After a few days of heavy rain, the sky finally cleared.

Just looking at the rainfall in the Xiangjiang River Basin, it is estimated that there will be another flood in Dongting Lake this year. And the rainy season hasn't passed yet, so maybe it will start raining again one day.

Anyway, the climate is quite complicated, and it has something to do with solar activity.

For the past two hundred years, the world has been a ghost, the temperature has become hot and then cold, and it has only been a matter of twenty or thirty years since it became colder.

In fact, the Northern Song Dynasty has been heating up, but it has been dry and wet, drought for a while, and flooding for a while.

The global situation is similar, and it was during this time that the Mayan civilization in Central America declined. Rainfall from Arabia to India has increased dramatically, at the cost of frenzied droughts in East Africa and North America.

Today, the world is getting colder and the climate is worse!

The demarcation point was just a few years before Song Huizong ascended the throne, the temperature was getting lower and lower every year, and the cold winter was getting longer and longer every year.

Let's say that the rain stopped, and the Ming army began to attack the city.

To the north of Changsha City is the Liuyang River, and to the west is the Xiangjiang River, all of which have soaring water levels and turbulent currents.

The Ming army first went around the upper reaches of the Liuyang River to cross the river, and the speed of crossing the river was extremely slow, and only two or three thousand people passed in a whole day.

The wooden cannon was almost useless, and the gunpowder was well protected from moisture, but the wooden barrel was severely damp.

Large siege equipment could not be used, and it was too difficult to push forward on muddy ground. Therefore, I am too lazy to build it for the time being, but fortunately, I also brought many avoidance ladders from Xiangyin.

The avoidance ladder is to install a wooden handle and an iron hook on the top of the wooden ladder, the iron hook can hook the female wall, and the wooden handle can defend against rolling log.

All the soldiers of the Ming army took off their shoes and walked barefoot in the mud.

If you want to attack the city, you will have to wait a few more days, at least the moat bridge will be built, and the pontoon bridge will be built to pass through the moat.

Without half a month of preparation, don't even think about crossing the moat.

It is estimated that the guards in the city couldn't wait, and began to test each other, and soon formed a surrender faction with the Yin clan as the center.

Yin Mingdao sent someone to contact again, explaining that the army only needed to send two or three thousand people across the moat and make it look like they were going to attack the city, and the surrendering forces in the city would take the opportunity to launch.

Bai Qi discussed with Wang Yuan and Lin Chong, and decided to send Yang Hua to lead the troops to feint.

Anyway, Yang Hua's soldiers all surrendered, and Yang Hua was still eager to make meritorious contributions, so he would not feel distressed when he encountered more fraudulent surrenders.

The next day, in the morning.

Yang Hua personally led 2,000 soldiers and began to cross the moat by boat. Tens of thousands of Ming troops beat drums and shouted in the south and east of the city, and carried flying ladders towards the moat.

A Chu general named Wu Liang ran to Zhong Xu and took the initiative to ask Ying: "The thief Ming didn't fill in the moat, and the pontoon bridge didn't take it, so he wanted to come by boat." The last general is willing to take 800 soldiers out of the city to intercept and kill, and severely frustrate his spirit! ”

Zhong Xu carefully checked the situation outside the city and felt that he should take the initiative to kill.

Several city gates are full of Zhong Xu's cronies.

At the moment when one of the city gates opened, Wu Liang, who was supposed to lead his troops out of the city to fight, suddenly raised his sword against the friendly troops defending the city gate.

"Kill!"

Wu Liang led his troops to shout while attacking and killing.

The rest of the surrendering generals received the signal and immediately took action against nearby allies, shouting that they would not kill them if they put down their weapons.

Yang Hua saw that the city gate was open, and the city head also fought, and shouted excitedly: "Make a meritorious service, at this time!" ”

They climbed from the moat to the shore, and before they could complete the group, they rushed to the city gates.

"Lin Chong, you lead the troops to follow, and the rest of the troops will follow!" Bai Qi ordered.

There was a lively fight outside, but Yin Mingdao led his troops to rush to the palace, and shouted to the few remaining imperial city guards: "Hurry up and open the city, there is a rebellion outside, I want to lead troops to protect the queen and the prince!" ”

Uncle Guo was there in person, and the guards of the imperial city did not suspect him, so they opened the palace door in a panic.

Yin Mingdao rushed in and started to do it, and after killing the guards of the imperial city, he went to protect his sister and capture the prince.

When the Yin family heard the movement, he sent someone to invite Zhong Ziyi and called the second prince to his side.

Seeing Yin Mingdao leading his troops in, Zhong Ziyi turned to look at her stepmother in horror: "Is the queen mother going to join the enemy?" ”

Yin's expression was calm and said: "If you don't take away Li Herong's military power, this Changsha City can still be defended." Li Herong was under house arrest, and the soldiers were separated from Germany, how could they defend the city together? Emperor, come down. You are young and ignorant, and you may be able to save your life. ”

Zhong Ziyi cried: "Uncle Huang misunderstood me, I said a long time ago that General Li should not be arrested!" ”

Yin Mingdao took the queen and the prince to the outer city to order the defenders everywhere to surrender, and those Chu troops who were still resisting laid down their weapons one after another.

Only Zhong Xu was still leading the troops to fight, but he was also blocked on the city wall and it was difficult to continue.

"Boom!"

Thunder sounded in the sky again, this time only showers, and soon the sun came out.

Zhong Xu did not survive this shower, and was stabbed to death by a random gun in the rain.

The city gates were wide open on all sides, and the Ming army poured in batches to take over Changsha.

……

Hengyang.

The day after receiving the urgent report from Changsha, Zhong Xiang braved the rain to lead his troops out of the city for a decisive battle.

The outside of the city was muddy, and some of the rice fields were so deep that it was impossible to find an open battlefield suitable for fighting.

On the side of the coalition forces, how can they fight?

Zhong Xiang stormed the camp of the coalition army, suffered heavy losses on the first day, and retreated to the city in embarrassment to lick his wounds.

That night, the generals of the coalition forces held a meeting.

Li Heng is now very face-saving to Cao Cheng, and said as soon as he opened his mouth: "General Cao is a general, he must have guessed that Zhong Xiang is most likely in an emergency. ”

Cao Cheng was reminded by these words, and his thoughts were clear in an instant: "Changsha must be besieged, and the Duke of Shu has won big victories one after another." Otherwise, how could Zhong Xiang be in a hurry to fight a decisive battle? Now the road is not easy to walk, it is difficult to pull out when you step into the mud, and it is slippery to walk up tightly, and the more armor on your body, the more difficult it is to move. The armor of the pseudo-Chu soldiers is better than ours, and they are at a loss in the war at this time! ”

Yang Zaixing said: "Then you can't keep the camp, and drag Zhong Xiang to death!" ”

"Will Zhong Xiang run? Leave one to guard Hengyang and take most of it to rescue Changsha? Tang Danian said what he thought.

Yang Zaixing said: "The Xiangjiang River is rising and flowing very fast. Even if it doesn't rain all the time, it will take another two or three days before the boat can be easy, and it will be two or three days before he wants to leave. ”

"Whether he leaves or not, let's defend the camp first." Cao Cheng clapped his hands and said.

Like coaxing a child, Li Heng nodded and said, "What General Cao said is extremely true. ”

But it was said that in Hengyang City, Zhong Xiang was drenched in a burst of rain when he went out to fight, and he was worried about the situation in Changsha, and the more he thought about it, the more angry he became until he fell asleep in the middle of the night.

It was mid-morning the next day, and Zhong Xiang hadn't gotten up yet, so the soldiers could only remind him outside the door.

After shouting several times, Zhong Xiang finally agreed: "Help me up!" ”

As soon as he heard the voice, his voice was hoarse, and the soldiers hurriedly pushed the door in.

Zhong Xiangzheng had a high fever and instructed his soldiers: "Call Xie Shenggong here, don't let others know that I'm sick, and don't even find Langzhong." ”

Xie Baoyi soon came to pay homage, and was shocked when he saw Zhong Xiang's appearance: "Master, this is not the time to be sick!" ”

"Alas, I'm old, I'm exhausted these days, and it rained again yesterday," Zhong Xiang said, leaning against the bedside, "Changsha is probably going to be lost, and Da Chu may be gone." ”

Xie Baoyi said: "Changsha has Li Herong here, and it will not be a problem to hold on for two or three months. ”

Zhong Xiang said: "The enemy soldiers are coming to the city, and Zhong Xu has taken away Li Herong's military power. ”

"What?" Xie Baoyi screamed in shock.

"This idiot is simply confused," Zhong Xiang said helplessly, "I asked Li Herong, the commander-in-chief of Changsha, to defend, because I was afraid that someone would come to me, and I didn't think that Zhong Xu was so bold that he dared to trap Li Herong and put him under house arrest." The sky is going to die, what can I do? ”

Xie Baoyi stood on the spot, not knowing how to react.

Zhong Xiang said: "I have a reluctant request. ”

Xie Baoyi said: "That's what the master ordered." ”

"Your wife and children are all in Changsha, so you shouldn't have abandoned your family," Zhong Xiang said, "but I don't worry about others, so I can only ask you to do it." There is no enemy camp in the north, so after you get dark tonight, you will escape in the dark with the prince and find a place to live incognito. Don't think about revenge, don't rebel, let the prince find a village woman to marry, so as to continue my Zhong family's incense. ”

"If the minister is gone, and the master is sick again, what should this Hengyang do?" Xie Baoyi asked.

Zhong Xiang said: "In three days, I will surrender. In these three days, you will take the prince as far as you can. ”

"Minister...... Obey! Xie Baoyi had tears in his eyes.

These tears were shed not only for Zhong Xiang and Da Chu, but also for his wife and children, he knew that he would never see his family in his life.

That night, Xie Baoyi wrapped gold and silver around his waist, and left the city with Zhong Ziang, who was crying bitterly, hanging a basket, and told the guards that he was going to Changsha to move reinforcements.

The two of them disappeared into the world.

Zhong Xiang did not treat the high fever, and did not call a doctor during the whole process, but really carried it by himself.

By the third day, only symptoms such as cough remained.

He called all the generals and instructed: "Most of Changsha is gone, and you have followed me to fight for four years, and you have not enjoyed any wealth. Now that we're at the end of the road, let's open the city and surrender to the enemy. But they cannot surrender to those outside the city, who are not strict in military discipline, and will surely loot and kill indiscriminately after entering the city. The military discipline of the Ming army is excellent, and I told those bastards outside the city that let the Duke of Shu of the Ming Kingdom come and take Hengyang City in person. ”

"Your Majesty!"

The generals fell to their knees, and some people were crying loudly.

Zhong Xiang shook his head: "Your family is small, most of them are in Changsha, and you may be able to keep it if you surrender early." And stand down, and let me be alone for a while. ”

The generals wept again, and some persuaded Zhong Xiang to defend to the end.

Zhong Xiang waved helplessly, and after making trouble for a long time, he was the only one left in the house.

Zhong Xiang wrote down his last words, which was nothing more than asking Bai Qi to be kind to the surrendered soldiers and the people in Chu State.

After writing, it was enveloped and placed squarely on the table.

Zhong Xiang held the handle of the knife, a little nostalgic for this good world. After hesitating for a long time, he finally pulled out his knife and crossed his neck and ended his life.

It wasn't until the soldiers brought the food and shouted several times that they didn't answer, and then they pushed the door in to see the situation.

"Your Majesty......"

In the city of Hengyang, the whole army is in plain hands.

The remaining soldiers defended the city, resolutely not surrendering to the coalition forces outside the city, but waiting for Bai Qi to personally bring troops to receive them.

(End of chapter)