him again, you'll kill him. The one who catches him alive will get more credit."
"Bring Zhang Xianzhong to Fengxiang Governor Ma Shiying."
"Bah! This man didn't contribute any effort, but he got most of the credit, just because he is a civil servant."
Zuo Liangyu was furious, but he was used to it.
To be a military commander in the Ming Dynasty is to be prepared to be influenced by civil servants at all times.
This has been going on for the past few years, and in the past two years, the generals have been able to be tougher based on their abilities.
Zuo Liangyu sent Zhang Xianzhong away and confiscated the property left by Zhang Xianzhong.
Zhang Xianzhong's bandit army has been dispersed, but they did not kill enough heads.
Without a head, there is no merit and no corresponding reward.
Zuo Liangyu immediately commanded the soldiers and rushed into the surrounding villages.
They cut off the heads of the villagers and sent them up as the heads of thieves.
This is what the Ming army often did by killing good people and defrauding them of merit.
Among all the Ming armies, Zuo Liangyu was also the most skilled general in using this method.
As the heads of thousands of "thieves" were transported away, Zuo Liangyu smiled happily.
This is because he has made great achievements, and the court should reward him with many things.
Zuo Liangyu was holding the beauty in his arms and drinking wine, when he saw the soldiers walking in in panic.
"Sir, it's bad, more than 100,000 thieves in yellow are attacking Huguang."
When Zuo Liangyu heard the news, he slammed his wine glass to the ground.
This news was huge bad news for him.
He is the commander-in-chief of Huguang and has the responsibility to defend the territory.
If Huguang is really lost, it will be difficult for him to survive, let alone be promoted to an official position.
The thieves in yellow captured so many places, and the local governors, governors, and civil servants might have escaped unscathed.
Needless to say, if a general is caught by a thief in yellow, what will happen to him.
If you escape to the Ming Dynasty, you will be beheaded in public for the crime of running away from battle.
The only exceptions were when guest troops followed civilian officials to attack the thieves in yellow.
Having someone in the court might evade all the blame for the crime.
Zuo Liangyu is different. He is the commander-in-chief of Huguang. Huguang is really occupied by thieves in yellow clothes. He can't escape wherever he goes.
Zuo Liangyu immediately set off with his troops and rushed from South Zhili to Wuchang City along the waterway.
The boat was going upstream very slowly, so Zuo Liangyu used a knife to force the boatman to row as fast as possible.
He arrived in Wuchang City in mid-January.
When Zuo Liangyu arrived in Wuchang City, bad news came one after another.
Xiangyang and Jingmen were all lost, the city of Wuchang was in chaos, and many gentry fled with their valuables.
Wuchang city was divided into two factions. Zhao Shiqi, the prefect of Wuchang, was a staunch defender and led a group of officials to propose to defend Wuchang.
In accordance with Lu Feng's proposal to support various places, the Huguang patrol dispatched soldiers and horses from Wuchang City to immediately support Hanyang and other places.
Zuo Liangyu could see clearly that there were actually two factions, the local faction and the foreign faction.
The outsiders hope to hold on to Wuchang City. As long as they can hold on to Wuchang, their wealth and life will be guaranteed.
If Wuchang City really cannot be defended, they can also flee to South Zhili.
Most of the family members of the local faction are in various parts of Huguang, hoping that the Ming army will support other areas.
The two factions are evenly matched, and they have been fighting among themselves.
As a result, time was wasted. The Huguang Ming Army neither strengthened the defense of Wuchang City nor sent troops to support the city besieged by the yellow-robed thieves.
Zuo Liangyu led an army to Wuchang City, directly breaking the balance between the two factions.
Huguang patrolled Lufeng and found a strong woman who was a general under Zuo Liangyu.
He directly arrested the general and threatened Zuo Liangyu, asking him to send troops to Hanyang City to defend against the yellow-robed thieves.
At the same time, the grain and grass prepared by Huguang and the silver reward from the court were directly withheld and not distributed to Zuo Liangyu.
Zuo Liangyu was furious when he saw Lu Feng do this.
I really thought that now is an era where civil servants dominate everything.
He actually arrested his generals and withheld their silver rewards and grain.
Without the support of generals, no money and food to support his troops, Zuo Liangyu is an old man who can be killed by others at any time.
Zuo Liangyu doesn't follow the rules of officialdom at all. The Ming Dynasty is almost gone, and these civil servants still want to take advantage of him.
If he hadn't been notorious and surrendering to the yellow thief would be a dead end, he would have surrendered to the yellow thief long ago.
Zuo Liangyu directly led his troops and rushed into Lu Feng's mansion, dragging Lu Feng out of bed and preparing to scare him.
Unexpectedly, the soldiers under Zuo Liangyu's command were so rude that Lu Feng was frightened to death.
Rumors began to spread in Wuchang that Zuo Liangyu was going to rebel and was preparing to kill all civil servants.
Zuo Liangyu felt unlucky, but Wuchang was in chaos, and civil servants mobilized troops and horses to prepare to encircle and suppress Zuo Liangyu.
He took the initiative and arrested all civil servants who dared to resist and put them in jail.
Wait until Zuo Liangyu calmed down the unrest in Wuchang City.
He received news that thieves in yellow had occupied Hanyang City opposite Wuchang City.
He commanded the army to block the yellow-clothed thieves in Hanyang City and made several tentative attacks.
Zuo Liangyu became more confident. He thought he could stop the thief in yellow.
Unexpectedly, the yellow-robed thieves arrived with support. In less than a day, they broke through the Yangtze River defense line and surrounded Wuchang City.