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On the afternoon of October 25, 1846, on the city wall of Runing, Major General Zhao Mingfu, commander of the 5th Army of the Imperial Army, held a telescope and observed the Qing army outside the city. Now, the number of Qing troops gathered outside Runing has increased to more than 170,000. Even though this number had been known for a long time, the officers and soldiers of the 5th Army were still shocked when so many Qing troops gathered outside Runing City. After all, once the number of people reaches 10,000, it will give people the feeling of being crowded. Now there are hundreds of thousands, and it gives people a feeling of boundlessness, black pressure and all human heads.

In order to avoid being besieged by the Qing army, Major General Zhao Mingfu deployed the five infantry brigades under the 5th Army, except for one as a reserve, and the remaining four brigades around the city wall. The 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade set up artillery positions in the center of the city. If you are here, you can provide support to the surrounding area. The artillery battalions of the various infantry brigades also set up positions around the city of Runing. Mortars and heavy machine guns were all deployed on the city walls.

The city wall of Runing is only a little more than three meters. Some agile people are even able to climb over such walls with their bare hands. It's not easy to hold on to such a city. Even the army of the Chinese Empire had to be cautious. Otherwise, once the city defense was broken through by the Qing army and the cavalry of the Qing army rushed into the city, the imperial army would probably only be slaughtered.

"General, there are too many Qing troops outside the city. But. They probably won't have cavalry to attack the city, and we'll only have 100,000 infantry to face. That's the case. We won't be too stressed! Brigadier General Zheng Benqing, commander of the 5th Brigade, said.

"Hmmm! However, if the Qing army is in a hurry, it is not impossible for cavalry to become infantry. Our mission is to hold back the Qing army in Runing and kill as many of their living forces as possible. Give the follow-up reinforcements a chance to annihilate them. Now that the Qing army has put the main force into the battlefield in Henan, as long as we can win in Henan, we will win this battle! Major General Zhao Mingfu said. Even if he knew that this battle was not easy to fight. However, he knew the importance of this battle. The task of the 5th Army was very difficult, but in order to be able to defeat the Manchus. The 5th Army must win!

"Yes, General! Even if the cavalry of the Qing army turns into infantry, we can definitely let our heads under Runing City bleed! Brigadier General Zheng Benqing, commander of the 5th Brigade, said confidently. The 5th Brigade was one of the first units of the Imperial Army. Although over the years there have been soldiers who have been retired. But the backbone is still a veteran of the Imperial Army. This made the 5th Brigade much more combat-ready than several other brigades of the 5th Army.

"Haha! Of course I'm confident. Let Runing become the cemetery of the Qing army! Major General Zhao Mingfu laughed. After going north from Wuchang, breaking through the Yangtze River defense line of the Qing army, and encircling and annihilating the 9th Army of the Qing army, the 5th Army did not get any money to fight. The Qing army was always crushed at the touch of it. This made Major General Zhao Mingfu very unhappy. Right now. The 5th Army became a decoy, luring a large number of Qing troops to surround it, didn't this just give them a chance?

At the same time, the commander of the Qing army, Korqin's left rear banner, the king of Zasak County, was also observing the defense of Runing City. British adviser Major General Jerrison was right next to him. Dozens of elite Mongolian cavalry surrounded them. This time, the three cavalry corps that accompanied Seng Lingqin on the expedition, except for the 3rd Cavalry Army, which was the Eight Banners Iron Cavalry, the 4th Cavalry Army and the 5th Cavalry Army were all Mongolian cavalry.

"Humph! Runing City is just a small city. The low walls of the city can be easily crossed by our cavalry. Those rebels want to rely on such walls to resist us. I just don't know whether to live or die. After seeing the walls of Runing City, Monk Greenqin, who was still a little worried, suddenly became full of confidence. Runing is not a fortified city after all, and such a city cannot resist the army at all, except for defending against some bandits. Besides, the current Qing army is not the army that was only equipped with cold weapons or old muskets. In addition to the cavalry, which is still dominated by bows and arrows and sabers, the infantry is equipped with new rifles and artillery! If you want to capture such a city, you shouldn't have too many problems.

"Yes, Your Excellency. In Europe, many cities are no longer walled. After entering the age of firearms, the role of the city wall has been greatly reduced, and it can no longer give enough protection to the city, but will limit the development of the city. As a result, many cities have torn down their walls. The Chinese army wanted to rely on this low city wall to block our attack, obviously underestimating us. Major General Jeffrey Jerrison also said.

"Haha! Sure enough, the hero sees the same thing! Let this Runing City become the burial place of those rebels! Monk Grinqin laughed. At the beginning, he was chased by the Imperial Army and fled like a rabbit, which has always been a thorn in Seng Lingqin's heart, and now he can finally be ashamed. After winning this war, he will be able to be promoted to prince no matter what!

"Pass my order to get the 13th Army ready to launch an attack on Runing City in an hour." Monk Grinqin said.

"No, Your Excellency. Our soldiers were already very tired from the long journey. If the attack is launched now, the combat effectiveness of the troops will not be fully brought into play. I mean, rest for a night and attack again tomorrow morning. Maj. Gen. Jalison said.

"However, now that reinforcements from the rebels are coming, we need to hurry!" Monk Lingqin said with some concern.

"It's okay, it's not too late. Besides, aren't the 7th and 8th Cavalry Corps on their way to come? Even if reinforcements from the Chinese army come, they can still use these two cavalry armies to delay them. Maj. Gen. Jalison said.

"Alright! Then let the ministries recuperate. Siege again tomorrow morning! "Monk Greenqin listened to Major General Jerichson's advice.

On October 26, when the morning sun jumped over the horizon, the soldiers of the Qing army had already gotten up under the reprimand of their commanders. They lined up to receive breakfast. The Qing army's food supply has begun to have difficulties now, and even the fighting troops only have two steamed buns in the morning. However, some people found that the people of the 13th Infantry Army of the Qing Army actually got a big piece of fat meat. This is too attractive for the big soldiers who don't see meat a few times a year.

"Why do the people of the 13th Army have meat to eat, and we can only eat pickles?" Some of the soldiers asked dissatisfied.

"Humph! The brothers of the 13th Army are about to attack this morning. If you are willing to participate in the attack, you can also get a share of the meat. A cook with a large spoon said coldly.

Suddenly, the Qing soldiers who were making a fuss were silent. Giving good food to the strong men who went to the battlefield was already the practice of the Qing army. Moreover, this also means that these Qing troops will probably not be able to return after they go to the battlefield. After all, since the start of the war, the Qing army has been constantly defeated, and many people have been killed. Now that it is attacking a city heavily guarded by the Imperial Chinese Army, it is conceivable that how many of those attacking soldiers will be able to withdraw safely, this is simply a life of death! Chinese have always said that it is better to be a full ghost than a hungry ghost. Even those who cut off their heads were able to get a good meal of wine and food before. What is the big deal about these troops who are going to attack Runing, and eat an extra piece of fat?

The Qing soldiers who didn't get the meat didn't say anything more, and looked at the soldiers of the 13th Army with more sympathy in their eyes. However, the men of the 13th Infantry Corps who died today went to the battlefield, and maybe it would be their turn at some point.

At half past seven in the morning, the Qing army had already finished breakfast. According to Seng Lingqin's order, today the 13th Army will launch an attack on the north of Runing City, and the Qing army will also launch a feint attack on the remaining three sides to contain the strength of the Imperial Army.

Zheng Gaoxiang, commander of the 13th Army of the Qing Army, gathered the four division commanders below early in the morning. Zheng Gaoxiang sternly gave orders to these division commanders, and their task today was to break through the north gate of the rebels and enter the city of Runing. The offensive will not stop unless it is completely annihilated. One division was exhausted, and the other was followed until the whole army was exhausted.

The Qing army now feels a mortal threat, so they are very concerned about attacking, hoping that the troops can play a style that is not afraid of death. It's just that these high-ranking generals are all vested interests, and naturally they hope that the Manchu Qing Dynasty can survive forever. The ordinary soldiers below are just soldiers for food, or even captured by the Qing army to serve as soldiers, so they will not be so desperate.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! "At 7:40 a.m., the artillery positions of the Qing army, which were deployed north of Runing City, four kilometers from Runing, opened fire. All the cannons of the 13th Army of the Qing Army are concentrated here, a total of more than 100 guns. However, most of them are 3-inch cannons, and there are only a dozen 4-inch cannons. Moreover, because these cannon shells were filled with ordinary gunpowder, both in terms of range and power, they were far from being comparable with the cannons used by the Imperial Chinese Army.

"Whew! Shout! Shout! "The shells exploded in the north of Runing City, and most of the shells fell outside the city, splashing patches of dust. A small number of shells also fell into the city. However, the houses near the city walls had been bulldozed by the Imperial Army to prevent them from catching fire after shelling. Because of technical and artillery capabilities, the losses caused by this round of artillery bombardment by the Qing army to the imperial army were very slight. However, this did start the Qing army's siege and bloody battle in Runing. (To be continued......)