Chapter 353: Stalemate and Heading North (please reward)
However, just as Zhao Xiaosi finished speaking, an arrow was shot out in the next moment.
He jumped over the crenel and with a pop, shot through Zhao Xiaosi's thigh and nailed it to the ground.
"ah……"
Zhao Xiaosi subconsciously let out a scream because of the severe pain.
However, just as his screams rang out, several arrows were fired in unison.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Zhao Xiaosi's body was covered with arrows, but he did not scream anymore.
Because he is already dead!
An arrow accidentally shot into his eye socket, completely taking away his life.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The rifle gunners on the top of the city pulled the triggers one after another, and threw arrows in the direction of Zhao Xiaosi. The Qing archers who fired cold arrows were killed one after another.
It can be regarded as revenge for Zhao Xiaosi!
But even so, Zhao Xiaosi could not survive!
This is the battlefield!
Death is the battlefield that comes to your head without knowing when.
…
Zhao Erhu finished his inspection of the wounded barracks and prepared to go to the fortress city for a walk.
The hard battle in the first two days was coupled with the cold-blooded duel in the following period.
Although the Ming army caused a lot of damage to the Qing army, they also suffered many casualties themselves.
Especially those soldiers who were on duty and patrolling at the top of the city were constantly hit by cold arrows from the Qing army.
The Qing army used heavy arrows, which had strong armor-piercing capabilities. Even if the Ming army was lucky enough to survive the arrow, its injuries would not be considered minor.
Therefore, there are a large number of wounded in the wounded barracks!
The appearance of a large number of wounded soldiers made the morale of the Ming army somewhat low!
If not, the Ming army had a complete medical system to ensure that every wounded person could receive the best treatment.
I'm afraid the morale in the army will only get lower!
Under such circumstances, Zhao Erhu needed to shoulder his own responsibility for the defense of Zhoushan, patrolling everywhere and appeasing the soldiers.
A neat row of listening urns is buried at the base of the fortress wall.
Soldiers with sensitive hearing placed their ears against the mouth of the urn to monitor what was going on underground.
Ancient China already had the means of digging tunnels to attack cities!
So, the city defender came up with something like a listening urn!
This wave of Ming army can be regarded as picking up the ancestors' things and using them.
In order to prevent the Qing army from attacking the city, great pains were taken.
After all, this trick of attacking a city in a cave is really unsolvable!
Unless the enemy is discovered digging a tunnel in advance, there is almost no way to deal with it.
Zhao Erhu walked around the base of the city wall, but did not choose to visit the city.
The cold arrows of the Qing army were extremely accurate. As the garrison of Zhoushan and the backbone of Zhoushan's thousands of Ming troops, he could not take risks by climbing onto the city.
If he rushed to the city rashly, he would be killed by the cold arrows of the Qing army like Juniper in the Battle of Saarhu.
That’s the end of calling the calf!
Zhao Erhu led the team through, and suddenly, a Ming soldier trotted over and opened his mouth to report.
"Master Guard, I heard something moving underground!"
Zhao Erhu's expression condensed, and then he spoke.
"Sure?"
The Ming soldier nodded vigorously and said.
"My subordinates heard the sound of shovels digging into the earth in the listening urn. It must be the Qinglu who are digging tunnels."
Zhao Erhu said.
"Instruct the entire army to prepare for battle!"
"Dig the tunnel in reverse direction, prepare wet firewood to make smoke, and pour the tunnel backward!"
"Then prepare to divert water and flood the tunnel!"
Zhao Erhu gave the order and the Ming army made preparations.
Tunnels were dug backwards from the city, and firewood, arsenic, etc. for making smoke were also prepared in advance.
…
It was night and the tunnel was finally dug!
Just as the Qing army was preparing to fill the tunnels with gunpowder and prepare to blow up the city.
Suddenly, thick smoke billowed out of the tunnel, causing the Qing soldiers and the miners responsible for digging the tunnel to cough.
A feeling of suffocation came over me!
They began to scramble to escape from the tunnel.
Amidst the billowing smoke, some people successfully escaped from the tunnel, while others were choked to death in the tunnel.
Large clouds of thick smoke came out of the tunnel entrance!
Seeing this scene, Shi Lang knew that his plan to attack the city in the cave had failed.
When the thick smoke in the tunnel dissipated on the second day, Shi Lang did not give up and sent people to check in the tunnel again.
However, I learned that the current tunnels were filled with water, and a small section of the tunnels even collapsed due to water intrusion.
The deeper situation is unknown!
In the next few days, several tunnels prepared by the Qing army were discovered one by one by the Ming army and then defused.
The method is very simple, using poisonous smoke and water, but it is surprisingly effective.
The Qing army's siege methods were once again neutralized, Shi Lang was no longer able to attack the city, and the war in Zhoushan once again reached a stalemate.
…
Luzon!
Zhu Hongyu returned to Luzon and did not have time to rest for long before he led his army to set off again.
Standing on the dock, Zhu Hongyu reached out and hugged Li Lingxiu gently, and then said softly.
"wait me back!"
Li Lingxiu nodded vigorously.
After saying that, Zhu Hongyu let go of Li Lingxiu, waved his hand and ordered.
"Instruct all ministries to board the ship according to the organizational structure and set off!"
Groups of Liberation Army troops began to board ships according to different organizational systems, preparing to rush to the battlefield.
Zhu Hongyu also boarded his ship again!
The fleet set sail and began to pull anchor and head north!
In addition to the 3,000 garrisons left in Luzon and Qiongzhou respectively, as well as the troops originally assigned to stay in Hong Kong, Zhoushan and other places.
Zhu Hongyu mobilized almost all the troops he had.
Among them, there are 25,000 in the army and 10,000 in the navy!
In this battle, it can be said that everyone came out with their swords pointed at the Qing court!
Standing on the bow of the boat, looking at the seascape in the distance, Zhu Hongyu's eyes were full of edge.
He spoke in a low voice.
"No victory, no return!"
The generals behind Zhu Hongyu spoke one after another.
"No victory, no return!"
"No victory, no return!"
"..."
Not long after, like a contagious plague, the slogan of "no victory, no return" resounded throughout the entire fleet!
The low slogans seemed to express their determination...and their determination to win!
This time the Ming army's fleet was very large, excluding the fleet controlled by Zhu Hongyu and the Zheng family's fleet.
Under the military government, almost all maritime merchant ships were recruited by the Ming army to transport logistics and troops for the army.
The huge fleet set off from Luzon, blocking out the sky and heading northward!
The Li family once again seized this opportunity and volunteered to continue transporting logistics supplies for the army.
Zhu Hongyu naturally has no reason to disapprove!
…
Zhu Hongyu's ship, in the command room.
A group of Ming army generals and staff officers were intensely discussing the specific plans for the Northern Expedition to Guangdong.
Chief of Staff Xu Bin stood up and said.
"Judging from what is currently known, after the Qing government dispatched green battalions from Hunan and Guangxi to reinforce Guangdong, the number of troops garrisoned in Guangdong Province is at least 40,000!"
"If Shang Kexi recruits the banner men under the Pingnan Prince's Mansion, the number may even reach 50,000."
"As for the current strength of our army, the Liberation Army has 25,000 land troops, plus the 10,000-person land force that King Yeonpyeong can muster."
"The total strength is probably around 35,000. Even including the Marine Corps, this number is only 36,000."
"In terms of military strength, our army is at a disadvantage in this battle!"
Zheng Chenggong is still mobilizing his troops, preparing to join Zhu Hongyu at the mouth of the Pearl River before attacking Guangdong together.
Zheng Chenggong was not present, Zhu Hongyu said directly.
"The naval battle under King Yanping's command is sharp, but as for the land battle, except for the few elites such as the personal guards directly under King Yanping and the Iron Man Army, the rest of the troops do not need to consider them!"