"Please forgive the prince for his incompetence! When the army arrived in Huaiyuan County, it was ashamed that it failed to break the city for several days. The defense of the Tartars was very resolute, and the cavalry artillery of our army blasted a small gap in the city wall, and even made people desperately gag hand-to-hand combat, fighting to the death without retreating.

Our army has been fighting for many days, but the rear army has not yet arrived, and it is weak for a while, so it has to divide the troops to besiege and build traditional siege equipment, so it is temporarily blocked. ”

On September 22, when Zhu Shuren personally led his troops to the front line in Huaiyuan County to inspect the progress of the attack, Huang Degong, who had failed to break through the city for several days, immediately came to report in person, and apologized a little embarrassed.

Zhu Shuren looked very relaxed, and just patted Huang Degong on the shoulder in a friendly manner: "Victory or defeat is a common thing in soldiers, not to mention that our army is not defeated, but the progress is slow for a while." In the end, it was the fight that was too fast and too smooth before. The soldiers and horses also need to be repaired, and the heavy artillery team also needs time to slowly arrive at the front line, so there is no need to rush. ”

Huang Degong arrived at Huaiyuan City on September 17, and now it is the fifth day, but it was not until September 19 that the first batch of light cavalry artillery arrived at the front line.

Even if it is a cavalry artillery, it is specially designed for field mobile deployment, and it is only three or four pounds of artillery shells, and it is too difficult to blow up the city wall.

The transfer of heavy engineering heavy artillery is very clumsy, before the battle of Weishui, the Ming army did not carry professional siege heavy artillery with the army, and usually hoarded in the city of Hefei.

After the decisive battle in the field is divided into winners and losers, and the Ming army can control the situation on the Huaihuai battlefield, the siege heavy artillery will be transported north from Hefei, and it will not be delayed for more than ten days before it can be deployed in place-

After all, before the victory or defeat is determined in the field, if the heavy artillery that is difficult to move is rashly pulled out and deployed, not to mention whether it can be quickly deployed and help the frontal battlefield.

Even if they can be deployed in place, who dares to guarantee that they will win the field battle, and they will not even have to retreat or turn in a single step? But if there is a mistake on the battlefield that needs to be transferred, then the heavy artillery that is inconvenient to retreat is very likely to be captured by the enemy, which is the military common sense that both the Ming and Qing dynasties are clear, so no one does that.

Zhu Shuren is very aware of these situations, and naturally does not have too high expectations and requirements for his subordinates.

After appeasing Huang Degong, he casually asked about the current defensive deployment of the Qing army and the strength of various nodes. For these, Huang Degong has already felt very clearly, such as a few Jiazhen said:

"It is said that there are still 70,000 or 80,000 horses in the Tartars, but the siege has been consumed in the past few days, and it is estimated that there are many battle losses. The last general originally thought that the Tartars would shrink their forces and defend Fengyang with all their might.

But now it seems that the last general miscalculated, the new Tartar coach Bolo, perhaps felt that Fengyang City had to squeeze so many defenders, and it was easy to be consumed for a long time after the siege, and the army food was not enough to starve to death, so he resolutely refused to be trapped in the lonely city.

And to divide the troops to Huaiyuan and Linhuai, the three cities will form a corner to help each other. In this way, the Tartars could also ensure that the two small waterways between Huaiyuan and Fengyang, and between Linhuai and Fengyang, were injected from Huaibei to transport supplies from the rear. If they are really trapped in the lonely city and surrounded by our army on all sides, they will have no logistics channel. ”

According to what Huang Degong said, Zhu Shuren deduced it on the combat map and quickly understood the enemy's scruples.

In the past three years, the Qing army's savings were not much, after all, the north was poor like that, and it still lost more than a million people every year, of which hundreds of thousands died of starvation.

In addition, before the war, the Qing army did not expect to fight a defensive battle in Fengyang, so it was naturally impossible to transport the main military food stocks in the Lianghuai Theater to Fengyang City in advance and hoard them in advance.

Therefore, when Abatai died in battle, the grain stored in Fengyang City was estimated to be enough for the original resident soldiers and horses to eat for a year and a half. If the armies of all other places also shrank into Fengyang City, but the food of other counties was not concentrated in Fengyang so quickly.

In a short period of time, the number of people in the city swelled several times, and suddenly reached the scale of 70,000 or 80,000 people, and it was possible that the army would have to eat food for three or four months or even less, and then it would run out of food.

In that way, the Ming army does not need to attack, just besiege the city directly, besiege it for three months, and in the spring of the next year, 70,000 or 80,000 people in the city are hungry and have no strength, and then annihilate it with one blow, isn't it beautiful?

Besieging the city for several months seems to be dragging on, and the cost of the Ming army is huge, but if you can destroy such a large Qing army, or at least seriously weaken its combat effectiveness, it is absolutely cost-effective for the Ming Dynasty! Today's Daming can afford to consume this national strength!

If the Qing army only trapped in the isolated city, one of the biggest problems was that they would completely lose control of the entire Huai River channel - Huaiyuan, Fengyang, and Linhuai, these three counties are close to the Huai River, and in the position where the river is narrow and easy to cross, the forts and defense facilities at the head of the city can also cut off the river.

Controlling any county means preventing enemy ships from passing through the corresponding section of the Huai River. For example, now that the Qing army still controls the three counties, the warships of the Ming army from the downstream cannot reach the river section above Linhuai, and the ships from the upstream cannot reach the lower reaches of Huaiyuan.

The benefits of the Ming army's sailors could be limited to a certain extent, and the tributaries that flowed into the Huai River from Huaibei between these counties could also be used by the Qing army. The Ming army could not really encircle Fengyang from all sides, because the section of the Huai River directly north of Fengyang was still under the control of the Qing army, and the Ming army would at most encircle the other three directions.

After sorting out the situation of the enemy and the enemy's thoughts and intentions, Zhu Shuren took the opportunity to ask: "Have you figured out how the various parts of the Tartars are distributed?" For example, how many of the remaining 70,000 people are in each of these three cities? ”

Huang Degong: "The details are not yet clear, but there are more than 10,000 people in Huaiyuan and Linhuai, which is at least, and there may be 20,000 if there are more." The rest are all in Fengyang City, which should be between three and fifty thousand. ”

Zhu Shuren nodded: "Then it will be averaged, and there are 40,000 people in Fengyang City - have you figured out where Geng Zhongming's troops have withdrawn?" Did you retreat into this Huaiyuan City, or did you retreat all the way to Fengyang? ”

When Huang Degong heard this, his eyes lit up, and he also reacted: "Lord Wang, this is trying to develop those traitors as internal responses?" I beg your pardon for the incompetence of my subordinates, who have not yet been able to figure this out. However, in the past few days of siege, I have indeed never seen the Geng banner at the head of Huaiyuan City......"

Zhu Shuren touched his beard and secretly thought: Geng Zhongming withdrew from the west, if he didn't stay in Huaiyuan, he would probably have retreated to Fengyang. After arriving in Fengyang, you will continue to toss downstream.

In any case, if he has Geng Jimao, who is afraid of death and wants to surrender, he is already invincible, and he can play with or without dates.

At worst, at most, it exposed the situation that "Geng Zhongming's son had defected to the enemy and killed Abatai, the king of Raoyu County", which led to infighting in the Qing army and Bolo killed Geng Zhongming.

If it works well, the Qing army will be completely in civil strife, which is just right for the Ming army to counterattack and take Fengyang.

Anyway, Zhu Shuren didn't care about the life of an old traitor like Geng Zhongming, and he didn't even care if the value of the death of this old traitor could be maximized, and whether the death of this old traitor could take away a few more Tartars by the way.

As long as it doesn't appear to the outside that Zhu Shuren is deliberately selling Geng Zhongming, don't look like Zhu Shuren is suspicious and cruel to his subordinates, which damages his reputation for recruiting surrenders and rebellions, then it would be good.

Therefore, if Geng Zhongming really dies tragically, Zhu Shuren will definitely give Geng Jimao a large sum of gold, silver and jewelry, and he will give it in a high-profile manner, clear his suspicions, and continue to set up the people who surrendered and rebelled.

After thoroughly thinking about the countermeasures, he carefully instructed Huang Degong to continue to drag on the battlefield in Huaiyuan County, and to put on a posture of really fighting, fighting, but caring about the lives of soldiers and unwilling to fill with human lives.

It was so good that the Qing army in Huaiyuan and other places first misjudged the urgency of the battle situation, and then supplemented it with other deceptive follow-ups.

……

Zhu Shuren stood at the height of the strategic level, and after personally dialing it, the form of siege warfare on the front line of Huaiyuan County also underwent some changes.

Huang Degong no longer pursued the speed of breaking the city, but the resoluteness of the attack did not relax at all, just waiting for the heavy siege artillery to be in place, and then slowly bombarded step by step, without completely destroying a certain city wall, and never let the soldiers charge and consume.

In a word, it is to cherish the lives of soldiers, but to allow more ammunition to be wasted, which is simply a bit like the combat style of the American army in later generations - although there is no such professional term as "Van Vleet ammunition volume" in this era.

The Qing army on the opposite side, of course, will also feel this change immediately. The fear of artillery bombardment in the hearts of the front-line soldiers is becoming more and more serious, after all, this is a tactic that can only be beaten unilaterally and has no chance to fight back, although the direct casualties are not much, but the blow to morale is too great.

Since the Huai River waterway from Huaiyuan to Fengyang was not cut off by the Ming army, the Qing army could naturally continue to send sentinel ships to the rear to report the battle situation, ask for help, and state the urgency of the front line.

Boluo in Fengyang City couldn't do anything, so he could only add troops one by one to encourage the Huaiyuan defenders to persevere, and use the Huai River waterway to transport some seriously wounded to the rear every time he increased his troops, which was also helpless.

However, in this process, the Qing army was gradually paralyzed, and it was also cultivated by the new combat form of thinking inertia, and felt that the current Ming army was to fight steadily and steadily, encroaching step by step, and was very eager to completely dredge the Huai River channel and break the Qing army's horn trend, and then there would be the next move.

It's a pity that just as the Qing army's idea became more and more firm, the Ming army was already secretly carrying out other vicious operations.

……

September 26, the fourth day after the Ming army changed its tactics,

Another team of the Qing army, which went to Huaiyuan to change defenses, took a warship from Fengyang to the front line to reinforce the Huai River waterway. At the same time, there were also a group of seriously wounded people who had been transported back from the Huaiyuan battlefield and sent them to Fengyang City for treatment.

To send the wounded back to the city, of course, it is impossible for the whole fleet to be wounded, and there must be soldiers and sailors to take care of them, otherwise who will drive the ship.

At this time, the people who were responsible for guarding and driving the ship were often some hard-connected children in the Huaiyuan Qing army, who wanted to be deserters and temporarily serve in relatively safe areas in the rear.

This kind of thing is inevitable in any era, just like in the movie "Garland Under the Mountain". Especially in the years since the Qing army entered the Central Plains, there are also many corrupt and degenerate existences inside, and some of the children of the Eight Banners who carry cages and birds have given birth to the mentality that they can hide in the event of war.

It is impossible for the Qing army to strictly investigate every soldier who returns to the city, even if there are deserters returning to the team, as long as the opponent's background is hard enough and the identity is clear, they can easily blend in.

It was fast approaching late at night. Except for the non-commissioned officers who were on duty at night, most of the other defenders had returned to the camp to rest.

Geng Zhongming, who had been stationed in Fengyang City for seven or eight days to rest, was naturally no exception, and he lit the lamp in the study and read the military book for a while, and then planned to rest.

Geng Zhongming is a veteran traitor who voted for Tartar in Chongzhen's five years, and now he is old, he will be sixty years old, and he has been injured and strained in battle for many years, which also makes his body not very obedient.

Historically, he lived for two more years before he died, and his current health can only be said to be barely dodged.

His current identity is the king of Huaishun and the owner of the Yellow Banner of the Han Army, and among the Han generals of the Qing army, he can be regarded as the one with the highest status.

If he goes back three or four years, his confidence in the Qing Dynasty is absolutely firm, and the Qing Dynasty at that time was thriving, and the territory was expanding stronger and stronger. But since three years ago, even a hardcore veteran traitor like Geng Zhongming has begun to feel weak in his heart.

The successive defeats of the Qing Dynasty, the loss of troops and the defeat of generals, and the recapture of the land of Huainan by the daimyo who supported the establishment of a wise new monarch made Geng Zhongming involuntarily doubt his life.

He once felt: Could it be that Da Ming couldn't do it at the beginning, just because of Chongzhen's stubbornness, meanness, and disconnection? It's not that the Ming Dynasty can't do it, it's just that the emperor can't do it? So with an emperor who is willing to delegate power, Daming will become stronger immediately?

Once this thought takes root in the heart, it becomes more and more frightening. It's just that Geng Zhongming also knew that he was the hardcore hardcore who was the least likely to be pardoned by Daming, so he didn't dare to have a different heart.

Geng Zhongming read the book for a while, felt tired and was about to extinguish the oil lamp on the eucalyptus, but suddenly received a report from his confidant, saying that there was a henchman of the major general who had fled back from the frontline battlefield and was anxious to see him.

Geng Zhongming was taken aback, and hurriedly ordered to be brought up secretly, and also told him to confirm that he had not been discovered.

Geng Zhongming was originally quite sad these days, thinking that his son had been taken prisoner in the Battle of Weishui, and he might even have been killed, and the Ming army had completely annihilated the last Qing army infantry troops left behind the palace in Xixi, and none of those people escaped, so no one could come up with a letter.

Now that it has been more than half a month since the end of the decisive battle, Geng Zhongming is no longer very hopeful, he just hopes that his son can be incognito in the prisoner of war camp, but who knows that there is suddenly hope.

Soon, a confidant officer of the Geng family was brought up, and Geng Zhongming also knew him, it was an old brother of his own for many years, and he personally arranged for him to protect his son.

"Geng Liu? Did you escape? How's Mao'er doing? Was it captured alive? Has the identity been discovered by the Ming army? Geng Zhongming immediately grabbed the old subordinate and asked.

"Lord Wang! marked as incompetent, the little prince he ...... In order to survive, he did something without a king and a father, and he couldn't stop it! Geng Liu was embarrassed to speak for a while.

Geng Zhongming didn't care much about those details, but muttered a few times first: "It's good to be alive, it's good to be alive...... Stay in the green mountains without worrying about the lack of firewood, and there are more prisoners in the battle of Weishui, and the court will not be particularly harsh. ”

Geng Liu's face was ashamed, and he sighed: "If you just surrender, that's it, in order to get acquitted, the little prince actually drew his sword at the last moment with the personal guards of King Rao Jun, and killed each other to sell good to the Ming army."

In the end, he also took the merit and said that King Rao Junwang was beheaded by him, so that Zhu Shuren would forgive him and give him an official title reward. ”

Geng Zhongming's head suddenly "buzzed", so he fainted on the spot.

Isn't this a cheat! Your father is still clearing the camp, dare to make such a big fuss, if it is exposed by other captives who have fled back, where is his life Geng Zhongming?

He was dizzy for a while, his fingers grabbed Geng Liu like thin chicken feet, and he steadied for a while before he breathed a sigh of sadness:

"It's been almost half a month, and it hasn't been leaked, this rebel is really lonely! But as long as there are the last cronies around King Rao County who can escape back and witness the final death of King Rao County, we still have my life! Boluo Yuele has to set up a Hongmen banquet, scratching me, I can't wait! ”

Geng Liu also felt quite sad for the old lord, but he had a mission and had to finish the follow-up words that were more difficult to accept:

"Lord Wang...... If you can think of it, Zhu Shuren has thought of it a long time ago. This time, he detained the little prince, and also detained the other surviving Abatai guards who knew that the little prince was retrograde, and then asked the mark to come back to report the news.

The Ming army will bypass Huaiyuan tomorrow night and attack Fengyang in a roundabout way with light and sharp soldiers. Zhu Shuren said that he wanted the prince to try to cooperate with the outside and the outside, open the south gate or east gate of Fengyang, and let the Ming army enter the city.

Anyway, no matter whether you agree or not, Zhu Shuren will release some of the surviving henchmen around Abatai...... He said that when the time comes, Bo Luo Yue will settle accounts with the prince. He said...... The Han general killed the Manchu prince, a crime that could not be forgiven under any circumstances. ”

Before Geng Zhongming finished listening, he sat directly on the couch, his heart like ashes.

This is the son who got on the thief ship and killed his father.

was so angry by this news that Geng Zhongming didn't fall asleep in the middle of the night, and he was almost angry directly.

However, after calming down for several hours, he suddenly realized a problem: it was impossible for his family to be forgiven by Daming, and if Daqing was finished, it would be destroyed......

But his son is doing this now, although he is despicable and shameless, betraying his father and betraying his father, but he is betting on both ends. His son doesn't have much sin, as long as he makes contributions to Daming, it is still possible to get stability and wealth, and their Geng family can still be left and right......

Geng Zhongming touched his gray braids and beard, he was almost sixty years old, and he would be pitted if he was pitted.

Eventually, he made up his mind.

……

Everything that followed was even more tragic than Geng Zhongming expected.

Of course, Zhu Shuren will not pin all his expectations on the consciousness of an old traitor like Geng Zhongming!

Therefore, when the Ming army's surprise attack troops attacked Fengyang from Huaiyuan and night attack the next day, the Ming army released a few of Abatai's personal surviving guards at a good time at the moment before.

Regardless of whether Geng Zhongming is against it or not, Fengyang City that night is destined to be a mess! Geng Zhongming didn't do it, and Bolo, who learned the truth, would also try to set up a Hongmen banquet as soon as possible, kill Geng Zhongming's family, and then try to remove the generals of the Han Army's Qizheng and Yellow Banners!

In the end, the two sides were almost driven to start at the same time, Geng Zhongming was still in the final hesitation period of grinding the gun, but suddenly heard that Bolo had something to look for him, and he realized that the incident had happened like a frightened bird.

Geng Zhongming was very decisive and directly killed the messenger sent by Bolo to invite guests, and then directly camped in the city. Bo Luo was shocked and angry when he learned about it, and hurriedly waved his army to fight in the same room in Fengyang City, and the Qing army and the green battalion had a fire with the troops of the Han army with the yellow flag.

Huang Degong's 20,000 Ming cavalry cavalry, as well as dozens of the lightest cavalry cannons, also rushed to Fengyang just right when the civil war between the Manchus and the Han army was in full swing.

The follow-up is the street battle where the cavalry artillery blocks the road!

The bloody slaughter in Fengyang City lasted for a whole night, and tens of thousands of people died on both sides, but the vast majority of them were caused by the civil war of the Manchu Eight Banners, the Mongols and the Han Army Banners.

There are also countless Fengyang people, who were also killed by the Manchurian cavalry who were red-eyed and did not know how to distinguish between friend and foe. Later, those people among the Han people who were originally cowardly and obedient also had to try to protect themselves, and when they saw groups of people who looked like Manchus approaching, they grabbed kitchen knives and even farm tools to try to fight.

At dawn, Bo Luo and Yue Le fled from Fengyang with the remaining 20,000 soldiers and horses with smoky faces and bloodstains, and fled north in panic.

Because Geng Zhongming was forced to launch in advance, he also carried most of the damage of the Qing army, and more than half of his headquarters were killed, and Geng Zhongming himself was also killed in the chaos.

In addition to the Ming army and the surrender army, there are almost no living people in Fengyang City. Those locals who were fellow villagers with Zhu Yuanzhang's family hundreds of years ago were almost slaughtered again.

But the central capital of the Ming Dynasty finally recovered quickly.