Liu Xingzuo said: "Bachelor, since we returned to the Ming Dynasty, the emperor has treated us so kindly, but we have not made an inch, and we are often ashamed. ”

Lu Xiangsheng glanced at Liu Xingzuo appreciatively, if he said so, Liu Xingzuo hadn't said anything yet, then he would be very disappointed and wouldn't dare to trust him anymore.

Now Liu Xingzuo took the initiative to ask for battle, which made him have a better impression of this person. He smiled and said: "Since General Soldier Liu wants to make meritorious service, then of course Lu will not stop him, I don't know who General Soldier Liu is going to send to Haizhou." ”

As the commander-in-chief of southern Liaoning, it was obviously impossible for Liu Xingzuo to attack Haizhou in person. He thought for a while and said, "Brother Xingzhi is still brave in battle, and he can charge one or two for the bachelor." ”

Lu Xiangsheng said with a smile: "Xingzhi is indeed a good seedling, not only strong in martial arts, but more importantly, good command ability, better vision, and the general soldier are the Qilin children of the Liu family." Plus Xingxian, he has always been steady, and he is a general who can rest assured that he will be entrusted with the task. ”

Liu Xingzuo said: "Now except for Haizhou, there is basically nothing to do in other places, you can let them bring three thousand Liaonan soldiers to assist the guards, please don't take care of them, use them hard." ”

Lu Xiangsheng nodded: "Don't worry, in terms of loyalty, there is no difference between them and the Guards, and I will use them according to their characteristics." ”

Lu Xiangsheng ordered two battalions of infantry, 3,000 Liaonan Ming troops (generally not known as Han troops), and went to Haizhou with a large amount of ammunition.

The reinforcements came directly to the north gate, because if the Houjin soldiers wanted to escape, they could only flee from the north gate, and Lu Xiangsheng wanted to cut off the possibility of Huang Taiji escaping first.

Cao Wenzhao was also guarding the north gate, and he also had the same mind as Lu Xiangsheng, and he must ensure that Huang Taiji would not slip away. Although he didn't understand why the emperor attached so much importance to Huang Taiji, it was right to listen to the emperor's words, which was very firm in his heart.

After the two exchanged opinions, it was decided that Cao Wenzhao would attack the north gate, while Liu Xingzhi and Liu Xingxian would lead the Liaonan army to arrange two more defense lines behind the North Gate Guards.

The two of them were in high spirits, Liu Xingzuo usually told them that relying on refuge alone is not enough to support the seven brothers of the Liu family, unless they want to go back to the mainland to be a rich man, otherwise if they want to be promoted, they must make meritorious contributions, so that the court can realize that the Liu brothers are useful. Now the Guards are willing to hand over the last line of defense to them, which shows the trust in them.

The two swore that if Huang Taiji slipped away, the two would definitely come to see him. Lu Xiangsheng said with a smile: "If the guards directly capture Huang Taiji, you will also be counted among the meritorious personnel." ”

The two of them geared up and led their men to arm. Cao Wenzhao asked, "Commander, do you need to be so cautious?" ”

Lu Xiangsheng said solemnly: "The emperor is far-sighted, if this fang ascends to the throne, it may be more difficult to deal with than a wild boar skin, we must take advantage of him before he becomes a big slave chieftain, and destroy him first, remember, at all costs." ”

Cao Wenzhao didn't expect Lu Xiangsheng to raise this matter to such a height, and said solemnly: "Wen Zhao swears to kill this fang to comfort the sacred heart." ”

Lu Xiangsheng himself mainly attacked the east gate, and the north and east were the most likely places for the Houjin army to come to reinforcements, so they must be on guard.

Huang Taiji saw that the Ming army actually put on a posture that they must capture Haizhou, and he was both confused and a little depressed. He didn't think that this was aimed at him, he just thought that the Ming army was pretending to be a gesture. Because of the reinforcements he brought, there were more than 6,000 armor soldiers in Haizhou City, and if you count Yu Ding and the Han army, it has exceeded 10,000 people, and with the number of Ming troops, it is still difficult to break through Haizhou's city defenses.

Lu Xiangsheng ordered to use fifteen pounds of artillery to bombard the city gate and the nearby city wall. The four city gates were soon bombed, Huang Taiji ordered to seal the southeast and west gates with stones and mud from the city, and he also wanted to seal the north gate, but everyone else objected, as a guest army, after all, he still had to listen to the opinions of the generals with red flags, so in the end he could only use some trees to block the city gate hole.

Cao Wenzhao saw that the Houjin army did not dare to close the north gate, and said with a smile: "Jiannu is cowardly, and they dare not seal the last retreat, they will lose this battle." ”

Lu Xiangsheng looked at the city gate hole stuffed with trees and said: "As long as you are afraid, it's good, even if some Jiannu will escape this time, you will be afraid when you see the Ming army in the future." Jiannu is no longer to be feared. ”

The Guards brought all the fifteen-pound guns to the north gate and began a non-stop artillery attack around the clock. The cave in the gate was quickly blocked by cannonballs, and the surrounding walls were also covered with rubble from the cannonballs, and many bricks had been shaved off by the cannonballs.

In view of the fact that the other three gates had been sealed, the Guards left only about half an infantry battalion on each of the other three sides, and all the other forces were concentrated at the north gate. The Houjin soldiers had no way to gain a foothold on the city wall, so if the guards wanted to climb the city wall, it was still very simple, but the situation in the city was unknown, which made Lu Xiangsheng reluctant to fill it with his life.

Zhao Shuncheng, the commander of the artillery battalion, had an idea, and he said to Lu Xiangsheng: "Division commander, if you put gunpowder in a barrel and connect the fuse outside, it will blow up the surrounding things, and if it is used at the north gate, it seems that it is okay." ”

Lu Xiangsheng listened carefully to what he said about the specific structure, and said with a smile: "It's okay to try, the saint said that since ancient times, success has been trying, you can do it, but pay attention, the fuse is a little longer, and the person who ignites the fire should use clever light." ”

Zhao Shuncheng first made a powder bag: he put the gunpowder in a wooden barrel, wrapped it tightly with a cloth, and then pulled it out with a fuse about three steps long.

Lu Xiangsheng asked, "Are you going to light the fire and then run?" ”

Zhao Shuncheng said: "Yes, I run fast, it should be no problem." ”

Lu Xiangsheng asked again: "How long does it take to burn such a long fuse?" ”

"About three minutes."

Lu Xiangsheng nodded and said: "Actually, I think there is another way, you shorten the fuse to a minute, and then light it and throw it out, turn around and run again, will it be better?" ”

Zhao Shuncheng hesitated for a moment and said: "The division commander's method is very good, but I am worried that after throwing it out, the fuse may be extinguished, so it will be in vain." ”

Lu Xiangsheng said with a smile: "Then try it, try a few more times, and you will know if it will go out." ”

Zhao Shuncheng said: "When you try it, it is very powerful, and you have to go far away to try it. ”

Cao Wenzhao couldn't stand it anymore, and scolded: "Zhao Shuncheng, it's in vain to praise you for your cleverness, you can just try to extinguish the fuse, who wants you to try it together." ”