Hengshan County

When the order to stop the attack and hold on to the spot came, the Qing army that had entered the city from the east and north was fighting the Ming army in the area between the city wall and the first line of defense behind the wall. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Since taking control of the city walls, the threat posed by the Qing army to the Ming army has been further expanded. A large number of Qing troops poured in from the gap, and most of them directly began to attack the Ming army's several lines of defense behind the city walls. The short impact distance and the low fortifications made it much easier for them to attack, and many Qing soldiers quickly rushed past the Ming army's firearms and rushed to the fortifications to directly meet the Ming army. Other Qing soldiers climbed up the city along the horse road, used bows and arrows, firearms to suppress the Ming army after the fortifications under the city wall, and even prepared to drag artillery up to the city head and bombard the city.

And the tenacity shown by the Ming army also made the Qing army a little dumbfounded. In the face of the increasingly critical battle situation, the soldiers of Huguang Town did not flinch at all, and did not lose the morale of the army because of the loss of the city wall, but guarded the first line of defense behind the city wall to contain the Qing army's offensive to the death. Before the fortifications held by the Ming army, the corpses of the Qing army were soon piled up. The Qing soldiers who dared to be the first to rush into the fortifications were hit the hardest, and after a hard and bloody battle, most of them became ghosts under the sword, and only a few of the most fortunate escaped with panic.

The Qing soldiers who climbed to the top of the city to suppress and the Qing gunners who were dragging cannons to the city were also fiercely counterattacked by the Ming army's gunners. Although Kong Youde, who participated in the attack on the east gate, was equipped with a large number of bird guns, he also had a condescending advantage. But it still could not destroy the will of the Ming army to resist, and there were a large number of casualties of its own. Geng Zhongming's troops who attacked the north couldn't take advantage of it because of the lack of firearms, and it was just a draw.

In addition, some Qing troops tried to detour back to the west and south walls along the city head and launch an attack from behind the Ming army, but they were bravely resisted by the Ming army in the west and south of the city. After the Qing army tried to no avail, they had to give up this plan.

The battle was going on in an incomparably tragic way, with the earth-shattering shouts and screams incessant, and the rumbling of artillery from time to time. The Qing army finally understood. The capture of the city walls did not mean victory, but the beginning of another bitter battle.

But there is always a limit to human energy, and the long and bitter battle not only consumed most of the physical strength of the Ming army, but also made the Qing army exhausted. Therefore, when the order of the commander Duoduo came, the Qing army naturally abandoned the attack and instead stuck to the occupied area, waiting for the next day to open up the situation further.

The Ming army also seemed to have no strength to counterattack for the time being, sticking to the existing defense line and not attacking again. The two armies faced each other dozens of paces apart.

When night fell, the men of both armies came to the forward positions with food. Looking at the Ming army on the opposite side, he began to eat. Qing Jun's heart relaxed a lot, and they also began to eat, in their subconscious, at least until the Ming army finished eating, nothing else would happen.

But the accident still happened, just as the Qing army near the city wall began to eat, there was a sudden tsunami-like shouting on the opposite side, and the rice bowls in their hands fell to the ground one after another. I saw that a large number of Ming troops had rushed out of the fortifications on the first line of defense and came towards this side, and the weapons in their hands exuded a cold light.

"Enemy attack!" "Enemy attack!" …… The Qing troops near the east and north gates let out bursts of exclamations at the same time. hurriedly picked up the weapons around him to face the battle. They didn't expect that the Ming army not only fought at night, but also launched an attack when they were eating.

Kong Youde, the commander of the Qing army in the direction of the east gate, and Geng Zhongming, the commander of the Qing army in the direction of the north gate, couldn't help but be taken aback. Because they know that from ancient times to the present, night battles have been extremely difficult, and launching an attack with a clear line of sight and an unclear banner may disrupt the enemy's position. But it's more likely to mess up your own formation. In any case, it is almost a life-for-life or even more tragic consequence. At present, the Ming army actually took the initiative to fight at night, which shows that they are all desperate.

With the fierce sound of the hilt of the knife and the earth-shattering shouts of killing, the two armies of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which had just ceased for a long time, began to engage each other again.

……

After more than half an hour of fierce fighting. Both the eastern and northern walls were recaptured by the Ming army. The Qing army, which had not yet fully enjoyed the joy of victory, was forced to withdraw from the city again. The reason why the Qing army retreated, on the one hand, was because of the Ming army's desperate attack. On the other hand, after previous observations, Duoduo knew that the Ming army was at the end of its strong crossbows, and the powerful combat power that erupted was just a flash in the dry flower, so he did not want to fill in too many lives on the eve of victory, so he ordered his own army to withdraw from the city first, and wait for tomorrow to make plans.

At this time, Duoduo had no worries at all, Pang Yue's department was surrounded in this small city, the casualties were increasing day by day, and Emperor Longwu had become a turtle in the urn. For him, the complete eradication of the Longwu Imperial Court was just around the corner.

……

After recapturing the city walls, which had previously been occupied by the Qing army, the soldiers of Huguang Town began to consolidate their defensive lines. A large number of soldiers stood near the city wall to guard against a possible counterattack by the Qing army, and the auxiliaries also seized the time to fill the gap in the city wall at night.

In the courtyard where the medical department was located, many wounded officers and soldiers were carried over to receive emergency treatment. The medical doctors and auxiliaries of the medical department had not slept properly for almost two days, and their white coats were also stained with large patches of dried blood.

At this time, Pang Yue was patrolling the city, looking at the dilapidated city walls and a large number of wounded officers and soldiers, and his mood was very heavy. Although he once again drove the Qing army out of the city, he did not feel the slightest relaxation. Through his observations along the way, he saw that the number of casualties in the army had increased considerably, and most of the officers and men who had survived had become exhausted, and their walking steps had begun to become vain. There are even some officers and soldiers whose eyes are full of confusion, and it seems that they are no longer as confident as before.

The situation is still very serious, and today I finally got through it. But what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? Will reinforcements arrive? When will it arrive? Pang Yue's heart was filled with a series of questions and worries.

At present, due to the siege of the Qing army, even the news channels have been almost completely cut off. The Intelligence Department had not had time to establish a carrier pigeon channel in this small county town before, and it was difficult for the spies on the periphery to send the request into the city, and Pang Yue did not know what kind of changes had taken place in the surrounding situation, which added to the hidden worries in his heart.

Unconsciously, Pang Yue walked to the center of the city, and saw that the men in the army had already set up several tents on the street according to his instructions, and were serving dinner to the people who lacked food. There were long queues in front of several tents. With a squad of officers and soldiers on the side, there was no confusion, despite the large number of people.

"My lord, this old man wants to see you!" Wei Yuan led an old man to Pang Yue.

As soon as Pang Yue looked at the old man in front of him, he immediately recognized it, this was the old gentleman who scolded him and spit on his face the day before yesterday.

"Sir, are you looking for me?" Pang Yue put aside the worries in his heart for the time being and smiled. Although he was spitted on, he still had this heart.

"Please forgive the old man for his recklessness the day before yesterday!" After the old gentleman finished speaking, he had to take a deep look.

"Sir, this is unacceptable!" Pang Yue hurriedly stepped forward to help the old gentleman up. "You are an elder. How dare you receive such a great gift? Failing to protect the people is originally a dereliction of duty on the part of our imperial generals, and it is understandable for the old gentleman to accuse a few words, so there is no need to take it so seriously. ”

The old gentleman sighed and shook his head: "It was indeed too arbitrary at the beginning. In the past two days, the old man has seen it very clearly, the army under the command of the general is different from the rest of the imperial court soldiers and horses, not only brave and brave, but also brave and sympathetic to the people. It can be described as both courage and benevolence. If the general had been stationed in Hengshan County before, there would never have been a previous military disaster. But the old man indiscriminately insulted and vented the pain of the destruction of his family on your army, which was really indistinguishable from right and wrong, and he had read the books of sages for many years. Therefore, I have come to apologize to the general. ”

"Old gentleman doesn't have to be like this, that's what we should do. Your hometown has suffered such a catastrophe, and it is understandable to be angry for a while. In the next will not be taken to heart. The old gentleman doesn't have to dwell on it. Pang Yue comforted.

"I came to look for the general this time, firstly, to apologize," the old gentleman continued, "and secondly. The old decay and the slave thief have a bitter enmity. During the Chongzhen period, the eldest son of the old man was in Renzhi County, Beizhi, and was martyred when the slave thief broke into the country. This time, his children and grandchildren died tragically at the hands of slaves and thieves. With such a deep hatred, the old man hated that he couldn't catch a few slaves and thieves with his own hands and eat their flesh raw, but it was a pity that he was old and frail and couldn't do it. Now, the general is leading his army to fight against the thieves, so the old man will also do his part. Although all the gold and silver in the house have been swept away by the thieves, there is still some grain in the cellar, so it will be donated to your army. There are still the last two subordinates by the old man's side, and they will also go to assist your army in repairing the city wall and helping to carry the baggage. I hope the general will not dislike it. ”

"Sir, I'm afraid this is inappropriate. You are so old, you have to have someone around to take care of you, and besides, you have given us all the food, what should you do when you are old? Pang Yue hurriedly excused himself.

"The general doesn't have to worry about this, until he sees the general defeat the slave thief, the old man can't die. Moreover, the old man himself could still walk, and he was really hungry, so he came here and begged for a bite to eat with the rest of the people. After speaking, the old gentleman turned to the people who were receiving dinner and shouted, "Fellow villagers, please listen to the old man's words. Since the army is so benevolent, we must also treat each other with sincerity. At present, the soldiers have been fighting with the slaves and thieves all day, and they are deeply tired. If you still have the strength to spare, after eating the meals distributed by the army, you should go forward to help the soldiers do what they can, and try to reduce their burden, so that you can have enough energy to kill the enemy tomorrow! ”

The old gentleman's prestige in the city seemed to be very high, and soon there was a response among the people, and you said it word by word.

"Old lady Xu is right, we also have a pair of hands, we can't just eat and not work!"

"That's right! These military masters treat us with integrity, and we can't let them look down on the people of Hengshan County! ”……

Soon the people who had finished their meal began to walk towards the gates.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Pang Yue and the officers and soldiers around him were all emotional.

*********

On the second day (the ninth day of the third month of the third year of Longwu), the Qing army was the same as the previous two days. An early attack was launched.

This time, the Qing army's offensive was significantly more violent, and the earth-shattering shouts overshadowed the tide, and it seemed that the previous casualties were not taken to heart at all. Although the soldiers of Huguang Town in the city have not fully recovered their physical strength, after the personal encouragement and mobilization of Pang Yue and the rest of the senior generals, especially with the enthusiastic support of the people in the city, the morale of the army has risen to its original high state, and in the face of the crazy attack of the Qing army, they are fearless to face the battle.

Soon after the battle began, a chorus of slogans came from the Qing army that shocked the Ming army in the city.

"Hengzhou has been broken!" "Puppet Emperor Zhu Yujian was captured alive!" "Stubbornness is useless. Wait for the rappelling! ”……

Hearing such slogans, and thinking of the performance of the Qing army today, the soldiers of the Ming army in the city couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Could it be that Hengzhou was really breached, and the Holy Sutra really fell into the hands of the enemy? Is it true or a rumor deliberately spread by the Qing army?

Even Pang Yue doesn't know whether this news is true or false for the time being, after all, the current channel for obtaining news has been cut off by the Qing army. However, he clearly saw one thing: these slogans had a great impact on the morale of his own army, and if he did not take measures to redeem them as soon as possible, the consequences would be unimaginable. So he hurriedly descended the tower and personally went to the city gates to stabilize the morale of the army.

Soon. Just as the soldiers were panicking at the arrogant slogans of the Qing army, another shout sounded behind them: "The latest information from the Intelligence Division!" Tens of thousands of Qinwang soldiers and horses have arrived in Hengzhou. The holy car is safe and sound! The Tartar donkey has poor skills and deliberately spreads rumors, which must not be trusted! Everyone can kill the enemy with peace of mind, and victory is just around the corner! ”

Some of the officers and soldiers turned their heads to see that the commander Pang Yue had actually personally led his own troops to boost morale and stabilize the morale of the army. The officers and soldiers naturally believed Pang Yue's words, so when they heard him say this, their previously wavering minds immediately settled down.

"Dashuai said, this is fake!"

"Dog Tartar. Go back and lie to your mother! Some of the officers shouted to their soldiers.

Immediately afterward, the soldiers also erupted in cheers. The bad influence of the slogans of the Qing army was quickly eliminated. But the battle was still fierce and gradually heated up.

……

In the afternoon, the Qing army again attacked the city from the east, north, and south. The situation was even worse for Huguang Town than it was yesterday, and Pang Yue personally organized several counteroffences in an attempt to recapture the city wall again. But it didn't work out. Except for the defenders in the direction of the south gate to contain the Qing troops who were attacking the city near the city wall, the situation in the east and north gate directions continued to deteriorate. The long-standing Manchurian white flag and the Han army's blue flag joined the front line in a big way, making the Qing army's offensive even more fierce.

Gradually, the first line of defense behind the east and north city walls also floated up with various colors of Eight Banners Army flags. Huguangzhen's defense line was compressed into the second line of defense. The progress made by Duoduo and the rest of the Qing generals was greatly excited, and they ordered to continue the assault. Subsequently, the Qing gunners retreated one heavy cannon after another into the city through the gap in the city wall, and bombarded the area defended by the soldiers of Huguang Town. The gunners of Huguang Town also carried out a stubborn counterattack, but due to the disparity in artillery, the effect was minimal. Under the heavy shelling of the Qing army, the casualties in Huguang Town increased sharply, and the existing defensive line was further shaken. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Qing army's foot soldiers, who had rested for a while, launched an even more fierce attack, sweeping like a swift wind, and nothing seemed to be able to stop their progress anymore.

In the face of the Qing army's fierce attack like a shocking wave, the morale of the soldiers in Huguang Town will no longer be negatively affected. The war has come to this point, and the stimulation of blood has soaked the murderous ** into everyone's heart, and the panic, fear, worry and other distracting thoughts in it have gradually dispersed, and there is only one thought left, that is, kill! Kill the Tartar in front of you! The arrogance of the Qing army and the death of the comrades-in-arms around them not only did not frighten the officers and soldiers, but aroused their bloody nature hidden in their hearts. At this moment, even the most honest recruits in normal times have become red after the repeated baptism of blood and rain, and their eyes are spewing outward with raging anger, almost devouring the Qing soldiers on the opposite side.

On several fronts, the officers and soldiers on both sides were red-eyed, the knives in their hands were curled, and the blades of their guns were dulled, but they were still desperate to fight to the death with the enemy on the opposite side. In particular, some officers and soldiers in Huguang Town, after the weapons in their hands were knocked down, pounced like a leopard and directly scuffled with the Qing soldiers, attacking the enemy in front of them with fists, teeth, and all the weapons that could be used around them. At this time, the role of the way of recruiting and organizing troops implemented by Huguang Town was finally fully manifested at this moment. Many soldiers were relatives and neighbors of each other, and it was common for a person to die in battle to provoke the anger of the surrounding group.

However, although the morale of Huguang Town is still high, it is already a tired army after all. Therefore, after a period of outburst, the strength began to be depleted little by little, and all defensive lines continued to move back under the onslaught of the Qing army.

Seeing the precarious situation in front of him, Pang Yue was almost stunned, could it be that the first battle in Hengshan County would really be the last battle in Huguang Town?

......

Just as the defenders in the direction of the south gate retreated to the first line of defense behind the city wall, and the defenders in the direction of the east and north gates retreated to the second line of defense, engaged in fierce white-knuckle battles and struggled to support the Qing army that rushed up, the battlefield situation seemed to have taken a turn in favor of Huguang Town.

At this moment, in the rear of the Qing army, the sound of retreating cymbals sounded inexplicably.