The night was late, the wind was stronger, and the gusts of north wind brought a chill to the bone.

The streets of Jinzhou City were silent, the young and strong people in the city were on the city wall, and the women and children were huddled at home with the doors closed early, and only the sound of bangs at the head of the city came from time to time.

In the deputy general's mansion in the city, the lights were bright, and the deputy general Xia Chengde was anxiously waiting for the arrival of his subordinate Wang Gong.

There was a sound of footsteps outside, and Wang Gong finally hurried in. He had just taken advantage of the night to go down the city with a rope from the section of the city wall defended by Xia Chengde, and privately ran to meet him in the camp of Azig, the king of Wuying County of the Qing army. After some secret discussions in the camp, he hurried back to the city.

Before Wang Gong could sit down, Xia Chengde hurriedly asked, "How is it, what did Azig say?" ”

Wang Gong sat on the chair, took a breath, and replied to Xia Chengde with a solemn expression, "My lord, the situation is not good. ”

Xia Chengde's son, Xia Shu, heard him say this, and hurriedly asked, "What did the Qing people say?" ”

"At first, I didn't see Azig. The Qing army was very suspicious of me, and when I took out the handwritten letter of the adults, they were suspicious, and finally asked me a lot about the defense of the city, and then Azig met me. Azig is very arrogant and does not take us seriously. It took a lot of effort for Azig to say he wanted to believe us once, but it also needed our performance. ”

"What's the performance?" Xia Chengde asked.

"He said that he wanted the general to send Gongzi out of the city as a hostage, and in addition, he wanted the general to tell him all the detailed defense information in the city, and he wanted us to take down the second governor of Hongsun as an internal response."

"He said that only if we capture Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, Wang Tingchen and Yang Guozhu and others, can we get the opportunity to join after the city is broken."

Xia Chengde sat back in the chair and muttered for a long time.

"My lord, Jinzhou City can't hold it. We need to arrange a retreat as soon as possible. Wang Gong said. Today, during the day, the Qing army launched a strong attack on Jinzhou, and hundreds of artillery pieces outside the north gate bombarded wildly, once breaking through the city wall.

Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting took the soldiers and horses to fight for the gap with the Qing army again and again, although in the end the Qing army was repulsed, recaptured the gap, and blocked the gap in the city wall, but at the end of the day, the casualties of the Jinzhou defenders were also extremely amazing, and in one day, more than 5,000 casualties were killed.

In one day, the defenders of the city were killed.

If this casualty is not for the generals defending the city, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, the two governors. As well as Yang Guozhu, Wang Tingchen, and Cao Bianjiao, these brave chief military officers, they can't hold it today.

But the deputy general Xia Chengde was already frightened.

Jinzhou has been defended today, but under this fierce artillery fire, if it is defended today, it will definitely not be able to hold on to tomorrow. After the defeat of Yizhou, the situation in western Liaoning was irretrievable.

Wu Sanguizu was trapped in Songshan, and Jinzhou became a completely isolated city. After Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were besieged in Jinzhou, they also launched several breakouts, but each time they were repelled by the Qing army.

The Qing army was already fierce and fierce. Now that he has Wu Sangui's large number of firearms, how can he fight this. The tall Jinzhou City was blasted open in less than a day, how to defend it.

"The Liaodong Army may be coming to help." Xia Chengde said slowly. To surrender to the Qing army was not an easy decision. He didn't want to accompany Hong Chengchou and others to the funeral, but he still hoped that Jinzhou could be kept.

"Liu Jun can't come, the Liaohai Sea has begun to freeze. And Huang Taiji and Dai Shan have returned to Liaodong one after another, and Liu Jun may not be able to protect himself now. My lord, you only get one chance. If we don't make a quick decision, if the Qing army breaks through the city tomorrow, then we will have to be buried together. Wang Gong advised.

"My lord, tomorrow it will be our turn to go to the north wall to defend it." Wang Gong said again.

Xia Chengde is a deputy general, and he has a battalion of soldiers and horses, with a total of 3,000 men. If these men and horses go to the north city tomorrow to defend, with the fierceness of today's Qing army's artillery siege, 3,000 men and horses are not enough to defend for a day. Today, more than 5,000 defenders were killed in one day during the day, and his 3,000 men were not enough.

"My lord, if the brothers are all gone, then we really have nothing." Wang Gong is a resolute surrenderer, "With 3,000 brothers who surrendered to the Qing army, they can continue to be deputy generals over there." And Azig has also said that as long as the adults can take Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, they will also give the adults a general soldier at that time. ”

Listening to Wang Gong's words, Xia Chengde's father and son and his subordinates and henchmen were very heavy.

Xia Chengde thought to himself, maybe Jinzhou could hold for a few more days, and maybe Liu Jun could reinforce Jinzhou before Jinzhou City was broken. But tomorrow it will be their turn to defend the northern city, and with the artillery fire of the Qing army, they will not be able to survive tomorrow. Without soldiers and horses, he, the lieutenant general, would be nothing.

Xia Shu broke the silence, and he said to his father, "My lord, at the moment of life and death, we can't make the wrong choice. ”

"I don't object to the Qingqing, but let me capture the second governor of Hongsun, this matter"

"My lord, since it is a surrender, of course we have to have a letter of nomination, and take down Hongsun and other governors and soldiers, so that we can have the qualifications to establish ourselves in the Qing Dynasty. If not, why should the Qing people accept us? Wang Gong said.

"Hey." Xia Chengde let out a long sigh. Said slowly, "But how can it be so easy to take down the second governor of Hongsun?" ”

"I don't think it's difficult, tomorrow happens to be our duty in the north city, when we let go of the city defense, lead the Qing army into the city, and then take the Qing army to smash the Hongsun Mansion, and it's done."

"Yes, my lord, although the name of loyalty is good, if there is no life, what is the use of loyalty?"

Xia Chengde hesitated in his heart, surrendering to the Qing army was not a glorious thing after all, and if he had a bad reputation, he would definitely be scolded in the future. But if he doesn't surrender, he can only be buried with Jinzhou, and their father and son will die here.

He looked at Wang Gong and then at his son Xia Shu, looking in a dilemma.

At this time, Xia Shu spoke, "My lord, without further ado, I have made up my mind." When the interruption continues, it is chaotic. The son is willing to go to the Qing camp immediately as a hostage, and after tomorrow, his father will be the hero of the Qing army's breakthrough of Jinzhou. ”

His son's words made Xia Chengde feel a little relieved, yes, after the Battle of Yizhou, the situation of the Ming army became worse and worse. Compared with the thriving Manchu Qing Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more prosperous. Seeing that the Qing Dynasty replaced the Ming Dynasty was an inevitable trend, and perhaps he would become the founding hero of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the future.

Outside Jinzhou City, the Qing army discussed military affairs at night, and Azig proudly reported to his brother Dolgon about the matter of Jinzhou's deputy general Xia Chengde, and said confidently, "Xia Chengde has sent his son Xia Shu to our camp as a hostage, and tomorrow, Xia Chengde will take turns to guard the northern city, and Jinzhou will be at your fingertips." ”

Dolgon was overjoyed when he heard the news, "It's so good, today's siege, the tenacity of the defenders of Jinzhou is beyond Yu X's expectations." There were hundreds of artillery pieces to help siege the city, and several times to break through the city wall, but the Ming army was desperately blocked, and we suffered more than 1,000 warriors under the city, but we failed to take the city. Now that I have Neiying, Ren Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting are famous marshals, and they can't stop me anymore. ”

At dawn the next day, the Qing army attacked again and bombarded the northern city.

In the afternoon, the Ming army defended desperately, and finally repelled several rounds of attacks by the Qing army, and after paying more than 1,000 soldiers to suffer casualties, they barely held the city wall. In the afternoon, Xia Chengde led more than 3,000 people in the camp to take over the defense of Beicheng.

As soon as the wounded soldiers were withdrawn, Xia Chengde immediately raised the white flag in the city, opened the north gate, and welcomed the Qing army into the city.

Xia Chengde led his troops to suddenly turn the water back, so that the gate of Jinzhou was wide open, and the Qing army, which had been prepared, took advantage of the situation to enter the city in one fell swoop, and Jinzhou was in chaos.

As soon as Xia Chengde and the other Qing troops entered the city, they immediately led them to kill the marshal mansion in the city, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were caught off guard and were surrounded. Yang Guozhu and Wang Tingzhu fought hard, seeing that they couldn't do anything, they wanted to break through. But there were deep trenches and high bases outside the city, and they couldn't get out after breaking through for a long time.

The fighting in Jinzhou City did not subside until evening.

The city of Jinzhou fell, and the banner of the Qing army was raised at the head of the city.

Although they fought desperately to resist, but in the end Jinzhou fell, Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, the second governor, Yang Guozhu, Wang Tingchen, Cao Bianjiao and other five general soldiers, hundreds of civil and military generals, large and small, were all captured.

Dolgon sat on the top, and a number of Qing generals such as Dozige and Shi Tingzhu were on both sides.

"Take the captives!" A Qing soldier shouted.

Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were captured, and Ming was brought forward.

"Get on your knees!" A Qing soldier shouted at Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, who were standing at the front.

Hong Chengchou was a little embarrassed, wearing armor, his helmet had fallen off, his hair was scattered, and his robe was still stained with blood, but at this time he was tied up with five flowers, but his head was still raised high.

"My minister of the Heavenly Dynasty, do you worship the prince of Xiaobang?"

Another Qing army pushed Sun Chuanting up and asked him to kneel, Sun Chuanting directly hit his shoulder, knocking the Qing army to the ground, Sun Chuanting laughed loudly, "I worship the Ming Emperor on my knees, and worship my parents and teachers, and I will never worship you and other rebels of the feudal state!" ”

Next, Yang Guozhu, Wang Tingchen, Cao Bianjiao and other general soldiers and deputy generals also refused to kneel.

Dolgon's face was very gloomy, he suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart, and pretended to laugh lightly, "The Ming Emperor is unkind, the traitors and corrupt officials in the world are in charge, and the people are in dire straits.

"Phew!" Cao Bianjiao spat at Dolgon, his eyes full of disdain.

Dolgon's words couldn't go on, and he flicked his sleeves angrily, "Don't toast, don't eat and drink, take it down, and watch it carefully." ”

After taking Hong Chengchou and others down, Dolgon was still not satisfied, "Except for Hong Chengchou and other governors and governors, all the other captives were killed." ”

"Kill them all?"

"Kill them all, immediately, not a single one." Dolgon ordered gloomily.

On the same day, in addition to the captured civil and military officials of the Ming army above the third grade, the rest of the more than 40,000 Jinzhou defenders were all slaughtered, and more than 20,000 Han people in the city, regardless of women, children, old and children, were also slaughtered.

After the Ming army and people in Jinzhou City were slaughtered, the corpses filled the ditch around the city outside Jinzhou City! (To be continued.) )