Mei Shunchang, the commander of the Xiaoling Guard, silently watched the red color that was appearing under the night in the distance.
That's Moling Pass, which is still at war...
In fact, it is no longer just Moling Pass.
There, Huzi Zhao personally commanded 20,000 imperial troops, and in addition commanded by generals from various places who were happy to welcome the king's division, a total of 50,000 troops stormed Moling Pass.
But Moling Pass is only the core of the battlefield.
The reason why that place became the main target was simply because of the water transport of the Qinhuai River.
Of course it was impossible for Hu Zhaozhao to push a 10,000-kilogram cannon to the outer wall. Artillery of this level could only be transported by water. He could either take the Yangtze River and land on the bank, and then push it to the nearest gate of the outer wall for bombardment, or it could only be transported from Dangtu.
Take the Guxi River to enter Shijiu Lake, then take the Yanzhi River to enter the Qinhuai River, and finally take Molingguan to the outer wall. Even after blasting the outer wall, you can continue to water transport to the inner city to prepare for bombardment of the inner city wall.
Therefore, Hu Zhaozhao's troops heading north from Dangtu divided into two groups, attacking Moling Pass along the way and Lishui along the way, and even had to deal with spontaneous attacks by the people along the way.
There are too many unruly people.
At least according to the standards of the great Confucians of the Jianwen Dynasty, the current Yingtian Mansion can be regarded as full of unruly people.
Even in a place like Lishui, which can be said to be a place of Longxing culture, this is the case. After all, as a peripheral county of the capital, most of the young people in Lishui go to the capital to work in their spare time. The new education launched from the capital has also been popularized.
The successful occupation of Dangtu was only due to the huge difference in strength. The local people of Dangtu knew the consequences of resistance. Moreover, Dangtu was not a fortress, but the Sanshan Fort downstream.
There is no need to resist.
Let them go to Sanshan Fort.
But when Governor Hu began to attack the capital, unscrupulous people from Dangtu, Lishui, even Gaochun, Wuhu and other places began to take action. They were familiar with the situation around Shijiu Lake and directly drove small boats to continuously attack Governor Hu's logistics transportation.
That's it. The latter's logistics and transportation are solved by the local gentry upstream who are happy to welcome the king's division. The latter piece together loyalty in various places, which is nothing more than the young men of the clan, plus the rogues, and then use civilian ships to carry the supplies
Follow, and head east from Dangtu to Shijiu Lake. In this case, Governor Hu also had to set up part of the line to protect this line, especially at several key points. For example, not long ago at Tianshengqiao, his transport team was attacked by unscrupulous people.
As a result, many transport ships were burned.
In fact, although his military strength was less than 70,000, but with those so-called loyalties, the number of those who actually participated in the attack on the capital was 150,000...
The gentry in Jiangxi, even Huguang, Anqing and other places, especially those who farm, study and inherit the family, are now joining the ranks of loyalty like a carnival.
They have no way out.
If Hu Zhaozhao loses this time, then they will wait for Yang Feng to come back, and then pick them out one by one and bleed them.
He can't lose.
It can be said that he is the last hope of the landowners.
Landowners must go all out in this situation.
It can be said that what Yang Feng wants is being realized. The hidden anti-Yang forces in various places are being mobilized because of Hu Zhaozhao's overwhelming power. Those who originally had no courage now have the courage, and those who originally wanted to be on both sides of the fence also feel that it is time to make a bet.
, after all, at least from the perspective of Hu Zhaozhao's march, it was completely overwhelming. Even if we use historical examples, this is when Wang Jun landed in Yizhou on a boat, and the king of Jinling lost his power sadly.
Just waiting for Yang Feng's Qianxun Iron Chain to sink to the bottom of the river.
Also the iron rope crosses the river?
Since ancient times, no one who has crossed the river with an iron rope has won.
Not only the landlords, but also some of the hereditary officers of the guards began to join. After all, Yang Feng was stricter than Zhu Yuanzhang in restricting the power of the guards' officers.
Time is still short now, and many people have no time to react. After all, Hu Zhao Zhao is advancing too fast.
Next, if the capital city continues to be besieged, even if it cannot be opened, more hidden anti-Yang forces will still jump out to join. It is normal for the capital city to be unable to be opened in a short period of time. Everyone knows that the defense level of the capital city is simply not good.
It cannot be opened in a short time, but that is only because the power invested is not enough. In this case, everyone goes to help. One hundred thousand people cannot open the capital, but what about two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, and five hundred thousand?
Not enough cannons?
Among those old families who farm and study and pass down their families, who can’t build a few cannons with the copper coins buried in the ground?
Not enough soldiers?
Whose family doesn’t have hundreds of young people?
If you want soldiers, you have soldiers, if you want cannons, you have cannons. Anyway, if you lose, you will be divided into fields by him.
Of course we don't dare to fight desperately when there is no hope, but now the capital is surrounded, and Jianwen's army has reached the capital.
Still don’t dare?
Not only the gentry, but also the generals who hold military power will reveal their true colors in this process. Those who dare to rebel against Yang will of course join the Jianwen Dynasty. Even if they dare not join the Jianwen Dynasty, they can still delay the rescue to the capital, and then
Sit back and watch Jianwen's army conquer the capital. Including those who are ambitious, they can also delay and wait for Jianwen's army to conquer the capital. A capital city being conquered is indeed not a good thing for the country, but it is very beautiful for the feudal town.
In the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was captured again and again, and all the feudal towns were happy.
Similarly, if the capital of the Ming Dynasty was captured, how many vassal kings would there be in various places, and how many soldiers would be happy?
Of course, these have nothing to do with Commander Mei and his soldiers. They are just put here on guard because the Beijing camp has insufficient troops. The current guards in the capital are more like reserve forces in a sense, because the Beijing camp is from the capital.
Each guard was composed of elites. Due to limited resources, the remaining military households gradually began to become militiamen. They were no longer even required to maintain daily training. Each guard kept about a thousand people in the camp on a daily basis, and the others could do whatever they should do.
So now at Cangbo Gate, Commander Mei leads a thousand soldiers.
As for him being the grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, his mother is Princess Ningguo, the eldest daughter of Lao Zhu, and his father Mei Yin, although a noble man, is not good at military affairs.
Currently, Fengyang is staying behind.
But after all, his mother's status is respected. Although she is actually the second daughter, her elder sister, Princess Lin'an, is a concubine, so she is actually the head of the princesses. Even if the little princess sees her, she must obey the etiquette honestly. In this way, the commander of Xiaoling Guard will be very
He belongs to none other than him.
"Commander, Duke Cao is here!"
Commander Mei said to Qianhu next to him.
Mei Shunchang quickly looked along the city wall and saw Cao Guogong riding on horseback with dozens of servants under the kerosene lamp. The soldiers on guard on the city wall saluted.
He quickly stepped forward to greet him.
"Is there anything unusual about this Cangbo Gate?"
Li Jinglong said.
"This place faces the mountains and the river outside the door. I don't think the bandit army will come here."
Mei Shunchang said with a smile.
Strictly speaking, their two families are also relatives. His mother and Li Jinglong's father are cousins.
"You still have to be careful not to disturb Xiaoling."
Li Jinglong said.
As he said that, he turned around and handed over to Xiaoling, but at this moment, the kerosene lights representing Chaoyang Gate suddenly exploded in fiery red. You could even see something being blown away in the fiery red, and then
The fiery red color went out, and the original kerosene lights also disappeared. Among the original rows of kerosene lights on the city wall, an uncoordinated gap immediately appeared...
Li Jinglong and Mei Shunchang looked at each other.
Almost at the same time, flames shot out in the darkness outside the city.
Many soldiers who were caught off guard fell immediately...
"Enemy attack!"
The servant next to Li Jinglong shouted.
At this time, the explosions from Chaoyang Gate began to shock their eardrums.
Of course, they no longer care about where they are, because countless enemies outside the city have already rushed into the light illuminated by kerosene lamps. Because Cangbo Gate faces the mountains, there are not many residents to the east, only some masons quarrying stones.
These people have already retreated to the city. It is obvious that these enemies have hidden themselves in advance. But this does not mean that they can attack quickly, because there is water outside the Cangbo Gate. Otherwise, why is it called Cangbo? This is where the Liang River enters.
From the point inside the city, plus the river water coming out of the mountains, it basically looks like a small lake.
The enemies who suddenly surged out of the black, all bare-chested and with long swords, rushed into the light of the kerosene lamp like a group of moths rushing to the fire, and rushed into the water of the grain transport river at the same time.
The Xiaoling Guard soldiers who reacted on the city wall immediately opened fire.
Although there are no heavy artillery here, there are plenty of old-fashioned rapid-fire cannons. Protected by the parapet wall, the soldiers stretched out the muzzles of the rapid-fire cannons from each firing hole to bombard the enemies rushing into the river.
The latter immediately fell in pieces.
But this did not stop them. There seemed to be countless of them, and they rushed forward like crazy against the shells of rapid-fire cannons. Even though there were corpses in front of them, they stepped on the corpses of their companions and still rushed forward without fear of death.
The muzzles that sprayed flames at those guns were transformed into the same dead bodies one by one under the violent bombardment of cannonballs.
But this is not a Maxim machine gun after all, and it cannot stop this kind of death charge, especially since these guys are shirtless and can run at full speed without any weight.
Soon some people rushed across the grain canal and threw ropes upwards, but grenades were dropped one after another on the city wall, and these people kept falling in the light of the explosion.
And in the darkness behind them, the covering magic gun was still firing continuously.
But it was just to disturb the defenders. After all, the latter was behind the parapet. The outer wall was indeed made of rammed earth, but the parapet was made of blue bricks and bullets could not penetrate it.
"These lunatics!"
Li Jinglong on the city wall couldn't help but sigh with emotion when he heard the shouts outside that were obviously not in the Ming language.
"Ma's, it's Sada'er, a high-ranking official who used to receive a salary from the Jinyi Guards. He escaped because of the assassination of Yang Feng. Now these dogs have all gone south."
Mei Shunchang, who was lying on the perforation of the female wall, looked at an enemy general charging bravely and said.
The latter was also shirtless, holding a saber with both hands, and had already rushed into the grain transport river.
"Commander, reinforcements have arrived!"
an officer shouted.
At this time, relying on their bravery and fearlessness, the enemy troops outside had begun to climb the city wall.
But then the defenders began to throw Molotov cocktails down. This thing is now standard. In order to make it easier to break, concrete was even specially laid under the city wall, but it was mainly to protect the roots of the rammed earth wall to prevent it from being blistered.
But at the same time, he also threw Molotov cocktails at the defenders. Glass bottles and even porcelain bottles with burning strips of cloth were smashed on the concrete below, and then turned into explosive flames. The enemy troops below were instantly ignited by the raging fire.
Even those who were already climbing the city wall, after all, the flames shot up very high, and some brave soldiers even leaned out and fell on the city wall.
There are even worse ones who are pouring oil down from bottles.
There is fire everywhere down there, and as long as you get a little oil on your body, it will be ignited by the tongues of flames.
The enemies who attacked with their shirtless bodies fluttered in terror in the fire, and then screamed in agony as they were burned.
"So fast?"
Mei Shunchang was stunned for a moment.
Then he looked back at a group of people behind him who were dressed in mixed clothes. They all had cold weapons in their hands, especially crossbows. They looked more like armed people nearby.
but……
"Which guard?"
Li Jinglong's servant shouted.
"General, the little one came here from Lishui to transport grain. The boat is on the river behind. He just happened to come over to help."
The leader pointed to some ships behind and said.
The transportation of taxed grain around the capital is still based on the grain chief system. Although the corvee service has been abolished, due to the short distance, especially the smooth waterway, the grain chiefs from various places in Yingtianfu still organize the transportation of young and strong grains to the capital. However, after the transportation, the transportation volume is determined.
subsidy, and then basically take the money and go shopping in the city and bring it back, so the people are still very willing. As for the transportation outside Yingtianfu, it has been completely commercialized. The transporter invoices at the warehouse and transports to the capital to collect the freight.
If there is less, you will have to pay for it yourself, but the freight is still very reasonable, especially since this kind of transportation does not need to pay taxes on all tax cards, and it also has priority.
So businessmen like it very much, after all, they can bring in more or less private goods.
Merchants are also responsible for supplying military rations to the north and other mountainous areas, but there are also time limits. If you fail to deliver them within the specified time, you will be beheaded.
It is true that they can make money as they please, and they also acquiesce in bringing in private goods, but they must also bear responsibility.
If the deadline is missed, the person will be beheaded and the house will be ransacked.
Therefore, if there is really a possibility of delay, merchants will ensure that the military rations are delivered even if they purchase them locally at high prices.
"I think you are loyal."
The servant said.
Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, and the servant quietly made a gesture.
At this moment, those people arrived at the bridleway and hurriedly walked up the bridleway. But when they were almost halfway along, the servant suddenly shot a kerosene lamp pillar on the city platform...
On top of these lampposts is a fifty-pound oil drum. On top of the oil drum are the wick and glass cover. The lampposts are fixed on the outside of the city platform, including those on the city wall.
If necessary, drain oil directly downwards.
Of course, the effect of being hit by him was the same. In the oil barrel that was pierced by the bullet, the kerosene poured directly downwards, then fell on the horse road in the astonished eyes of those people, and then flowed downwards along the blue brick horse road.
, the leader looked at the servant in astonishment. The latter smiled coldly, then took the torch handed over by his companion, and threw it at his feet. The next moment, the place turned into a sea of fire, and the leader used a venomous roar in the fire.
Look at him.
Then he rushed upward like crazy with his body covered with fire.
But before he could run a few steps, he finally couldn't bear the burning of the fire and fell down on the road with a scream.
And those behind them jumped out of the horse path with their bodies covered with fire.
But the kerosene above the head was still falling, and was even blown away by the wind and turned into raindrops. Then, before it fell, it was ignited by the rising flames and turned into a rain of fire...