In the face of more than 100,000 Ming troops under the city, a group of Manchu Qing civilians and soldiers in Nanjing City were like sitting on pins and needles, and at this time, on the east bank of Shao Bo Lake north of Yangzhou, near Shao Bopu, Jierharang was also worried. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

After several years of intensive development of the Ming Dynasty, this Eastern Crusade attracted the attention of the Qing court from the very beginning. After all, Jiangnan is a wealth-rich land and the former capital of the Ming Dynasty, once the Ming army succeeds, not only will the anti-Qing forces in the world be greatly encouraged, but also mean that the Qing court will lose an important money bag. Therefore, although the situation in the north was not calm at this time, and the available troops of the Qing army were not abundant, the Qing chief Shunzhi still issued an edict to recruit an army of nearly 50,000 people, led by Jierharang to rush to the south of the Yangtze River.

In the army of nearly 50,000 people, there are more than 20,000 soldiers of the Eight Banners, although they include many new bannermen of the Mongolian and Han armies, but they also gather most of the Eight Banners generals who can still go into battle. A large number of fierce generals such as the Yellow Flag Manchuria Gushan Ezhen Zhuo Butai and Baya Laqizhang Jing Ao Bai brothers, the Yellow Flag Han Army Gushan Ezhen Liu Zhiyuan, the Red Flag Manchuria Gushan Ezhen Shuo Zhan, the Mongolian Gushan Ezhen Ji Xiha, and the Blue Flag Manchuria Gushan Ezhen Lanbai are among the conquests.

Although he knew that the strength of the Ming army, especially the strength of the Zuofu army under Pang Yue, was no longer what it used to be, Zierharang did not lose confidence at first. He firmly believed that with these soldiers and horses under his command and the garrisons of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, even if he could not completely defeat the Ming army, it was still not a big problem to hold Jiangnan.

However, the situation did not develop as smoothly as he imagined, and before the army could reach Yangzhou, it was blocked by a Ming army near Shao Bopu. Zierharang saw from the banner that it was the fifth town of the Ming Zuofu Army, and he had already heard the name of Liu Renjun, the chief officer of the fifth town who led the troops. Six years ago, in the battle when Pang Yue completely annihilated Tan Tai's army in Jiangxi, it was this Liu Renjun who guarded the left flank of Huguang Town and held out until the complete collapse of Tan Tai's army in the end. Two years ago, Prince Jing Jing Nikan led an army from northern Zhejiang to attack southern Zhejiang, and it was this Liu Renjun who led the army and the Youfu Army to jointly repel Nikan's attack and hold the defensive line.

At the same time that Jierharang's army was stationed near Shao Bopu, there was news from the south that another Ming army of nearly 10,000 people was attacking Yangzhou with all its might, and Wang Yuele of Anjun, who was sitting in Yangzhou, was desperately holding on.

"Liu Renjun is a good general in the puppet Ming army, and his style of leading troops is particularly tenacious. The longer it drags on here, the more unfavorable it will be for our army, and our army must break through its army in one fell swoop and move south to Yangzhou and Jiangning as soon as possible. If it cannot be broken in one fell swoop, it is necessary to divide troops and detour south as soon as possible. After setting the general policy of the battle at the military meeting, Zilharang soon launched an attack on the fifth town of the Zuofu Army in front of him.

……

June 30, Yangzhou City

The smoke of war and the earth-shattering shouts of killing, which have not been seen for nearly ten years, have reappeared in this prosperous ancient city. Compared with the Yangzhou defense battle in the first year of Hongguang, today's offensive and defensive sides have been adjusted. Those who defended the city became the Qing army, and those who besieged the city became the Ming army.

Yue Le stood behind the battlement with a heavy sword in his hand, his face was covered with blood, both his own and the Ming army who had attacked the city before. Outside the city, the Ming army was forming and preparing for the next round of attack. Regardless of the officers and soldiers, everyone wore white cloth on their helmets, and there were also a lot of blood flags with white backgrounds, and they were all solemnly killed.

Yue Le knew the importance of this battle, and if Yangzhou was lost, it would mean that the defenders of Nanjing would be blocked on the south bank of the Yangtze River and become a lone army completely. Although he responded to Nikan's advice the night before leaving Nanjing, he was still unwilling to give up because of his love for Xinjue Luo's frame in his bones.

Outside the city, Cui Shoucheng was also blinded. It had been seven days of continuous siege, and the siege artillery transferred from the Burning Battalion to the Third Town had blasted several gaps in the walls, and several times they were only a line away from breaching the city, but they always seemed to be a breath away.

Home is in sight, the enemy is in sight, but the home is still occupied by the enemy. Cui Shoucheng, who has always been calm and steady, can no longer remain calm at this time.

"This time, I personally led the army to the city! If I die in battle, my command will be taken over by the deputy commander-in-chief! If the deputy general soldier dies in battle, he will be replaced by a staff officer! Cui Shoucheng sorted out the armor on his body and ordered with a loud shout.

"Your Excellency is the commander of the Third Town, how can you be in danger?" Zheng Xin, the deputy chief soldier of the third town, hurriedly stepped forward to persuade.

Seeing that Cui Shoucheng was still going to speak, Zheng Xin said loudly again: "Let me go first!" If I don't break the city after I die in battle, it's never too late for me to go up! I'm dead in battle, and with adults here, there's still a backbone in the third town! If an adult dies in battle, I can't do the work of an adult! ”

After speaking, Zheng Xin rushed ahead of Cui Shoucheng, took a few personal soldiers and left the location of the town headquarters on horseback, and went to the front line of the battle.

……

That night, north of Yangzhou, on the east shore of Shaobo Lake

After the first day of fighting, Zilharang found that the Ming army on the opposite side was very difficult to fight, although the number was less than half of the army under his command, but the defense line was quite old-fashioned, and the infantry, cavalry, and artillery cooperated with each other to form an impenetrable barrier. On the first day of the battle, the Qing army did not even take much advantage, and the blue-flaged Mongolian Mel Zhangjing Hunjin was still hit by artillery fire on the way to the battle, and was seriously wounded.

"Prince Zheng, the war in Yangzhou and Jiangning is important, we might as well take a detour, I am afraid that the fighter plane will be delayed if it takes too long here." At the military meeting, Liu Zhiyuan of the Han army with a yellow flag and a solid mountain was really Liu Zhiyuan suggested.

"It's only been the first day of fighting, and if you can't get through, you'll take a detour, where is the face of my Eight Banners warriors?" The Yellow Banner Lama Zhang Jing Ao retorted in a deep voice, "Besides, if our army can make a detour, won't this puppet Ming army follow us or even go around in front of us again?" ”

"Now that the heavy troops of the puppet Ming Dynasty are gathered under the city of Jiangning, and the south of the Yangtze River has become almost an enemy territory, if our army does not clear the place in front of us and rashly detour south, in the end, will it not be a lone army to go deep and suffer from the enemy on its back?" The blue flag Manchurian Gushan Ezhen Lan Bai also said, "Have you forgotten the old story of Tan Tai Gushan being wiped out in Jiangxi at the end of the fifth year of Shunzhi?" ”

As soon as these words came out, the military tent suddenly exploded. Everyone said a word, talked a lot, and expressed their own opinions. The situation in Yangzhou and Nanjing, but it is difficult to open up the situation here, made the whole military meeting full of restless atmosphere.

In the end, Zilharan decided to continue the attack tomorrow, and sent men to collect ships and prepare for a detour south.

After a full morning of fighting the next day, the Qing army still did not make the slightest progress. In the afternoon, the news from the south gave Zilharang a blow to the head: just yesterday, Yangzhou was breached, most of the more than 5,000 soldiers and horses stationed there were killed, and Wang Yuele of Anjun disappeared after breaking out of the city.

Zilharang stood on the spot for a moment, and did not react for a long time.

……

After the end of the war, the city of Yangzhou was in a depression.

The horrific massacre nine years ago turned the ancient city into a ghost domain, and it was only after the Manchu Qing Dynasty migrated from the surrounding area that it gradually regained some popularity. But the recent war in Jiangnan has dissipated most of the newly gathered popularity, and many people in the city fled before the war, and the rest are closed at home and dare not go out easily. When the Qing army was arranging the city defenses, it demolished many private houses, and the huge city was full of dilapidated ruins, and the streets and alleys were deserted and almost empty.

Cui Shoucheng silently walked in the familiar and unfamiliar streets and alleys, recognizing the appearance of his hometown from the depths of his memory. This is where he was born and raised, and where he has returned in countless dreams over the years. But now that he is back, he can't tell what he feels in his heart, he is not excited, he is not even sad, he just walks silently.

Along the way, the scenery around him continued to overlap with the memories of the past, until he came to a dilapidated courtyard, and he stopped.

In an instant, countless memories poured out of his mind.

That year, the yamen's errand passed through this courtyard gate and sent him the good news that he was admitted to Wu Xiucai;

That year, he wore a red robe with a golden flower in his hat and welcomed his new wife into the courtyard amid the deafening sound of firecrackers and ceremonial music;

That year, on the morning when he left for the army after his leave of absence, his father, who was a military attache in the guard, said to him in front of the gate of this courtyard, "The husband promises the country with his body, why not fear life and death", and his wife looked at him with her newborn son in her arms, laughing and tearful......

At this moment, he finally couldn't help but fall to his knees and cry loudly.

The soldiers behind him all stood in place, silently hanging their heads.

……

On the evening of the fifth day of the seventh month, Pang Yue sat in the tent of the Central Military Department and reviewed the official documents of the day. Since the situation has developed, his heart has become more and more calm, and there is nothing to worry about anymore. Zhenjiang and Yangzhou were all breached, and the reinforcements of Jierharang were also firmly blocked north of Yangzhou, and the Qing army in Nanjing City had completely become the turtle in Wengzhong. Everything will become inevitable. Nanjing will inevitably be breached, and Nikan, Hong Chengchou, Lang Tingzuo, etc. will inevitably not be able to escape......

After approving the last official document, Pang Yue stretched comfortably. At this time, a personal soldier came in to report, saying that Hong Shiming asked to see him.

"Bring him in." Pang Yue pondered for a moment and nodded.

"I've seen the big handsome!" Hong Shiming saluted respectfully after coming in.

In the sixth year of Longwu, the Zuofu Army and Guangdong Town captured Fujian and captured his son Hong Shiming in Hong Chengchou's hometown of Nan'an. Since then, Pang Yue has left Hong Shiming in the Governor's Mansion to listen to him, and this expedition also brought him with him for some consideration.

"Sunrise is still asking to see you so late, is there anything wrong?"

"Student...... The student has something he wants to ask for. Hong Shiming hesitated, and before he finished speaking, his forehead began to sweat.

"Don't be so nervous, let's talk about what is going on." Pang Yue smiled and encouraged.

"My father sold himself and killed countless Han compatriots, even if he died, he couldn't atone for his crimes, so ...... Therefore, the students did not dare and would not have the luxury of expecting Wang Shi to spare his life after recovering Nanjing. But the students ...... The student wants to beg Dashuai, can you keep a whole body for him when he also worked for Da Ming back then, and let him be put in the coffin? After Hong Shiming finished speaking tremblingly, after not hearing an echo for a long time, he mustered up the courage to look up, and found that Pang Yue was slowly sipping tea, and quickly lowered his head again.

Pang Yue put down the tea bowl, but did not reply directly, but asked: "Sunrise, do you say that life or reputation is important?"

"This ......" Hong Shiming didn't know why Pang Yue suddenly asked this, but he still answered honestly, "People are inherently dead, but fame can always be spread." Therefore, students feel that reputation should still be important. ”

"As a Han Chinese, will you leave a good or bad reputation if you sell yourself and forget your ancestors?"

"A bad reputation, of course."

"Oh," Pang Yue smiled and nodded, and asked again, "Then in that case, why didn't Ling Zun commit suicide in Songshan back then, and achieve a reputation as a loyal minister who will be known for centuries?" Doesn't he know that man is inherently mortal? Or had he never heard of Zhang Hongfan and Wen Tianxiang? ”

The beads of sweat on Hong Shiming's forehead became denser, and he was speechless for a while.

"Okay, don't be nervous, I didn't say you had to answer now. You should think about this problem carefully, and then come back to me after thinking clearly. As long as you make sense, then your previous request is not excessive. ”

"Thank you, Dashuai!" Hong Shiming came back to his senses, wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and cautiously retreated.

What is the answer to this question? Pang Yue had thought about it a lot before, but the real answer only existed in Hong Chengchou's own heart. But it doesn't matter, it won't be long before there may be a chance to go to Hong Chengchou to verify it in person.

……

Early in the morning of the sixth day of the seventh month, the Left Army and the Right Army that surrounded Nanjing once again attacked the city on a large scale.

At two o'clock in the morning, there were several earth-shaking loud noises near the Yifeng Gate in the north of the city, and the giant dragon full of smoke and dust covered the entire section of the city wall in an instant.