Although Guo Chengdong and the others successfully lit six or seven long ladders, there were more than ten long ladders erected by Li Zicheng, and there were still six or seven long ladders with thieves coming up. Only one group of guards could cooperate with the tactics given to them before, and they could stop the thieves from entering the city, and there were already three or five thieves in the vicinity of the other landing points.

Fortunately, they had some preparations in advance, and let hundreds of bird soldiers from the Beijing battalion patrol everywhere. Although these bird soldiers are not well trained and their equipment is not well maintained, there are always three or four shots that can be fired by a row of ten people. They were only a little more than ten steps away from the thieves, and they were more or less always able to cause some trouble and casualties to the thieves in the upper city, so that they could not expand outward.

After Wang Sixi and the others set fire to the enemy's long ladder, they consciously rushed to other dangerous places. Mu Jiuchou and them were the same, after the enemy's long ladder in their area was ignited, they immediately went to reinforce other positions. At this time, their fate was linked to Nanjing City, even if everyone in Nanjing City could surrender, they could not surrender, otherwise Li Zicheng would definitely torture them to death by the most cruel means.

Although they didn't carry handcuffs like Guo Chengdong, many of them had crossbow arrows ready. Although many of the weapons in the Nanjing arsenal were decayed, it was not difficult to find a few working crossbow arrows. Although they were both pikemen and sword and shield soldiers, they were also trained in crossbow arrows, and they were quite handy in their use.

When a few of them get together, they can form a battle group. The crossbow arrows were fired at the legs and feet that the thieves could not cover, and the pikemen took advantage of the pain and distraction of the thieves to stab the thieves who had already arrived in the city.

Although their efficiency is not low, after all, they are just a group of three or five people, and they cannot form a scale advantage. And the soldiers and civilians in the surrounding Nanjing had little to help, so they could only contain the number of enemies in the city, but they could not completely prevent the enemy from ascending to the top of the city.

Chen Hengguang ordered loudly: "Go to a few people, bring a few fire pots!" ”

Although most of the soldiers and civilians did not dare to encircle and suppress the thieves in person, they were still capable of getting some things. After all, they were told that Li Zicheng would slaughter the city after entering the city, and they had to resist to keep their families alive.

The city is struggling to resist, while the wealthy and gentry in the city are preparing the "obedient to the people" post. According to the experience of officials who fled from Beijing, when Li Zicheng entered the city, as long as he put such a thing on the door of his house, he would not be slaughtered by Li Zicheng, at least not when he first entered the city. As for the rest of the matter, as long as I have time, I can always find a way to leave Nanjing.

Although they also contributed to the defense of Nanjing, they were forced to donate thousands to tens of thousands of gold, but the subordinates they sent to the city to inquire came back and said that the soldiers and people in the city were in chaos, and Nanjing might not be able to hold it. They also had to prepare for the survival of their families.

Most of the high-ranking officials and dignitaries who were supposed to be in the center of the palace to command and dispatch did not come at all, even in the Wuying Palace, they quietly left and went home amid the constant reports. These people don't have much loyalty to the Ming Dynasty or Zhu Yousong. What the civil officials wanted was to continue to be officials in the new dynasty, while what the nobles wanted was to keep the huge fortune they had accumulated over several generations, and there were not many other demands.

After Qian Qianyi heard that Li Zicheng's people had already climbed the city, he also stood up and walked out in a panic.

Han Zanzhou stopped Qian Qianyi and asked, "Mr. Mu Zhai, do you also want to go back and prepare to lower the table?" ”

"Huh? What the? Qian Qianyi asked blankly. At this time, he noticed that there were only two people left in the hall, him and Han Zanzhou, and even Xincheng Bo Zhao Zhilong was gone.

He finally reacted, but he didn't want to admit it. He smiled dryly and replied, "I, I'll go back and see the bite." Nanjing is about to be destroyed, and my husband and wife are in harmony, no matter what, I don't want to be separated from Hedongjun. ”

Han Zanzhou sneered: "Could it be that Mr. Mu Zhai wants to go back and die for the country?" ”

"Die as you deserve, die as you deserve." Qian Qianyi prevaricated in a panic. He really didn't think about such a thing as martyrdom. In the power struggles of his life, he has hardly won. As the leader of Donglin and the master of the article, if the emperor really looked at him differently, he would not let a great talent like him stay in the foreign court for a long time, even in this small southeast @ dynasty @ court, he would only give him a squire official position. Since the emperor did not have a special favor for him, he did not have to go to the pole to accompany the burial of the Zhu Ming Dynasty.

Han Zanzhou laughed twice, and also got up and walked towards the inner court. Although he was a garrison eunuch in Nanjing, Lu Jiude was a hero of the decision, and Emperor Hongguang robbed him of his position after he ascended the throne. Now Emperor Hongguang doesn't know where to go, Nanjing is about to fall again, he feels that he has nothing to love in his life, and he also goes back to prepare to die, which is considered to repay the trust and favor of Emperor Chongzhen.

The people in the city were desperate to surrender or commit suicide, but Li Zicheng outside the city was extremely happy. Several of the long ladders were burned, but a few were unharmed. He had already seen his subordinates ascend to the top of Nanjing.

This reminded him of the feat of storming Beijing last year, but now it seems that the capture of Nanjing is the greater glory. Breaking through a heroic city like Nanjing in one day gave him hope for occupying the south of the Yangtze River and even the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. At this time, he even felt that even if he fought with Li Yan, his troops should have the strength to fight.

"It seems that the Ming army in the south is really vulnerable. There should not be much resistance to the capture of the southeast. Tian Jianxiu also said happily.

Before Li Zicheng could be happy, he saw some black dots falling from the city, and as a few torches were thrown down from the city, the bottom of several other long ladders was also on fire. Even the soldiers gathered around were swept by the flames, rolling and howling on the ground, which was extremely violent.

Li Zicheng glared and scanned the city wall in the distance, trying to find a long ladder that could continue to climb, but all he saw was a burning ladder.

He coldly ordered: "Go, tell Zongdi, let him continue to send people!" We must take Nanjing down today! ”

Yuan Zongdi received Li Zicheng's order, but he did not carry it out immediately, he had to wait for the craftsman battalion to send the new long ladder up. Otherwise, there would be no way for his men to attack. Although all the stairs to the city were burned, the Ming army in the city was very weak in counterattack, and his subordinates did not suffer much losses, and there was no need to retreat. Just send the new long ladder up and you'll be able to continue your ascent to the castle.

At this time, the thieves who had ascended to the top of the city were finally eliminated, and there were no more than 30 people in total, but they caused nearly 200 casualties to the soldiers and civilians.

"General, the enemy hedgehogs under the city gather, and some more fire cans will be able to defeat them." Wang Sixi suggested.

Guo Chengdong shook his head helplessly: "There is not much oil left, so let's use it at a critical time." ”

Dugu San sighed: "Dignified Nanjing City, just such a little reserve? It seems that we are more than lucky this time. ”

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