Before deciding to attack Pyongyang City, Li Rusong had listened in detail to Luo Shiyin's briefing on the garrison of the Japanese army in Pyongyang City, and knew that after the Japanese thieves occupied Pyongyang, they strengthened and repaired the city wall, and the city wall around Pyongyang City can be said to be high and thick, although it is not a copper wall and an iron wall, but the wall is several zhang high for the Li Jiajun, which is dominated by cavalry, and it is not an easy thing to attack Pyongyang.

But these difficulties can be solved for Li Rusong, whose soldiers have just experienced the baptism of war to quell the Ningxia rebellion, and are no strangers to attacking cities and plundering villages. Therefore, Li Rusong can be said to be full of confidence in taking Pyongyang City in one fell swoop.

But the city of Pyongyang that he saw in front of him suddenly poured a basin of cold water on the head of Li Rusong, who was full of confidence. I saw that the tall walls around Pyongyang City were all covered with thick ice.

Obviously, the Japanese army in the city had taken advantage of the current cold weather to pour a large amount of water on the city walls. In this kind of weather of tens of degrees below zero, the water freezes on the city walls. After many pourings, the ice has become more than ten centimeters thick.

Under the winter sun, the ice walls reflect a cold, harsh light. The entire city of Pyongyang is encased in a thick wall of ice.

This kind of slippery ice wall is difficult for people to climb by building a ladder, and it is difficult for even birds to gain a foothold on it.

"I didn't expect the thief to come up with such a trick!" Shi Lang, who was standing next to Luo Shiyin, looked at Pyongyang City in the distance and couldn't help but say.

"Yes, it seems that the Japanese people are well prepared to defend the city." Li Rusong looked at the place and said lightly.

"The Japanese people made full use of this unusually cold weather and covered the walls of Pyongyang City with a thick layer of ice armor, which undoubtedly greatly increased the difficulty of our army's siege." Luo Shiyin said.

"A few days ago, I asked someone about the tactics of the Japanese army, and I knew that they were good at digging holes and building earth forts. Unexpectedly, these Japanese people will also use the tactics of pouring water into ice to block our siege. It seems that you can't underestimate these thieves. Li Rusong said.

"My lord, what should I do? In the face of such an ice wall, it is difficult for our soldiers to climb it. One of his subordinates asked Li Rusong for instructions.

Li Rusong did not immediately answer his subordinates' instructions, he raised his feet and walked to a raised bluestone, calmly looking at the current Pyongyang City, thoughtful.

On the high ground around Pyongyang, the siege armies of all stripes were ready to go.

More than 100 artillery pieces have been placed on the slopes of the four gates in the southeast, north, and west of Pyongyang. The heavy barrels of the cannons are like a fighter with a proud head, and when he waits for the order to be fired, he will let out a devastating roar.

There were more than 30,000 Ming soldiers who participated in the siege of the city, and Li Rusong divided them into four parts, attacking the ordinary gate, Xiaoximen, and Zhengyang gate of Pyongyang City and the Peony Terrace in the north of the city.

Li Rusong did not send troops to guard the Hanyu Gate, which is located in the south of Pyongyang City, and he deliberately left this gap around Pyongyang City. Years of conquest have made him well versed in the truth that "the siege of the city must be quelled".

Of course, leaving this gap is not deliberately to let go of the Japanese army in the city, he has already laid ambushes at various intersections south of the Hanyu Gate, as long as the Japanese army in the city escapes through this gate, they will eventually fall into the ambush circle of the Ming army.

Luo Shiyin saw that Li Rusong was unable to make a decision, so he stepped forward and said, "General, do you think we will withdraw our troops for the time being, and wait for the thick ice on the city wall to melt before making plans?" ”

"No, the morale of our army is at the height of the moment, and it is a good time to take the opportunity to take Pyongyang City. How can this little trick of the thieves shake my determination to attack the city? Lord Luo, I'll let you appreciate the power of my Daming heavy firearms later. Li Rusong did not take Luo Shiyin's suggestion, and at this time, he seemed to have a plan to take Pyongyang City.

"Flag officer, pass my order, heavy artillery attack the military targets and city walls in the city. As soon as the cannon stopped, all the besieging soldiers immediately attacked the city! Li Rusong ordered loudly.

"Yes, General." The flag officer answered the promise and raised the command flag in his hand.

As the flag officer waved the flag, in an instant, more than 100 general cannons roared. The city of Pyongyang was filled with gunsmoke and fireworks. The sound of a violent explosion shattered and shook the earth.

As powerful cannonballs exploded on the city walls, the thick layers of ice on the walls, like glass shattered by heavy stones, peeled off into the snow below the walls.

"Kill—"

As soon as the cannon stopped, with the flag waved by the flag officer, the siege soldiers immediately rushed to the city gate or target they were responsible for attacking from the slope where they were located.

In an instant, more than 30,000 Ming soldiers flooded into the thick walls of Pyongyang.

The soldiers who rushed to the front, carrying straw planks on their shoulders, came to the moat, and with a command, bundles of straw were thrown into the moat. The wide moat was filled in at once.

Immediately afterward, the follow-up soldiers spread the heavy and wide wooden planks on their shoulders on the straw.

The besieging soldiers stepped on the planks and rushed over the moat in front of them and rushed to the city wall not far away.

Seeing the Ming soldiers flocking to the city, the Japanese soldiers who had escaped the Ming army's artillery bombardment on the city wall showed their strong bows and crossbows, and they first lit the grease-soaked cotton balls tied to the arrows, and then shot the arrows at the wooden planks and straw laid by the Ming army on the moat. Beautiful book bar

For a moment, the wooden planks and straw were ignited, and the moat suddenly burst into flames.

Some of the soldiers of the Ming army fought hard to put out the fire, while others risked being burned, set up ladders, waved weapons, and rushed through the fire belt to kill under the city wall.

Under the city of Pyongyang, for a while, arrows roared, the fire reflected the sun, and the sound of killing shook the sky.

The besieging soldiers set up ladders and climbed upwards in the face of a dense barrage of arrows.

One by one, the soldiers who climbed the ladder were shot by enemy arrows and fell from the air screaming, and the personnel below continued to climb the ladder red with the blood of their comrades and climbed upward.

In the smoke of gunpowder, tall ladders were constantly erected around the walls of Pyongyang, which were like stairs to climb mountains, carrying one Ming soldier after another, stubbornly advancing towards the top of the city wall.

The Japanese soldiers defending the city were fearless in the face of the Ming army, which was several times their size, and they stretched out the Japanese spears in their hands from behind the daughter wall and pushed them towards the ladder erected by the Ming army.

With the wolf-like howl of the Japanese soldiers, the Ming army ladders were overturned by the Japanese spears, and the Ming soldiers who climbed on them fell from the top of the ladders screaming and smashing into the siege soldiers below.

Seeing that the ladder fell and his comrades were killed and wounded, the Ming soldiers under the city were aroused to have a stronger desire to fight. The fallen ladder was re-erected. Groups of soldiers wielded swords and guns, climbed the ladder, and climbed up at the risk of death.

Under the powerful offensive of the Ming army, the Japanese soldiers defending the city gradually showed fatigue, and the soldiers defending the city in some places had been in close contact with the Ming soldiers who climbed to the top of the ladder. There were constantly Japanese soldiers who were picked up under the city by the spears of the Ming soldiers who were besieging the city.

Seeing that the situation was critical, Konishi Yukicho had no choice but to sacrifice his killer weapon and personally lead his retainers to climb the city wall.

In the First Army of the Japanese Army led by Konishi Yukinaga, his retainers' troops were the strongest part of the fighting power. This unit was equipped with the most advanced iron cannons (muskets) in the Japanese army at the time, and its members were all retainers and cronies of Konishi Yukinaga.

"Warriors, send the Ming army back to me!" Dressed in heavy armor, Captain Konishi stood on the stairs of a corner tower and gave orders to the elite unit under his command in front of him.

"Swear allegiance to the general! Kill, kill, kill! The men with iron cannons looked at Konishi Yukinaga and let out a sonorous and powerful shout.

"Everyone is divided into four teams, and they rush to the east, south, west, and north directions to defend the city, and pass on my order, and whoever retreats from the battle will be killed! Let the Ming army taste the power of our iron cannon and oil pot! Governor Konishi looked at his descendant troops, his eyes were hideous.

Konishi's retainers, numbering more than 3,000 men, divided them into four teams of more than 800 men in each of the four directions of the Pyongyang wall, three of which were led by a leader he trusted, and he himself led a team to the north, where the fighting was most intense.

After Captain Konishi's four teams of retainers arrived at their respective positions, they immediately conveyed the commander-in-chief's password and commanded the soldiers defending the city to defend the city desperately. The iron cannons in their hands were also mounted on the vantage point of the city wall, firing lead pellets at the Ming soldiers besieging the city.

Countless siege soldiers died under the fire of the iron cannons of the Japanese army, but the besieging Ming army was not frightened by the iron cannons of the Japanese army, and they still climbed the ladder in batches to attack the city.

Seeing that the iron cannon could not suppress the Ming army attacking the city, the Japanese army defending the city resorted to the most insidious and vicious move, only to see them set up a large cauldron prepared in advance, pour tung oil into it, and then light firewood under the pot.

After a while, steaming heat came out of the oil pan.

"Hahaha! Ming dog thieves, let you taste the taste of fried squid! Accompanied by the sinister laughter of the Japanese army, a pot of hot oil poured down from the city wall and mercilessly splashed on the heads and bodies of the Ming soldiers besieging the city.

The soldiers of the Ming army who climbed on the top of the ladder suddenly fell from the sky screaming. A large number of soldiers on the ground were also scalded by the hot oil that fell from the sky.

Under the city of Pyongyang, there was a sudden sound of wailing.

A large number of burned Ming soldiers had to be carried off the battlefield by their companions and rescued urgently.

The fierce offensive of the Ming army was finally suppressed.

The Japanese soldiers on the city wall looked at the wailing enemies below the city and let out bursts of cruel laughter.

"General, let's retire for the time being! If we continue to attack like this, I am afraid that the casualties of the troops will be even heavier! Luo Shiyin, who had been standing beside Li Rusong and watching the battle, saw that the troops had suffered heavy casualties, so he had to suggest to Li Rusong.

"Hey! Fuck it! I didn't expect this Japanese to be quite difficult to deal with! ”

Li Rusong, who wanted to show his face in front of Luo Shiyin, didn't expect to encounter a hard stubble today, although he was a little reluctant in his heart, but many years of experience in the battle told him that when he couldn't attack for a long time, sometimes the boss's willfulness would only cause more casualties among his subordinates. He sighed, waved at the flag officer, and said, "Collect the troops!" ”