Under the bright summer sun, the vast wilderness of Xuanfu North Road presents an uneven brownish yellow. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

In this monotonous and dazzling brown and yellow, there is an overwhelming Qing army surging forward, the iron flow is rolling, the sun is shining with knives and guns, and people shouting and neighing, showing an unscrupulous evil atmosphere and compelling power.

In this surging Qing army, there was a middle-aged strong man with a majestic figure, hideous eyes, a black-red face full of horizontal flesh, a thick beard like a hedgehog thorn, a pure white varnish steel armor, and a high-needle stainless steel helmet.

This person is the commander of the Qing army who went out this time, Azig.

Azig, then 32 years old, was the twelfth son of the old slave, the elder brother of Dorgon and Dord, he was brave and good at fighting and repeatedly made military achievements, and was appointed by Huang Taiji as the commander of the expedition. Since breaking through the monolith mouth and entering the customs, the Qing army under his command has been invincible, and Azig, as the commander, is naturally full of smugness and arrogance.

As the visibility improved, Azig saw that on the south bank of the Tangquan River, there was a majestic and tall city, which was faintly visible in the gradually sparse wind and sand.

Azig was shocked, when was this land on the north road of Xuanfu built such a majestic city?

"Azig, do you see the big city in the distance?"

When Azig was muttering, the deputy general Abatai on the side, who was guiding the Jintang City on the shore, said loudly to Azig in a surprised tone.

In the army, Abatai, who was 48 years old at the time and 16 years older than Azig, was embarrassed to call Azig an official position. Calling Azig by his name is generally straightforward, firstly, to appear affectionate, and secondly, to hide the embarrassment that he is so old that he can only give young Azig a hand.

Azig has a rough temperament and is not very concerned about this. At this time, he listened to Abatai's words, and couldn't help frowning and said: "Ben Shuai also saw it, enter his mother, when did Ming Gouzi build such a big city here, is it strange?" ”

Abatai also sighed: "This great city built by the Ming people on the river is really majestic. But it's not where this city comes from, I remember that when I entered the customs two years ago, I also passed through this Tangquan River, but I have never seen such a big city. Our army is now passing through this place, and we need to be careful to deal with it. ”

Azig snorted coldly: "Hmph, since our army entered the customs, it has been invincible and invincible, and the Ming army has heard the prestige of our Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, and they have all collapsed in despair." Even if this city is majestic, if the Ming army defending the city is not helpful, what can it do? ”

Seeing that Azig seemed to have the intention of attacking the city, Abatai was shocked, and hurriedly said: "Azig, before this expedition, didn't the imperial brother repeatedly tell you and me that this time to enter the customs, it is necessary to consume the strength of the Ming army, and the big city cannot be attacked, only invade the county town of Junbao?" If you really want to attack such a steep and majestic city, even if you defeat it, our army will consume a lot. ”

Hearing Abatai's words, Azig was anxious, he glanced at Abatai, and said coldly: "Abatai, the older you are in the war, the younger you are, the younger you are." This hasn't been fought yet, why are you so demoralized! ”

Abatai was also angry when he saw that Azig didn't take his advice to heart at all, and he spoke rudely. It's just that in view of the fact that Azig is the commander of the army, as a deputy general, he is not easy to contradict more, and finally has to say: "Azig, we Manchurians have a saying, no matter how good a hunter is, he will be bitten by a snake due to a moment of negligence." It's always a good thing to be careful. ”

Azig gritted his teeth, his eyes were full of contempt, and he secretly said in his heart, how sad it is that you Abatai is sixteen years older than me, and you are still only a Belle, and you have not even been crowned a king. Today, it is ridiculous and hateful to dare to speak up about me.

Azig thought like this, and his face was forced not to have a seizure, and he shouted: "The whole army listens to the order, the whole army approaches the Tangquan River, stops two miles away from the Tangquan River, and then sends the Han people to persuade them to surrender, so as to explore the reality of the Ming army defending the city!" ”

"Huh! The minions obeyed. ”

Not long after, the huge and turbulent Qing army stopped a mile away from the Tangquan River.

At this time, Li Xiao, who was standing proudly on the tower of the urn city at the north gate of Jintang City, saw the boundless and endless surging Qing army, and his face showed a more resolute and calm look.

The north gate of Jintang City is only fifty steps away from the Tangquan River, but Li Xiao did not send anyone to demolish the pontoon bridge between the Tangquan River and the north gate of Jintang City.

Because Li Xiao knew that the Qing army must have captured a large number of Ming Dynasty craftsmen and civilians, if they forced these poor captives to build pontoon bridges, they would soon be able to complete it. In such a situation, the dismantling of the pontoon bridge is unnecessary.

Moreover, Li Xiao was thinking that if the Qing army was too lazy to repair the bridge in a state of continuous victory, and rushed straight from the existing pontoon bridge to attack the city, it just let his own large number of earth-shaking thunders hit it halfway.

Seeing that the Qing army was arrayed a mile away on the other side of the Tangquan River, but was not in a hurry to attack the city, Li Xiao felt a little regretful in his heart.

At this time, I saw several cavalrymen from a distance, embracing a person who looked like a Han man, and quickly rushed towards the pontoon bridge.

Seeing that these people were about to cross the pontoon bridge, Wu Zhuang, the deputy commander of the Golden Wolf Battalion next to him, squeaked with a strong bow in his hand, and wanted to go to the Han people's chest.

Li Xiao gently pressed Wu Zhuang's right hand to draw the bow.

"Wu Zhuang, don't be anxious, listen to what the people have to say first."

Wu Zhuang agreed, put away the bowstring, and stood aside.

Soon, the Han people and others, as soon as they crossed the pontoon bridge, he knew that he had entered the range of the bow and arrow, and shouted repeatedly: "The two countries are fighting, don't kill the envoys, the city generals, please listen to the words of my confidant!" ”

Duan Shidi, the commander of the Golden Wolf Battalion, who was standing on the other side of Li Xiao, roared viciously: "You traitor, you have some, let it go!" ”

The Han general listened to Duan Shiyi's humiliating words, but there was no expression on his face. Thirty steps away from the city gate, he reined in the horse's hooves, and then wiped the sweat and dust on his face, and hurriedly shouted to the city: "I am Jiang Bingzheng, the Han general of the Great Qing Dynasty, dare to ask the general who guards the city, and the name of the honorable man?" ”

"Hmph, you are embarrassed to claim to be upright, you traitor who insulted your ancestors and turned your back on Huaxia, listen up, this official is the general who guards the city, and Li Xiao, the general of Ming Chifeng!" Li Xiao shouted loudly at the head of the city.

That Jiang Bingzheng heard Li Xiao's majestic voice, and his heart was annoyed and frightened, he stabilized his mind, a smile appeared on his face, and shouted loudly to Li Xiao: "General Li Bing, I am ordered by the great marshal Doluo Wuying County King Azige, I have come to inform your ministry that I am a great Qing country that values virtue and ability, and I will not hesitate to reward those who are talented and virtuous. The king of Wuying County has a heart of love for talents, and General Li can know that if he dares to resist, my Qing soldiers will attack the city, and the jade will be burned, and the chickens and dogs will not be left, but it will be too late to regret it. ”

Listening to the words of this Han people, Li Xiao smiled secretly in his heart, this guy, the reward price is big enough, if he can become the chief military officer, it will be the same as the treatment of Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi and others who surrendered that day.

Thinking of this, a sneer crossed Li Xiao's face, but his face was full of murder, and he shouted: "Shut up!" You guy who thinks that a thief is a father and abandons his ancestors, I, Li Xiao, am an upright Han people, a Chinese nobleman, how can I stoop to you ungrateful and ungrateful miscellaneous people! Go back and tell Azigna, if he has the ability, he will come and attack the city. I'm Li Xiao, I've been waiting for him for a long time! ”

After Li Xiao finished speaking, Wu Zhuang next to him shot an arrow, and with a whoosh, a sharp arrow flew out, and a guard cavalryman next to the Han Tongshi immediately screamed and was shot under the horse.

The face of the Han general changed greatly, and in the cheers and laughter of Li Xiaojun at the head of the city, he quickly turned his horse's head like a rabbit being chased, and fled with the other two cavalrymen.

"Dashuai, the general Li Xiao who defends the city, is stubborn to the end, stubborn, and resists my Qing Heavenly Soldiers, which is really hateful! If he hadn't escaped quickly, he would have been killed by an arrow a long time ago。。。。。。 After the Han people fled back to the battle, they complained to Azig with a crying face.

"Shut up!"

Azig drank sharply, and the Han people immediately felt as if they had been choked by the neck, and they didn't dare to cry anymore.

Azig looked at Jiang Bingzheng, the Han general in front of him who was sallow with fright, sobbing like a woman, and his heart was full of disgust, if it weren't for the fact that he was proficient in Manchu and Chinese bilingual and could be used by the Qing army, he would have cut this weak and despicable guy with a knife.

"Li Xiao, that general who guards the city, but his name is Li Xiao?" After the Han people finished speaking, Abatai on the side suddenly screamed.

The Han general nodded to Abatai anxiously: "Yes, this person calls himself Li Xiao, the chief soldier of Chifeng." ”

"Hey! If it's this fang, it's really not a rivalry! Abatai looked furious and slammed a punch into his thigh.

"Abatai, could it be this person, Li Xiao, who defeated the Duoduo Department in Jinzhou last year and killed the general Ashan?" Azig frowned deeply and turned to Abatai as he asked.

"Hmph, there is no doubt that this person must be this person! This person the year before last in the Jinjiazhuang Fort on the north road of the Great Xuanfu, the whole army and horses of the Blue Banner Department, as well as the attached thousands of Mongolian and Han soldiers and horses, defeated a big defeat, since then in my Qing Dynasty reputation is growing, last year, and set up an ambush in Jinzhou, defeated the soldiers and horses of Duoduo who invaded Ningjin, it is really the mortal enemy of my Qing Dynasty! Abatai said through gritted teeth.

Azig's face was serious, he stroked his hedgehog-like beard, and a cold light flashed on his face: "This Li Xiao, since he has become my mortal enemy of the Qing Dynasty, then this person must be eliminated quickly!" ”

Seeing that Azig had moved to kill, Abatai's heart moved, and he felt inappropriate. However, he did not say anything to stop him.

After all, Abatai and Li Xiao had already formed a mortal feud as early as the sixth year of Chongzhen. Because, the first pot of gold that Li Xiao made his fortune was, in a sense, snatched from Abatai's side!

On the same day, Li Xiao ambushed and killed the smuggler Zhang Degui and robbed Abatai of a large number of mountain treasures used to exchange silk cloth produced in the Han land. Even because of this incident, he became the laughing stock of his brothers in Shengjing, which was really disgraceful.

Although Abatai later announced a personal vendetta, led the troops to invade Liaodong, and burned Li Xiao's stronghold in Liaodong, which was greatly angry. But because he didn't catch Li Xiao, Abatai has been haunted.

It's time to give Li Xiao, an arrogant and vicious guy, a little color and a lesson.

If he can really take advantage of the morale of the army and the large number of soldiers and horses to destroy Li Xiao, the mortal enemy who endangered the Qing Dynasty, in this city, Abatai feels that even if it is worth paying a little more sacrifice.

"Passing on the military order of the commander, my 75,000 army will advance to the other side of the Tangquan River to deter the Ming army in the city on the other side, and then order the captured craftsmen and people to build more pontoon bridges, and when the pontoon bridges are built, they will cross the river and attack the city directly!" Azig ordered loudly.

"Huh! Slaves obey! ”

Countless war drums rumbled, mixed with 75,000 Qing soldiers shouting in unison, like a muffled thunder rolling across the earth, making people's hearts palpitate.

A large number of Qing infantry, lined up in orderly steps, marched to a distance of about fifty paces from the Tangquan River.

At a glance, the entire battle array of the Qing army, which was several miles wide, could not see the beginning or the end, and was full of a coercive momentum that was so powerful that it was suffocating.

Seeing the Qing army coming so coercively, Li Xiao had a sneer on his face.

The generals next to him, all of them also showed a faint look of smugness on their faces.

Because, they all know that the position that the Qing army has arrived at now has reached the distance of the trebuchet at the head of the city that has been erected, which can strike and throw.

According to Li Xiao's arrangement, the 200 trebuchets in Jintang City were each set up 60 on the north and east city walls where the city gate was opened, and 40 on the west and south city walls that had not been opened.

Now, it's time for the 60 trebuchets erected on the north side of the city wall, baring their sharp fangs, to strike at the arrogant Qing army!

"Ready!"

With the wave of the flag, 600 auxiliaries, operating a trebuchet in a squad of ten people, desperately moved the winch, squeaked the 6-meter-long trebuchet pole, pulled down and flattened.

Subsequently, several auxiliary soldiers gritted their teeth and picked up a black and 80-pound throwing thunder together, and struggled to put the earth-shaking thunder at the end of the pole throwing pot.

"Ignition!"

Another order was given, and the 60 earth-shaking thunderbolts placed on the catapults immediately had auxiliary soldiers with lit fire ropes in their hands, and the long lead of the earth-shaking thunder on the trebuchet was ignited.

"Put!"

Under this order, the winch of the 60 trebuchets that had been forcefully suppressed by the auxiliaries was loosened, and with a soft sound, the 60 throwing rods bounced high, and the 60 earth-shattering thunderbolts in the basin at the end of the head immediately roared towards the Qing army on the other side of the Tangquan River.

When they saw the 60 strange-shaped machines on the city wall on the opposite bank, flying out objects that looked like small black stones from afar, most of the Qing troops on the other side of the Tangquan River did not know what the Ming army had thrown. They all showed an expression of great interest, watching the little black dot in the county roar through the sky.

"Azig, the Ming army should be throwing earth-shattering thunder, which can make our army retreat quickly!"

Seeing this group of black dots roaring towards him, Abatai's face changed unconsciously, and he suggested loudly to Azig.

Unexpectedly, Abatai's urgent reminder made Azig scoff.

"Abatai, how cowardly you are! Even if the Ming army throws earth-shattering thunder, at such a long distance, how many can hit our army's array? Besides, the earth-shattering thunder made by the Ming army, you haven't seen it, the power is extremely small, even if a few lucky ones hit in front of our army's formation, how many people can be injured? If, like you, you encounter the slightest trivial, you will have to mess up your own battle and fight a big battle! ”

Abatai was despised by Azig, who was sixteen years younger than himself, and he was not ashamed.

Annoyed, he gritted his teeth and didn't speak, but he was resentful in his heart.

And just over ten seconds later, sixty earth-shattering thunderbolts roared down from the sky.

A total of 28 earth-shattering thunderbolts exploded smoothly in the front row of the Qing army, and another four sky-shattering thunderbolts exploded over the Qing army.

In the dazzling golden firelight and dense billowing white smoke, a huge explosion that broke the eardrum sounded continuously, mixed with the screams of the dead and wounded Qing soldiers, and within the scope of the explosion, suddenly the terrible Shura field, in which the sand and dust rolled, the flesh and blood flew everywhere, and the human body's stumps and broken organs splashed everywhere like rain.

Li Xiao's sudden attack with this earth-shattering thunder caused the Qing troops on the opposite side, at least more than 500 of them, to immediately go to hell, and nearly 1,000 others were seriously injured.

However, Li Xiao on the other side still had a slightly regretful expression on his face.

Among them, because the Qing army battle formation on the other side is indeed too far away, it is basically at the edge of the trebuchet's attack distance. More than a dozen earth-shattering thunderbolts fell into the Tangquan River, and they were immediately soaked in water and extinguished the fire ropes, and sank into the river silently.

Another nine earth-shattering thunderbolts fell on the north bank of the Tangquan River, three of which extinguished the fire rope, and only six exploded smoothly, but because they were still some distance away from the Qing army's battle array, they did not cause any killing effect.

Seeing the Qing army battle array opposite, there was a large area of chaos in an instant, and when they subconsciously retreated back, Li Xiao's voice sounded coldly.

"All the auxiliaries are ready to immediately launch a new round of mine attacks on the Tartars on the other side!" (To be continued.) )