Although Song Nan racked his brains, the situation at the top of the beacon tower was getting worse and worse, the Tartar soldiers carried out no less than ten attacks in two days, although they were repelled by everyone, but everyone was exhausted, the large and small stones on the ground on the peak were picked clean, even the branches, wood, and mud were all smashed, and the whole peak gradually became a bare and barren land.

Because food and water can only be supplied in limited quantities every day, everyone can't eat enough to quench their thirst, and their bodies are getting thinner and thinner, and their skinny hair can't grow into a human shape.

Princess Corning also fell ill due to fright and cold, but fortunately, there was a box of medicine among the supplies brought up, so that Princess Corning's condition would not deteriorate; Under the scorching sun in the daytime, everyone licked their white and chapped lips, with pleading eyes, hoping that Song Nan could let them drink a few sips of water, but Song Nan ruthlessly rejected them, Song Nan actually drank less water than them.

One night, Dai Su'er was holding a glass of water and dripping water from Song Nan's lips while he was asleep, Song Nan woke up, turned over and jumped up and shouted: "You dare to steal water to drink?" ”

Dai Su'er hurriedly said: "No, the emperor ordered me to bring it to you to drink." ”

Song Nan got up quickly, only to see the guards in front of the emperor's tent surrounded by a small bowl of water greedily holding a small bowl of water, letting out a satisfied sigh, Song Nan shouted: "Who let you drink water secretly?" ”

The guards stood there stunned, at a loss.

Zhengde came out of the tent and said a little embarrassedly: "Song Nan, I let them drink, you see, everyone is so thirsty that they are smoking, I really can't stand it." ”

Song Nan shouted: "Your Majesty, don't you want the ministers to be in charge of all affairs?" How can you interfere again? ”

Zhengde was stunned and said: "However, I don't think it's okay to drink some water, Song Nan, don't make such a fuss." ”

Song Nan stomped his feet and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that the ministers are unkind, but the ministers are so that we can escape." ”

Zhengde said: "Drinking an extra bowl of water doesn't seem to have such a big impact, the soldiers and horses in Ulzhou should be arriving soon." ”

Song Nan stretched out his hand and grabbed a stone and drew it on the ground: "Your Majesty, if Ulzhou arrives, it will indeed only take four or five days, but the minister wants Jiang Bin to wait for other reinforcements to arrive before he can come to the rescue, so the reinforcements from Ulzhou should not have left yet." ”

Zhengde was stunned and said, "Ah, haven't left yet?" ”

Liu Jin said sharply: "You didn't even allow Jiang Bin to save the emperor?" What are your intentions? ”

Song Nan ignored Liu Jin and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, there are only 6,000 soldiers and horses in Ulzhou, and there are 20,000 Tartar soldiers here, do you want them to send 6,000 lives?" If we want to break the siege, we must wait for other reinforcements to work together, otherwise we will fall into the Tartars' tricks and will not be able to save us, but will be severely damaged by the Tartars. ”

Zhengde sighed, nodded slowly, and said, "You are right, you can't come to death in vain." Liu Jin shook his head, looking at Song Nan as if he was looking at a monster, cursing quietly in his mouth.

Song Nan drew a line on the ground and said: "It will take at least ten days for the soldiers and horses of Xuanfu and Datong to arrive here, and the Fenwu camp is stationed in the north of the capital, and they have cavalry, but it will take ten days to arrive at the earliest; So, we have to stick to it for 10 days anyway. A bowl of water a day is a quota, which can allow us to stay up until the day when the reinforcements arrive, if we don't control it, we can't wait for that day, the emperor, how can the ministers not want the brothers to drink more water to have the strength to fight the Tartars, but for the sake of the overall situation, the ministers can't be like this. ”

Zhengde was silent, and suddenly, Dai Suer stepped towards the bucket and poured the water in the small bowl in his hand into it, Wan Zhi stepped forward and poured the water in the bowl into it, and everyone silently poured the water back into the bucket.

Zhengde said to Liu Jin: "Go and pour back the pot of water that I have." ”

Liu Jin said: "Your Majesty, you don't need it, Song Nan, can't the emperor be special?" ”

Zhengde waved his hand and said: "Go back, I don't want to be unable to go back to the capital for this saliva." ”

Liu Jin sighed, glared at Song Nan fiercely, turned back to the tent and took out the water bladder and dumped it into the bucket.

Bald Mengke's patience has gradually worn out, because he originally thought that when the little emperor of the Ming Dynasty was captured, in order to capture Zhengde alive, he only ordered manpower to climb and attack, so many violent means were not used, but as time went by, Bald Mengke felt that his idea was very wrong.

The beacon tower dug from this peak was too high, steep, and too strong, and the Ming army was clearly prepared, and there was clearly food and water stored on the peak; For a few days, the people above were still alive and kicking, and they were not as hungry and powerless to resist as they imagined.

And as time passed, the situation of the army he led became more and more dangerous; The attacking teams on both sides were successful for a while, and now they have suffered heavy losses from the fierce counterattack of the Ming army, and in a few days, they have to withdraw from the two wings, and then the reinforcements from the two wings of the Ming army will definitely come.

Since it can't be captured alive, even if it is to go back with the corpse of the little emperor of the Ming Dynasty, it is not in vain, although it failed to achieve the expected goal, but it is better than returning empty-handed, four days, paying the lives of nearly four hundred soldiers, Bald Meng can decide to use more violent means to attack, but before that, Bald Meng still wants to make one last attempt.

Standing on the high wall, Bald can see the tired figures of the Ming army on the peak, they are squatting with their heads scorched under the scorching sun, looking like a group of beasts.

"Gertai, what do you think we should do to attack it?" Bald and fierce can take two large mouthfuls of water, and ask the centurion of the guard beside him.

Geldai squinted his eyes with his hand to cover the sun and said: "Great sweat, these guys can survive enough, on such a hot day, the taste must be uncomfortable on it, there is nothing bare on it now, yesterday my hound was fainted from the heat, how did they survive, even if there is water to drink, it is sad." ”

Bald and laughed: "You reminded Ben Khan that they can withstand the beating so much, let's add some more material to them, so that they can suffer more." ”

Geltai said: "What does the Great Khan mean? ”

Bald and laughed: "Geltai, how does the smoked leg of lamb taste on our grassland?" ”

Gelthai licked his lips and said: "Da Khan, I drool when you say this, my yellow-faced woman is not good, but the smoked lamb leg and milk tea are good, so I am reluctant to lose her." ”

Bald Meng said with a smile: "Let's make a smoked ham today." ”

"What does the Great Khan mean?"

Bald Meng said coldly: "Pass the order, let the sons and daughters chop firewood and pile it under the beacon tower, and form a circle, there will be many, many of them, as high as a hill, and then light a fire......

Geldai was stunned for a moment, then pressed his hand to his chest and bowed deeply: "Great Khan, your wisdom is wider than the sky, and your methods are more ferocious than the wolf, and the minister is completely convinced." ”

Bald and fierce, he said: "Stupid, you can't pat yourself on the back, what is more ferocious than a wolf, it should be more cunning than a fox." ”

Geldai said continuously: "Yes, yes, the Great Khan is wise. ”

Thousands of Tartar soldiers were scattered among the mountains and fields, and thorns, small trees, long grass, and dead branches were transported in bundles to Xinping Fort, and stacked in a circle under the tall beacon tower, three yards high inside and outside; The people on the beacon tower didn't know what the Tartar was going to do at first, but soon they understood what the Tartar was going to do, but everyone didn't think so, the beacon tower was more than 20 zhang high, and what if the fire was lit below? At most, it ignites the scattered branches and weeds on the mountain wall, and it can't do any harm to the people on top at all.

Song Nan stood silently on the edge, but he knew that the Tartar was not to burn the people on the peak, but to smoke them, the smoke and dust would go up the mountain wall, and then envelop the entire top, and the people on it would be fainted or even smoked to death one by one, which was a very vicious means; The only hope is for the wind to blow away the smoke, but the wind blows whirring at night on the northern border of Xinjiang, and the dark clouds and scorching sun are in the sky, and there is no trace of wind, unless the gods and Buddhas bless it.

Of course, Song Nan would not hope for the gods and Buddhas, seeing that there were more and more firewood and grass piled up below, Song Nan couldn't sit still, he immediately summoned everyone to inform everyone of the Tartar's intentions, and everyone realized that the Tartar was originally going to smoke himself, and there was no countermeasure for a while.

"Song Nan, is there a solution to smoking?" Zhengde said in a panic.

"A cloth towel dipped in water on our mouth and nose can be resisted, but we don't have that much water to waste." Song Nan frowned.

"What then?" Liu Jin said sharply.

"Dig a pit, the smoke floats up, even if it is shrouded in the peak, it will not fall low, and you can avoid the smoke by digging a few feet deep in the tunnel."

"So what are you waiting for? Let's dig it, the Tartars are on fire. Wan Zhi shouted.

Song Nan said: "The top of the mountain is full of stones, I'm afraid it's difficult to dig up, I'm worried about this." ”

Wan Zhi picked up a steel knife and poked it on the ground, with a buzz, his arm was sore, and the steel knife couldn't be inserted at all, and it was all stones; Wan Zhi did not give up, and dug hard with the handle in both hands, and heard a loud sound, and the front blade of the steel knife was quickly broken, and only a shallow small stone pit was exposed on the ground.

Everyone was dumbfounded, and Zhengde sighed: "It seems that we are either dying of thirst or being smoked to death, let's cover our mouths and noses with a cloth towel dipped in water, and get through it for a while." ”

Song Nan silently pulled out the shotgun from his waist, waved his hand and said, "Everyone disperse." ”

Everyone didn't know what Song Nan was going to do, so they were busy standing far away, Song Nan took out the two rounds of ammunition in the chamber, dug a small round hole with the broken steel blade, filled the gunpowder in the ammunition with a small hole, inserted a fire rope and plugged the hole.

After the fire rope was ignited, Song Nan fled in a hurry, and heard a loud 'boom', smoke and dust rose vigorously, and small pebbles flew everywhere, hitting his head and face with a terrible pain.

Everyone fanned the smoke and dust in front of them and shook the gravel on their bodies to look towards the explosion, but saw that Song Nan's figure was already squatting in the center of the explosion, the ground was already in a mess, and the ammunition actually exploded into a pit the size of a copper basin.

Song Nan shouted: "Although the stone is hard, it is very brittle, this method is effective. ”

Everyone was overjoyed, Song Nan ordered people to immediately dig two small holes at the edge of the small pit, this time the two cannons rang out, and after the gravel was planed away, a tabletop-sized pit appeared in front of him.

Everyone cheered, as concocted, along the edge of the explosion pit after dozens of expansion and blasting, manpower plus ammunition after the hole rested, a large crater more than four feet deep was formed, Song Nan ordered people to clean up the gravel and dust, dismantled the canvas of several tents to cover it, it was an excellent bunker.

Although hundreds of precious shotguns were spent, Song Nan didn't feel that it was wasted at all, and the next thing was to test whether this thing would work.