The light of the morning sun also shines on Yuanjiang City, the city is surrounded by damaged shield carts and ladders, the land is stained with dark black bloodstains, broken cloths, broken weapons, and the battlefield of the battle is bathed in the changing sun, which looks bleak and sad.

Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng and several generals stood on the northeast wall of Yuanjiang City, constantly instructing, discussing, and making adjustments and improvements to the current defense.

There was already damage on the city wall, which was the result of the bombardment of the Qing army's Hongyi artillery. Although covering with straw mats weakened the power of the shells, it was impossible to completely offset them.

The offensive and defensive battle has been going on for ten days, and the Qing army has changed from a siege on all sides to a key attack, and the northeast is the breakthrough point chosen by the Qing army, which can be judged from yesterday's fierce battle and the location of the Qing army's artillery.

"Yesterday, the Qing army attacked extremely fiercely, with heavy casualties, and we were able to counterattack again at night, so I am afraid that it will not be so energetic today." Xu Mingchen looked at the city wall and looked at the trenches under the city, his expression was relatively relaxed.

In the past few days, the Qing army has indeed suffered great losses in attack and defense. In the face of trench fortifications that were only more than 20 meters apart, if the Qing army wanted to attack the city, it had to clear these obstacles outside the city, but there was no way to take advantage of it, so it could only gnaw hard. But the equipment of the rebels, grenades, earth bombs, mines, and curved cannons, was clearly more conducive to trench warfare.

Using shield wagons as cover, the Qing army finally captured one trench, and in the blink of an eye, countless grenades, earth bombs, or explosions of ambush mines were thrown from another trench, and then the defenders counterattacked along the communication trenches.

Fill the trench with a shield cart, and rockets and fire bottles flew over again, igniting the shield cart in the trench, and the fire prevented the Qing army from continuing to attack.

During the day, several trenches were captured with great effort, and at night, the rebels continued to launch counterattacks with the support of the city's artillery, and used grenades and earth bombs to blow up the Qing soldiers in a daze.

It was in this brutal and fierce trench battle. The two sides of the enemy come and go, fighting repeatedly. Although the trenches were filled one by one, and the Qing army's offensive was getting closer and closer to the city walls, it caused heavy casualties.

The casualties of the rebels in the city have exceeded 5,000, while the casualties of the Qing army are only a lot more. Fighting a war of attrition with the Qing army under the city of Yuanjiang has obviously achieved this goal.

"The enemy may not be able to attack the city again." Chen Guogong and Wu Zisheng put down the binoculars. Pointing to the position of the Qing army outside the city, he said with a serious face: "The enemy army is concentrating artillery, and it must be constantly bombarding the city with artillery, destroying our city walls and injuring our defenders." ”

"Only more than ten of the enemy's Hongyi cannons can hit the city wall, and our army can still repair it, if you want to break the city, it will be difficult to succeed in ten days and a half months." Zhao Desheng pondered for a moment and said, "At that time, reinforcements will come." Our army can win. ”

"I'm afraid I won't have to wait that long." Wu Zisheng smiled faintly, stretched out his hand to call an officer, and asked, "Can the Tianwei artillery bombard the enemy's artillery?" ”

Although the rank of the officer is not high, he is an artillery instructor who came with the Tianwei cannon. As for the distance of the Qing army's artillery, he had already measured it clearly, knew it in his heart, saluted the army, and replied very crisply: "Condescending in the city." Can destroy enemy artillery. However, he felt that he should wait until all the enemy's artillery was concentrated, and then take advantage of its rest and cooling. Hit hard. ”

A small officer not only answered clearly, but also dared to say his opinion, Xu Mingchen and Gao Yingfeng were a little surprised.

But Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng did not look displeased, nodded, and said with a kind face: "Just follow your advice, get ready first!" ”

After this officer leaves. Zhao Desheng smiled and said: "I remember that he enlisted in Tengchong, because he was literate and hyphenated, and he could settle accounts, so he was transferred to the artillery team. It's been less than a year, but it's gone. ”

"The back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, I'm the old man!" Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng said half-jokingly, half-self-deprecatingly: "When the martial arts hall prepared by His Royal Highness Min is established, you must find a way to learn." In the future, the future is immeasurable. ”

"It's a pity that I don't have much literacy, I'm afraid it is-" Xu Mingchen shook his head in amazement.

"Then learn!" Zhao Desheng said enthusiastically: "Your Highness doesn't like sour Confucianism who chews words, but it's rude and nameless, and it's not good!" ”

Wu Zisheng nodded with a smile and looked to the west, because the news had been cut off, he only knew that Zhu Yongxing was going to attack the Qing army in Yuanjiang, but he didn't know the specific time of Lu Dao. However, he guessed, it was not far off.

……………

The Yuanjiang City in the south of the Yangtze River emerged from the rapidly dissipating morning mist, bathed in the changing light of the morning sun, which stung Wu Sangui's eyes, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth.

In the tentative battle around the pontoon bridge, Wu Sangui thought that he had touched the doorway, and although it was difficult to deal with, he could also capture Yuanjiang. But in the ensuing battle, he realized that it was obviously his underestimation that it was difficult to deal with, and Yuanjiang's city defense was hard and tough, hard enough to break his front teeth, and tough enough to make the siege troops miserable.

The shield cart was still effective, but after getting caught in the trench battle, the enemy's various weapons and tactics were endless. The bombs thrown at the head and covering the face, the unstoppable steel wheel fire, the shells fired at a wide angle, the continuous and dense musket fire, and the indomitable entanglement counterattack, caused the Qing army, which was not at all accustomed to these tactics, suffered heavy casualties, but the progress was extremely slow.

The siege on all sides failed, and the defenders in the city were quite numerous, and there was still a lot of room to spare; The bombardment of the Hongyi artillery did little damage to the enemy troops in the trenches, and the Qing troops fighting in the trenches could not give full play to their strengths under the strange, changeable, and vicious blows of the enemy.

Yesterday's key attack was the most progressive, and the Hongyi artillery was pushed within the effective range, causing some damage to the city walls; The soldiers continued to attack in groups, regardless of casualties, from morning until dusk, and finally broke through the trenches outside the city and entered the city walls.

However, the results achieved with heavy casualties were wiped out under the strange-looking city walls. Wu Sangui and other Qing generals finally understood the power of this kind of city wall, and the dense crossfire caused the Qing army that attacked the city wall to be killed and wounded from many sides. Although the Hongyi cannons also caused casualties among the enemy in the city, more Qing troops fell on the way to storm the city walls.

Finally, a cloud ladder was put up on the city wall, but the bomb was thrown down with a head and face, and the Qing army, which was lucky not to die under the muskets and bows and arrows, still could not escape the bad luck under the city wall.

Wu Sangui was personally commanding the front line at that time, although he gritted his teeth with hatred. But he was still able to stay calm and Mingjin withdrew his troops. In the face of brand-new city defense facilities and tactics, Wu Sangui knew that it would be useless to continue to fill with human lives, and he had to find a way to crack it.

In a few days of siege battles, six thousand soldiers had already been killed and wounded, and more than three thousand auxiliaries. Before the city was breached. It is normal for the attackers to suffer more casualties than the defenders. After the city is broken, only by killing and injuring the defenders who have no city to rely on and whose fighting spirit has collapsed, can the casualty figure be leveled or surpassed.

However, the current war of attrition made Wu Sangui feel that the gains outweighed the losses, and the fierce counteroffensive at night made him realize that the defenders still had strength and could not be captured in a hurry.

Since it is impossible to take it in a hurry, and there is no other way, it can only adopt the tactic of besieging and bombarding the city. Ten heavy Hongyi cannons. The weight of each door is two thousand catties, and ten catties of cannons are fired, and the effective firing range is one and a half miles.

According to the tactics of the Qing army to bombard the city, the cannonballs were to hit the middle and lower parts of the city wall, that is, "when raising the cannon, do not hit the female wall of the city." When the middle of the city is struck, it will be very degraded. Fang ordered our troops to ascend". Now the Qing army has been able to push the Hongyi cannon closer to a distance of six or seven hundred meters from the city, and bombard the city wall, forming a very successful rate of collapse. It may take two or three days, or more, but it's a safe way to reduce casualties.

Wu Sangui withdrew his gaze towards Yuanjiang City and turned slightly. said to Liu Xuanchu beside him: "The enemy's reinforcements are coming, in the east is the puppet county king Ma Bao and a sneak attack army of Yanqi, and in the west is the joint army of the chieftains, the battle in Yuanjiang is getting bigger and bigger!" ”

Of course, the actions of the army led by Ma Bao could not avoid the probing and scouting of the Qing army, and the men and horses of the Duke of Syria were also discovered. However, the 5,000 native soldiers who acted as the vanguard in the west were regarded by Wu Sangui as the joint soldiers of the Tusi on the periphery of the Yuanjiang River, and he did not know that the army led by Zhu Yongxing was behind these native soldiers.

Liu Xuanchu smiled slightly and said, "The prince has made comprehensive arrangements, what can I do with the enemy's reinforcements?" Moreover, repelling the enemy's reinforcements, the defenders of Yuanjiang City will be frightened and desperate, but it will help our army break the city. ”

Wu Sangui pursed the corners of his mouth, his smile flashed, and he said in a deep voice: "Ma Bao is known for his bravery, and he cannot be underestimated; Ma Weixing went to the south bank again, and it was difficult to distinguish between the two armies; The Turkish chieftains are united, but they don't have to worry. ”

"Ma Bao is brave, how can the fierce general of the prince be weaker than him?" Liu Xuanchu said with a smile: "Ma Weixing is an unknown person, and the prince sent the brave and strategic Xia Dutong to face the battle; The Turkish chieftains joined forces, and there were also loyal battalions to resist. Is there any reason to ignore this upper and lower donkey? ”

Wang Fuchen, a native of Shanxi, first participated in the peasant rebel army at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and then flowed into the camp of the Ming general Jiang Xuan, who was famous for his courage and good fighting, and the three armies of the brave crown, and had the style of a general. Because he is good at riding and shooting, he is like flying immediately, so he has a nickname, called "horse harrier". After the Qing Dynasty, he was appreciated by Shunzhi, awarded the first-class guards in front of the emperor, and went to the southwest with Hong Chengchou to fight. After Hong Chengchou returned to Beijing, he was subordinate to Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui has long heard the name of the auxiliary minister, and loves his personality and talent very much, and treats him like his own son and nephew. Wang Fuchen was deeply moved and devoted to Wu Sangui.

Xia Guoxiang, Wu Sangui's son-in-law, is both civil and military, and is extremely trustworthy. In history, by the time of the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, he seemed to be the de facto number two person in Wu Sangui's camp, and his influence was so great that he could be abolished without authorization. With him in charge of command in Jiangnan, Wu Sangui was very relieved.

Although the Zhongyong battalion lost more than half of it in the fierce attack and defense under Yuanjiang City, after replenishing the two battalions of the Yiyong battalion, there were still more than 4,000 horses, and there seemed to be no suspense in winning against thousands of local chieftains.

Wu Sangui has made the most correct and reasonable arrangements for the three-way reinforcements that he has so far mastered, and he has not underestimated the enemy. Therefore, Liu Xuanchu was full of confidence, and felt that the strength of the men and horses facing each other exceeded that of the opponents, that is, the so-called upper and lower horses, and it was of course reasonable to win.

Wu Sangui was proud in his heart, but he pretended to be reserved, and when he heard the rumbling cannon sound from the south of the Yangtze River, he knew that the bombardment of the city had begun, and he was sure in his heart, so he and Liu Xuanchu turned back to the camp.

……………

Wu Sangui was indeed not simple, in addition to facing reinforcements, he also strengthened the protection of the pontoon bridge. As long as the connection between the north and the south is smooth, troops can be mobilized to cope with sudden changes.

But the pontoon bridge, which lacks the protection of boats and boats, still has weaknesses in the end. Of course, Wu Sangui would not have thought that the enemy would have a naval division to participate in the battle. Albeit in a hasty formation. The ships were of different types, but with the momentum of the wind down the river, and the fact that they carried the bombardment cannon and the newly improved shells, this humble sailor still brought an unexpected change to the tide of the battle.

Red cannon flames flashed on the positions of the Qing army, and clouds of white smoke rose. obscured the shape of the Hongyi cannon. The white smoke cleared, and the Hongyi cannon appeared again, as well as the Qing soldiers who were busy around the cannon.

Broken bricks and dirt kept falling from the walls, crackling and falling to the ground. There was no longer a sign of the defenders on the heavily bombarded section of the wall, but behind the wall, timber and masonry were constantly being brought in, ready to repair the damaged wall after the artillery stopped.

Around this section of the wall, other soldiers and auxiliaries were digging trenches to build the wall. Prepare to build another line of defense, which will be able to stop the influx of enemies through the breach after the walls have collapsed.

On one side of the city wall of the attacked area, the artillery instructor and several of his subordinates re-measured the distance, and commanded the soldiers to lift the Tianwei cannon up, set it up and began to adjust the angle.

"Ten more doors over there." The artillery instructor pointed and said: "When the enemy's artillery cools down and rests, then fire artillery bombardment, which will buy more time." Before the enemy removes the artillery. We can launch a few more rounds. ”

A total of twenty-six Tianwei cannons were transported to Yuanjiang City, each with ten shells. Artillery instructors were to destroy enemy artillery in one fell swoop. Paralyze the enemy and wait for the best opportunity. For this reason, he would rather let the walls be destroyed than be patient.

"Wolf smoke—" Someone shouted, and more and more people turned their heads to watch, making louder noises and discussions.

Between the mountains more than ten miles west of Yuanjiang City. A pillar of smoke was rising, and wolf dung and grass were added, making the smoke very large and clear to see.

The artillery instructor did not know about the deployment of the entire Yuanjiang Campaign, and he wanted to come. It is estimated that reinforcements came from the periphery, and they lit wolf smoke to make contact.

But things were obviously not as simple as he thought, Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng had already walked quickly to the city, and gave an order with a stern face, "Within an hour, all the Tianwei cannons must be transported to the west of the city." ”

The artillery instructor opened his mouth and wanted to fight for it, but Wu Zisheng emphasized again in an unquestionable tone: "Those who violate the order will be killed!" ”

"Yes!" The artillery instructor hesitated for a moment, knowing that things were not as simple as he thought, so he immediately returned the salute and answered loudly.

Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng's face was slightly pale, nodded slightly, and regardless of the danger, he quickly passed through the section of the city wall that was bombarded by Hongyi cannons under the protection of several personal guards. The big war is imminent, although it is a little sudden, but it should be too late to arrange it urgently.

Wolf smoke also burned up in the city, echoing to the west.

Wu Sangui and other Qing army generals also saw the rising wolf smoke, but they didn't feel how serious the situation was. The thousands of local chieftains in the west were already expected, and lighting the wolf smoke to communicate with the city was also a proper intention, at least it could increase the determination and will of the soldiers to hold the city.

But they didn't expect that the rising wolf smoke was not just a liaison with Yuanjiang City, but also a notification to the sailors on the Dong'e River that they could start the blocking operation.

……………

Zhu Yongxing led a large army and was passing through a canyon. With thousands of native soldiers as bait and local natives as guides, this neglected army will suddenly appear on the south bank of the Yuan River.

At the last moment, reinforcements fell from the sky, banners were displayed, and the power was pressing; The friendly troops facing the catastrophe cheered and burst into tears, and their morale was greatly boosted. It's a rendering from a movie or TV series, and although it's ups and downs and exciting, it's hard to show up on a real battlefield. Even with modern means of communication, who can be so accurate in time. And Zhu Yongxing didn't want to play this kind of heartbeat game, he just wanted to defeat the Qing army, and didn't dare to risk the loss of Yuanjiang.

Of course, Zhu Yongxing also thought and thought about this operation, calculated and calculated, and tried his best to make all units better coordinate operations. However, errors in time are inevitable, and there is no need to pursue perfection, as long as the goal is basically achieved.

It's still a bigfoot girl! Zhu Yongxing had already abandoned his horse and walked, and Mengzhu and Long'er were dressed in leather armor, and although their foreheads were sweating, they could also follow closely. Several female guards of the Mengshan Ke and Pengyi tribes are also strong, but few Han daughters can catch up with them when they run and walk.

On the top of the mountain in front, more than a dozen native soldiers in variegated clothes appeared, as outposts and guides, their ability to run and climb in the mountains and forests made Zhu Yongxing, an old donkey guest, feel ashamed. The Qing army often called the mountain people "mountain monkeys", but it was difficult to match them in the mountains and forests.

The ruler is short, and the inch is long. The Qing army was good at field warfare and regular warfare, while the mountain people and native soldiers jumped vertically in the mountains and forests, as if walking on the ground. The key is how to play to your strengths and not do stupid things that are short and long.

And Zhu Yongxing also had the same idea as the combined army units of the Qing army's "Loyal Battalion" and "Volunteer Battalion". These more than 4,000 horses were camping ten miles west of Yuanjiang City, preparing to defeat the Tu Chieftain in a field battle.

The two battalions together have seven battalions of soldiers and more than 8,000 people, and after a tug-of-war under the city, these "stepmother's children" suffered heavy casualties and gave full play to the role of cannon fodder. The main generals were Shi Wen and Deng Wanggong killed, and Liu Zhifu and Zhao Wu were seriously injured, which can be said to be a complete loss of muscles and bones. (To be continued......)