The city of Guangzhou, the southern land of the Chinese Dynasty.

In winter, the weather is dry and rainy. The daytime is sunny, and although it is a little chilly, it also makes people feel comfortable.

After two days of hurrying, they finally arrived at the west gate of Guangzhou City at midnight on the morning of the third day.

The city wall of Guangzhou is two zhang eight feet high, two zhang in the upper width, and three zhang and five feet in the lower width. There are city gates, city towers, enemy towers, police shops, etc.

At this time, the city of Guangzhou had been built to eighteen city gates, and the west gate was one of them.

In the thirty-fifth year of Jiaqing in the Ming Dynasty, the Portuguese Dominican Priest Crus, who had been to Guangzhou, described in his writings what he saw in Guangzhou outside the western city:

The city (as well as the others) was built along the river, as if it were within a moat, for the other sides of the city were surrounded by a wide moat filled with water. There was enough territory between this wall and the city wall to gather a large army.

The excavated earth was piled between it and the wall, so the base of the wall was much higher than the rest of the wall. However, there is still a major disadvantage of this castle outside of Hao, that is, on the opposite bank of the river, there is a hill outside the city wall and Hao that can overlook the whole city inside the wall. (Chronicles of China) (1)

During the Shunzhi period, Shang Kexi in the three feudatories of that year cast six or seven red-clothed cannons in Jingtai Keng, erected them on the west mountain, and bombarded the city day and night, and the city wall behind the Guangxiao Temple was blown down a large section, but it still could not enter the city.

Guangzhou has Donghao, Xihao, Yudaihao, and Nanhao. The so-called Hao is a moat (Yong is not a moat), built outside the city walls.

Outside the West Gate is Xihao.

The "thick and magnificent" of the Guangzhou city wall amazed many bandit soldiers who had never been out of the village since they were born, not to mention these bandit soldiers, even Zhang Rui, who had seen the high-rise buildings of later generations, was also amazed.

Unlike other armies, the bandit army has cooks to cook, and the bandit army has its own regulations for meals.

The arrival of the bandit army did not cause panic to the people of Guangzhou City, on the contrary, many people were still vaguely looking forward to it, including many people of insight.

Nowadays, in the city of Guangzhou, you can hear from time to time that "the Hu people have no national fortune for a hundred years, and there are six after the heavy eight." ”

At this time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was not the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, although the Manchu Qing Dynasty slaughtered a large number of people, they also issued an order to "keep their heads without hair, and keep their hair without their heads".

However, at this time, the people still had a certain understanding of the Ming Dynasty, and although they had not yet developed the "habit" that braids were left by their ancestors. Therefore, few people will laugh at the suppression of bandit troops as "long hair".

For this braid, many people in Guangzhou City have long been impatient, but they have no ability to resist, so they can only "compromise".

Nowadays, many people are ready to cut off the braids after the bandit army conquers the city of Guangzhou, so that they can see their ancestors and face them a hundred years later.

For the siege of the bandit army, ordinary people are naturally not worried. But now it is the big families in the city who are troubled, and now they really experience what it means to be in a dilemma.

The Qing army asked them to contribute money, food, and people to help defend the city. However, judging from the treatment of the squires of Wuzhou City by the bandit army, whoever dares to pay for food and soldiers to help defend the city will raid the house.

Some tall and magnificently guarded Qing troops; The bandit army is like a bamboo.

the Manchu court, which owned vast land and occupied the name of "orthodoxy"; It has just started, but its strength is strong and there are some "Hu people who have no national fortune for a hundred years, and there are six after the heavy eight." "The Prophecy of the Bandit Army.

The two are contrasted with each other

These big players have to be cautious and cautious. If the Qing army does not pay for the people, the Qing army can raid their own homes and exterminate their families in the name of "collaborating with the enemy". If the money and food are paid, the bandit army will raid their own homes.

This is a bet, it's okay to win the bet, but if you lose the bet, it won't end well.

So, this is the time to show wisdom.

Many big households have already thought about it, and the Qing army will naturally have to pay for people, after all, "the current official is not as good as the current management". Then he sent someone to secretly go out to the bandit army to send money and food, to show his intentions, if the bandit army really defeated Guangzhou City in the future, he would be embarrassed to take himself again!

After all, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has ruled for so many years, when no one revolted, and in which year could people shouting "oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty" succeed?

As long as the Manchu court reacted and the army approached, the bandit army would naturally be defeated.

However, even if the bandit army will be defeated in the future, if they really have the ability to take Guangzhou City, if they do not show an "attitude," then they will not have the opportunity to see the future in the future.

"Boom..."

"Boom..."

"Boom..."

In the open space of the west gate outside Guangzhou, the bandit army began to form a team and prepare to attack the city.

At this moment, many people outside the city were watching the battle outside. There are many people who see the business opportunity and peddle snacks in the crowded place, and even cheer for the bandit army.

Due to the propaganda of the anti-bandit army and the "positive" propaganda of the anti-bandit army by people from all sides, the people of Guangzhou City were not afraid of the anti-bandit army.

"This is the real Wang Shi, what is there to be afraid of?" Someone replied disdainfully to the person who asked him "why not be afraid".

Why did Zhang Rui choose this Ximen to attack?

The main thing is that there are no cannons here

There are too many gates in Guangzhou, but there are not many cannons, so it is destined that there will be no cannons in some places. Moreover, these cannons defending the city are particularly heavy and not easy to move, so naturally many city gates do not have cannons.

In addition, since the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Guangzhou City has not been able to use artillery for decades, and there is no enemy siege, so the artillery is not much considered, and even has a tendency to be abandoned.

Looking at the posture of the bandit army at the women's wall, Li Shiyao couldn't help but be angry. Although there are no cannons at the West Gate, there are still tiger squat cannons and sub-mother cannons that can be used. Although it is not far to fight and cannot defeat the bandit army far away from the moat, it is not bad to make a few noises to boost morale.

"Order, open fire on the thieves at the city gate." Li Shiyao ordered to the flag officer who was following him

"Huh, General." The flag officer knelt down in reply, then stepped aside to deliver the order.

At this time, the generals who followed Li Shuyao were deeply convinced of Li Shuyao's orders, and they also paid attention to losing people and not losing power in a fight, let alone fighting?

Therefore, when the drums of the bandit army were loud, the sound of artillery also sounded at the west gate of Guangzhou.

"Bang..."

"Bang..."

"Bang..."

Listening to these sounds, Li Shiyao suddenly felt that he had confidence again

。

At this time, the generals who followed Li Shuyao were deeply convinced of Li Shuyao's orders, and they also paid attention to losing people and not losing power in a fight, let alone fighting?

Therefore, when the drums of the bandit army were loud, the sound of artillery also sounded at the west gate of Guangzhou.