The fighting continues.

After the civilian army outside the city paid the price of hundreds of people, one of the logs finally hit the east gate of Zhenyuan City again.

Immediately ushered in the more ferocious counterattack of the Ming army on the city tower, the stones on the city tower fell like hailstones, killing and injuring a large number of the people's troops outside the city, the general who commanded the people's army to hit the city gate was hit by a grinding plate stone on his left shoulder, unwillingly screamed, fell to the ground, was about to struggle to get up again, and then was poured on his face by a vat of hot oil that fell next.

He screamed, his hands clawed wildly, his whole body twitched continuously, and then there was no more sound.

"General!"

Seeing that the general was dead, the militia next to him frantically pounced on him, trying to pull him up from the ground, but more stones fell, killing several people, and in a blink of an eye, the general was buried in the stone pile.

The general died, the people's army was frightened, shouted, retreated like a tide, and the Ming army on the city tower sent off with a rain of arrows, and the people's army dropped hundreds of corpses.

In the first round of charge, the militia could not even cut down a single brick of the wall, except for throwing thousands of corpses outside the city gate. The loss was so great, the hearts of the Red Army friends and Chai Laosi were dripping blood.

Looking at the desolate and panicked retreating people's army, Chai Laosi looked at his Red Army friends with a pale face, and said with a trembling mouth: "General Hong, you can't fight anymore." The defenders of Zhenyuan City were too fierce. ”

Unlike the loss of the distressed People's Army, the Red Army friends were already red-eyed at this time, glared at Chai Laosi viciously, and scolded angrily: "Bastard! Our 100,000 brothers are still waiting outside Pingliang City for the news of our victory! How can we just quit? ”

Chai Laosi said: "However, the brothers died miserably, and thousands of brothers fell in one round of charge......"

The Red Army comrades sputtered: "How can there be immortals in war!" There are 4,000 brothers behind us. Look at the total number of people on the opposite side of the city! I'm telling you, today is to use human heads to pile up. I want to take down Zhenyuan Castle too! ”

Chai Laosi said cautiously: "General, our people are all cavalry. Not suitable for siege warfare ......"

The Red Army friend suddenly glared at Chai Laosi viciously, and roared angrily: "Do you think that General Ben doesn't know that cavalry is not suitable for attacking the city!" General Ben still needs you to teach him how to fight?! ”

The Red Army friend was so angry in his heart, of course he knew that the cavalry was not suitable for attacking the city! But the reason why I brought the cavalry over this time was for a hard-won sneak attack in one fell swoop! It seems that such a sneak attack is not without precedent. As early as a month ago, the Red Army friends learned that Wang Pu, the chief soldier of the Beijing camp, had led 2,000 people to enter Zhenyuan City in one fell swoop when the gate of Zhenyuan had just opened in the early morning, successfully occupied the city tower, and moved hundreds of carts of grain under the nose of He Qi, the magistrate of Zhenyuan County!

The precedent of success was laid in front of us, when the Red Army friends led the army to break away from the large units of the people's army. I discussed with Li Dusi, Du San, Yang Laochai and other three other leaders of the people's army, and took 5,000 cavalry to prevent Wang Pu, the chief soldier of the Beijing battalion, from attacking Zhenyuan City in the early morning!

It's just that something happened during the implementation! The Red Army friends did not expect that the defense force in Zhenyuan City was stronger than expected, and the city gate was not opened on time!

However, the arrow is ready to fly, and it has to be sent! After the death of the original boss god Yikui, the Red Army Friends and Li Dusi. Du San and Yang Laochai divided the forces of Shen Yikui, plus the people who took refuge in Wang Zuogui and Wang Jiayin after his death. The Red Army Friends and others each had 20,000 or 30,000 people in their hands. In addition, Xu Liang, the governor of Shaanxi, has been silent and has not paid much attention to them, and the four leaders such as the Red Army Friends have lived a very happy life.

However, there are many soldiers. There are also difficulties with many soldiers and horses, and the biggest difficulty is that there is not enough food and grass! Thanks to Xu Liang, the new governor of Shaanxi. Although he didn't pay much attention to the people's army in Shaanxi Province, he was very strict with grain and grass. There was basically no grain in the prefectures and counties, and the only little grain that was collected was gathered in Pingliang, Hanzhong, Chang'an and other big cities according to his orders. There are heavy troops stationed in these cities, and they really don't have the courage to ask the Red Army friends to attack these big towns.

Originally, the Red Army friends planned to grab a few small places first, and then talk about it after this period of time, but the deeds of Wang Pu, the chief soldier of the Beijing camp a month ago, reminded the Red Army friends: Zhenyuan City is a garrison with military rations, and the garrison is very lax, Wang General Soldier took Zhenyuan City with 2,000 people!

The Red Army friends and other four leaders discussed and decided to take the risk of doing a vote, so they gathered all the troops under the names of the four people, regardless of Cao Wenzhao, Hong Chengchou was watching from the side, and he killed from Gongchang Mansion to Pingliang Mansion, and the Red Army friends took 5,000 cavalry to Zhenyuan City smoothly!

Seeing that this city gate was breached, the countless food orders in the city were left to the people's army to enjoy, how could the Red Army friends retreat at this time!

Drinking ordered the team to rest in place for a quarter of an hour, leaving the previously charged civilian army behind, and the Red Army friends discussed with Chai Lao Siyi and decided to play big.

Chai Laosi led three thousand cavalry out of the military formation slowly, set up the formation, Chai Laosi stared at the city tower in the distance, and there was a kind of sadness and grandeur in his heart, and the strong man was gone!

In the thunderous shout, Chai Laosi took the lead and led 3,000 cavalry to charge the east gate of Zhenyuan City again. After entering the range of the Ming army's bow and arrow on the city tower, the bow and arrow on the city tower still fell like a storm, harvesting away a wave of civilian cavalry that rushed to the front.

"Rush over! Slam the gates open! Chai Lao Si roared.

His shout aroused the fierceness of the cavalry of the People's Army behind him, and he used the slapping of the horse's back, followed by Chai Laosi and rushed forward in the rain of arrows that were constantly being fired.

Suddenly, the ground shook! Boom!

Chai Laosi was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look, and saw that a fireball exploded more than ten meters away, and countless iron sand shot out of the fireball and shot at the cavalry within five meters of the surrounding fireball, and a group of people and horses fell around the fireball, screaming and wailing.

Rumble! There was another loud bang, and this one actually fell five meters to the left of Chai Laosi, Chai Laosi watched more than a dozen cavalry scream and fall, and the two war horses screamed sadly, leaning forward and falling, and both horses' legs were blown up. The bone stubble was exposed, struggling and screaming.

Artillery! There is actually artillery in Zhenyuan City! Chai Laosi reacted. When he looked up suddenly, he saw a series of black smoke cannonballs shooting out of the castle tower. Fell into the cavalry group of the People's Army.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Black smoke billowed out, people turned on their backs, and screamed again and again! The charging Nationalist cavalry watched in horror at the constant rumbling around them! The speed of the charge couldn't help but slow down!

"Rush over!!" Chai Laosi shouted angrily: "It takes time for the Ming army's artillery to be reloaded!" Hurry up and go down to the bottom of the tower! ”

When the cavalry heard Chai Laosi's call, they shouted in response, regained their speed, and rushed down the city tower.

The sound of artillery fire on the city tower was indeed as Chai Laosi said, there was a short pause, and only the sound of bows and arrows sounded. Seeing this, the cavalry of the People's Army shouted louder and rushed forward.

However, it was only for a short time. Soon after, the artillery on the city tower roared again, and many civilian cavalry looked up in horror, only to see more than a dozen artillery fire rising side by side on the city tower, dragging long smoke, with a sharp roar to the ground, the explosion sounded, and the civilian army fell again.

Chai Laosi's eyes widened and he looked back suddenly, only to see that the dozen or so artillery pieces side by side were almost cut off by the entire cavalry team. Ahead were cavalry desperately rushing forward. In the middle were the seriously wounded and dying men lying on the ground, and behind them were the terrified cavalrymen!

The whistling sound sounded again, and Chai Laosi only felt that the smoke was rolling around him, and the whole piece was trembling in his face. The cavalry around him screamed and fled in all directions in despair......

Suddenly, Chai Laosi was shocked, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Reach out and cover the blood of the sticky hand. The blood still carries its own body temperature!

The pain that penetrated his chest was heartbreaking, and Chai Laosi's eyes turned black for a while. Riding on horseback, he swayed and fell.

The artillery on the city tower was still spitting cannonballs angrily, enveloping all the cavalry of the people's army that rushed to the edge of the city wall, and the smoke of gunpowder covered the entire city, and it was impossible to see the faces of the people's army under the city at all.

The cavalry behind was suddenly frightened by such fierce artillery fire, and they retreated one after another, turned their horses, and retreated to the rear.

The Red Army friends who were stationed outside the city watched the roar of artillery fire and the smoke of gunpowder under the city, and they only felt that their hands and feet were cold! Uncontrollable shaking of the whole body. He had seen a similar scene two years ago! At that time, the Red Army friend was not a confidant of Shen Yikui, he was just following a small leader of the Wenxiang Sect and following the army of the People's Army led by Huang Ziren to attack Pingliang City! At that time, the people's army was also as powerful as today, with 100,000 troops alone, and General Huang Ziren was full of spirit, all the way from Chang'an Mansion, through Fengxiang Mansion, to Pingliang Mansion.

At that time, the Red Army friends were told by the leader above that as long as the main force of the Ming army in Pingliang City was defeated, the whole Shaanxi would be General Huang's world!

The Red Army friends remember very well that when the army marched to the foot of Pingliang City, it was also in the process of attacking the city, and suddenly countless artillery fires were launched from the city, one after another, as if it would never stop, and countless shells were sprinkled on the attacking people's army! What kind of desperate artillery fire was that, and the Red Army comrades watched as the masters of the Smelling Fragrance Sect around them were bombarded by the artillery fire, and the corpses were blown into countless pieces of minced meat......

It was the sudden artillery fire that directly led to the rout of Huang Ziren's 100,000 people's army!

After two years, the Red Army friends once again saw the power of this kind of artillery fire!

The Red Army friends did not reproach the cavalry of the People's Army who came back from the rout, and without saying a word, they led people to turn their horses' heads and left, and withdrew very decisively and simply! Even those seriously wounded cavalrymen did not care.

Seeing the retreat of the people's army, the east gate of Zhenyuan City was opened, and the officers and soldiers of the patrol division led by the commander of the patrol division Tietou rushed out to chase and kill the seriously injured and stragglers of the people's army!

Upstairs in Zhenyuan City, Xu Liang walked down the city, He Qi, the magistrate of Zhenyuan County, and Zhenyuan County, who rushed back after hearing the news, turned red with excitement, followed Xu Liang and walked down the city, shouting excitedly as he walked: "It's too violent, it's too profitable......"

After coming down to the city tower, Zhenyuan County Cheng led three or four hundred Zhenyuan militia out of the city to assist the officers and soldiers of the Patrol Division in cleaning up the battlefield. He Qi, the magistrate of Zhenyuan County, accompanied Xu Liang.

He Zhixian was still caught in the gorgeous lethality of the Flying Eagle Cannon just now, rubbing his hands together, and he was so excited that he was incoherent.

"My lord, our Liang Army's flying eagle artillery fire is too dangerous! If our Ming border army is equipped with this kind of artillery, why not be afraid of the Tartar Mongols in the north! ”

Xu Liang glanced at him lightly, and felt that it was necessary to dispel He Zhixian's thoughts, so he said: "In fact, long before this official entered Beijing as an official, I introduced the Flying Eagle Cannon to the emperor!" At that time, the Flying Eagle Cannon had just been developed, and its performance was slightly inferior to the current improved Flying Eagle Cannon. However, considering the cost, the court has not used the Flying Eagle Cannon on a large scale. ”

Xu Liang really didn't lie, Xu Guangqi, who was the waiter of the Ministry of Rites at the time, came to Shaanxi to investigate, and after watching the effect of the flying eagle cannon, he asked Xu Liang to recommend this kind of artillery that can be fired continuously to the court! Xu Liang also did so, but he kept some key secrets a little, and the cost of the cannonballs was slightly raised, and the flying eagle cannon shells of hundreds of taels of silver really frightened the emperor and the cabinet, and never mentioned the matter of equipping the flying eagle cannon again!

He Zhixian had seen the power of the Flying Eagle Cannon with his own eyes, and he didn't understand the problem that Xu Liang could have such a sharp weapon privately, but the court did not have the equipment! He thought that Xu Liang, as a small governor of Shaanxi, had the money to manufacture and use flying eagle cannons, and the Ming Dynasty court owned the whole world, and the wealth he held was far greater than that of Xu Liang, why couldn't the court be equipped with flying eagle cannons?

He Zhixian asked: "My lord, the lower officials don't understand. Couldn't the court afford to pay for the Flying Eagle Cannon? ”

Xu Liang paused, stared at He Zhixian, and could see that He Zhixian was very persistent, if Xu Liang didn't give him a satisfactory explanation, He Zhixian would not be able to sleep at night.

Xu Liang really admired He Qi, so he sighed lightly and said, "Do you know how many shells were fired by the artillery battalion in the battle just now?" ”

He Zhixian was slightly stunned, and said with a wry smile: "This subordinate has really not been counted. There should be quite a few, right? ”

Xu Liang said: "This official has personally counted, and the thirty flying eagle cannons that have been transferred have fired at least one hundred and twenty cannons in total!" The cost of a Flying Eagle cannonball is about 100 taels of silver. One hundred and twenty pieces of artillery, calculated at the cost price of one hundred taels of silver, is worth about 12,000 taels of silver! In other words, in this battle, the official has already lost tens of thousands of taels of silver! ”

He Zhixian was shocked when he heard it: "This, it's so expensive......"

Xu Liang looked at him and asked rhetorically: "In a small battle to defend the city, tens of thousands of taels of silver were smashed out, like such a battle, I don't know how many times it will happen every year in the northwest!" He Qi, you say, does the court have the courage to spend a lot of money to equip such artillery? ”

He Zhixian lowered his head and pondered for a long time, then hesitated and said: "The emperor is young and promising, if the emperor understands the power of the flying eagle cannon, the lower officials think, the emperor will agree......"

Xu Liang snorted disdainfully and said, "If the emperor agrees, the cabinet must promise to give money!" In the past few years, the court has borrowed debts everywhere to survive the day, and those old ministers in the cabinet will not agree. ”

He Zhixian thought about it, bowed his head in frustration, and stopped talking. (To be continued.) )