Chapter 708 Recovering Tianjin (please subscribe and vote monthly)
Three days ago, in the suburbs of Tianjin!
With the sound of cannons, the Ming army outside Tianjin City attacked from front to back and launched the final attack on Tianjin City.
One by one, the heavy artillery was dragged to the predetermined gun position!
Then they began to pour firepower towards Tianjin City!
Boom! Boom!
A huge plume of gunpowder smoke rose from the Ming army's artillery position outside the city, and the shells fell towards the city of Tianjin as if they were free of charge.
The bricks and stones of the Tianjin city wall were smashed by the solid shells, and the explosive shells were shot into the Tianjin city and exploded. Balls of fire raged, sweeping everything.
The roar of heavy artillery rumbles!
The Ming army battleships parked in Haihe River also began to pour out firepower, and each naval gun roared to their heart's content.
The shells rained down on the city of Tianjin as if they were free of charge.
Solid artillery shells, explosive shells, shrapnel shells, and countless other kinds of artillery shells were constantly flying in the air.
Tianjin City seemed to be submerged by the Ming army's artillery shells!
All the sounds between heaven and earth disappeared, leaving only the continuous rumbling sound of artillery fire, as if it was a punishment from heaven.
Zhu Hongyu stood under the banner that represented his identity, squinting and looking in the direction of Tianjin City.
Seeing the city of Tianjin being covered by the Ming army's artillery fire, there was no wave in the depths of his eyes, only a calmness as if it were a flat lake.
Zhao Liangdong, who had recently surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, stood behind Zhu Hongyu and looked at the city of Tianjin that was being hit by artillery fire. Now there was only one emotion called happiness remaining in his heart.
That's nothing more than destroying the world, right?
Fortunately, he surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, with the artillery power of the Ming army, how long could Baoding last without falling?
Looking at the Emperor of Heaven standing in front of him, Zhao Liangdong's eyes became more and more respectful.
Because the emperor in front of him is the actual controller of such a power that can destroy the heaven and the earth!
Under the overwhelming bombardment of the Ming army, the city walls of Tianjin gradually turned into ruins, and large numbers of buildings in the city collapsed.
The Qing army could only have some breathing space by hiding in the trenches inside the city.
Boom! Boom!
Artillery shells kept falling in Tianjin City, making the ground tremble.
Beng Fook stood in a bomb-proof cave, with a solemn expression on his face.
Looking at the Tianjin city outside the cave, which was gradually turned into ruins under the shelling of the Ming army, his face was full of worry.
Originally, he had no intuitive impression of the tragic situation reported by the Qing army defenders under the Ming army's shelling from Dagukou.
I just feel that what the person below described is a bit exaggerated.
Now, when the Ming army's heavy artillery shells landed on his own head, Mingfu realized that the description of the Qing army defenders at Dagukou was not an exaggeration.
The Ming army's artillery bombardment really seemed to destroy the world!
Who can avoid being confused by this kind of bombardment that is as powerful as heaven?
At this time, Hatu braved the cannon fire and ran all the way to Mingfu. He cupped his fists and said.
"Master and slaves have already arranged things!"
"The war horses have been gathered together and have enough food and water. We can withdraw from Tianjin City at any time and break out of the encirclement!"
Upon hearing this, Mingfu straightened his Eight Banners cotton armor, nodded slightly and said.
"Send the order, the whole army is here, prepare to break out immediately!"
As he spoke, he put the helmet with the tall lightning rod on his head and led the team outside the shell-proof cave.
In Tianjin City, the rumbling explosions almost never stopped as artillery shells landed one after another.
Some artillery shells fell into the trenches, and the shock wave of the explosion lifted the Qing troops hiding in the trenches into the sky.
Not all of the artillery used by the Ming army in their bombardment were direct-firing cannons, but there were also many large-caliber mortars that could shoot curved trajectories.
These mortars may not have the same range as direct-firing cannons, but they can project explosive shells into the enemy's trenches in a curve.
The lethality is equally impressive!
Just before Ming Fu was preparing to break out, the forwards of the Ming army also began to attack Tianjin City under the cover of artillery bombardment.
The shrill charge horn sounded, and a large red wave appeared on the earthy earth.
In order to minimize casualties during the attack, the Ming army did not launch a concentrated charge, but adopted skirmishing tactics that were very rare in this era.
Of course, this is because the high-precision shooting of rifled guns is enough to equal the fire suppression that a dense array of smoothbore gunners can exert on the enemy.
In addition, it has something to do with the Ming army's powerful artillery power!
The crackling gunfire sounded one after another, and lead bullets were continuously fired on the mounds of soil piled up in front of the Qing army's trenches.
Clouds of smoke and dust were exploded from the mound!
The Qing troops in the trenches were suppressed by the Ming army's shelling and rifled guns and could not raise their heads. They could only watch helplessly as the Ming army's offensive troops continued to advance forward.
Occasionally, Qing troops poked their heads out of the trenches to counterattack, but they could not hinder the Ming army's charge.
Gradually, Qing army musketeers began to hide in the trenches, choosing to raise their muskets above their heads to shoot.
They even raised their muskets above their heads and fired a volley!
It's just a pity that due to the lack of aim, the poor hit rate of the musket, and the Ming army's offensive troops using skirmishers to charge.
Therefore, the Qing army's volleys did not have much effect.
Although occasionally Ming soldiers were hit by muskets and suffered casualties, it did not hinder the overall offensive of the Ming army.
"Grenade!"
"Throw!"
With a loud shout, the grenadiers threw grenades into the Qing army's trenches.
At the same time, the Qing army also threw inferior grenades from the trenches at the Ming army's attacking troops.
The grenades thrown by both sides exploded almost at the same time!
Amidst the rumbling explosions, fire and debris swept around along with shock waves and smoke.
In just the blink of an eye, several Ming soldiers were hit by fragments.
The sharp fragments easily tore apart their breastplates and tore apart their bodies, and the shock wave pushed them away.
Finally it landed like a rag bag!
"Get down! Get down!"
The experienced veterans shouted loudly, and while making corresponding tactical actions themselves, they also reminded their comrades.
Tang Aren was lying on the ground, his heart beating violently. He could even feel the sound of shrapnel passing over his head.
"The riflemen provide covering fire, the others continue to follow me!"
Tang Aren shouted loudly, got up from the ground, and continued to charge while wearing a belt.
The Ming army suffered heavy casualties under the Qing army's grenades.
However, the Qing army in the trench was also stunned by the Ming army's grenades. Before the poorly trained Qing green battalion soldiers could react, the Ming army's offensive troops jumped into the trench.
"kill!"
"Destroy the enemy!"
"..."
With a loud shout, Tang Aren continued to lead the way.
As a grassroots officer, he inevitably has to lead the charge.
This has also been the practice of the Liberation Army since its establishment. Although senior officers are strictly prohibited from charging, lower-level officers are required to lead the charge to boost morale.
A Qing soldier was stunned by the grenade. Just as he was about to get up from the ground, he was greeted by a bayonet.
With a pop, the bayonet pierced his throat!
The blood is sprayed out as if there is no money!
Tang Aren drew out his bayonet and continued to lead the team to clear the Qing army's trenches.
In the distance, Qing army musketeers aimed at the Ming army and started shooting.
There was a snap, and a cloud of smoke rose from the muzzle of the gun. Tang Aren, who was rushing at the front, felt a huge force coming from his chest, and his whole body flew backwards involuntarily.
The next moment, the riflemen of the Ming Army all pulled the triggers, and the Qing Army musketeer fired.
In the blink of an eye, he was shot into a hornet's nest!
His body was torn with bloody holes by lead bullets, and then he fell to the ground.
Screaming and wailing!
"Company Commander, Company Commander, are you okay?"
"Hygienist, come hygienist!"
"..."
Several Ming soldiers surrounded the fallen Tang Aren in the middle, their faces full of anxiety.
"cough!"
"Cough cough cough!"
"..."
Tang Aren, who was lying on the ground, let out a series of coughs, and the severe pain in his chest made the expression on his face slightly distorted.
His steel breastplate saved his life!
Although the Ming army was not yet able to popularize steel breastplates to the entire army, the breastplates of most soldiers were still made of iron.
However, they are fully equipped for the grassroots officers who are at the forefront of every battle and whose casualty rate remains high.
Tang Aren stretched out his hand and tremblingly pulled off a severely deformed lead bullet from the breastplate on his chest, and then let out a heartbreaking cough again.
Tang Aren waved his hand and said bravely.
"I'm fine, help me up, let's continue the attack!"
At this moment, the health worker came up with a stretcher, took off Tang Aren's breastplate without saying a word, and began to check his injuries.
It took him a moment to come to a conclusion.
"I suffered a heavy blow to the chest. It is conservatively estimated that four ribs were broken. There should be cracks in the sternum, and the internal organs were also impacted."
Tang Aren asked, grinning in pain.
"Can I still lead the charge?"
The hygienist said unceremoniously.
"If you miss, just keep rushing!"
After saying this, the hygienist turned to the others and said.
"Don't be stunned. Someone will help carry the person onto the stretcher and send him to the hospital immediately!"
With that said, several people came forward, lifted Tang Aren onto the stretcher, and carried him to the rear.
Jia Qijin, the deputy company commander of the company, took over the command and spoke.
"Brothers, the company commander has been injured, and I will take command next!"
"Let's keep going!"
After that, he led the team and continued to rush towards the next direction of the Qing army.
Under the fierce attack of the Ming army, although the Qing army occasionally counterattacked, the intensity of the counterattack was not high.
Since Ming Fu had transferred all the Eight Banners troops, he was preparing to evacuate Tianjin.
In the absence of the Eight Banners soldiers to supervise the battle, these green battalion soldiers who were pushed to the front line behaved quite a lot.
Although it is not that it will collapse at the first touch, it is not much different.
Even though they were far away, these green soldiers still dared to exchange musketry with the Ming army.
But if they get close, when it comes to bayonet fighting, most of the Green Camp soldiers will choose to drop their weapons and surrender, or throw away their weapons and run away.
In just the blink of an eye, the Ming army broke through several Qing army trench defense lines.
Killed, wounded and captured nearly a thousand Qing Army Green Camp soldiers!
The offensive is quite fierce!
Because everyone in the Ming army knew that the Ming emperor was behind and watching them fight, their morale and fighting will were naturally very high.
After all, there are not many opportunities to show your face in front of the emperor!
At this moment, with a series of deafening explosions, the North Gate of Tianjin was blown open by the Qing army themselves.
Amidst the smoke and dust in the sky, a Qing army elite cavalry with one man and two horses rushed out of Tianjin City.
Head towards the weak point of the Ming army's encirclement!
The meaning is quite obvious, they want to break out!
The horses' hooves trample the ground, the bubble nails on the cotton armor reflect the dazzling sunlight under the sun, and the sharp swords shine with cold light.
One by one, the Mongolian cavalry armed with swords and bows charged forward, followed closely by the Manchu heavy armor.
Ming Fu did not wear his rather conspicuous Eight Banners Commander's armor, but wore an ordinary Eight Banners cotton armor and blended in with the crowd to avoid being taken care of by the Ming army during the breakout.
…
Zhu Hongyu held a telescope in his hand and looked at the direction of the Qing army's breakout. He just sneered and said to Zhang Meng beside him.
"Give me the order and act according to the plan!"
"Don't let the Qing army escape!"
Zhang Meng said with his fists clasped.
"Your Majesty, don't worry, the general will understand!"
After saying that, he turned around and gave the order.
Not long after, the flag of the Ming army's central army changed, and ambushes suddenly appeared everywhere.
In fact, Zhu Hongyu deliberately exposed the loopholes in the Ming army's encirclement outside Tianjin to the Qing army, allowing the Qing army to leave the city and break out of the encirclement.
To put it bluntly, it is a typical tactic of surrounding three and missing one!
Give the enemy hope of a successful breakout, lest they remain stubborn in the city and refuse to surrender, thereby hindering our own attack on the city.
But in fact, this hope is false!
Surrounded by three, one is missing. The missing one is not a way of life, but a way of death!
As long as you can't hold on in the city and break through this gap, the only outcome waiting for you is defeat.
The siege party usually arranges traps and ambushes here to ambush the defenders who want to break out.
The Qing army's breakout team roared past, relying on the speed advantage of its cavalry to rush out of the Ming army's encirclement.
However, what greeted them was not the joy of a successful breakout, but a neat row of Ming army heavy cavalry.
The flag of the heavy cavalry of the Ming Army changed, and they began to charge forward amidst the harsh brass whistles.
The horse's hooves trample the earth and the soil splashes!
Red armor and spears flashing with cold light formed a neat cavalry array, charging forward.
"kill!"
"Break the formation!"
"..."
The heavy cavalry of the Ming army launched a wall cavalry charge.
Countless spears densely formed a forest, crushing towards the front.
The ground was trampled by the horses' hooves, and the ground roared endlessly, and the tassels on the cavalry were extremely eye-catching.
The neat array moves forward like a wall!
In the blink of an eye, they rushed in front of the Qing cavalry who had just broken through the encirclement. In the next moment, the Qing cavalry was plowed by the Ming army's wall cavalry charge.
Countless Qing cavalrymen fell off their horses, were trampled to pulp by countless horseshoes, and were pierced by sharp spears and turned into candied haws.
Countless limbs and broken arms were left on the battlefield!
Only a small part of the Qing army broke through the formation and survived the Ming army's wall-mounted cavalry charge.
They didn't dare to look back at all and fled out of the battlefield as if their lives were lost!
However, at this moment, another group of light cavalry under the banner of the Ming Army appeared at the end of the distant horizon.
This light cavalry didn't even hesitate at all. The moment it appeared on the battlefield, it roared towards the remnants of the Qing army.
"Kill!"
"Kill the prisoners!"
The first thing to arrive was a dense rain of arrows.
The cavalry of both sides fired at each other, and each suffered casualties during the flying arrows.
Then came the hand-to-hand combat, with sabers slashing and lances stabbing each other.
Since the Ming army's cavalry had an absolute numerical advantage, the battlefield was almost a one-sided massacre.
Countless Qing cavalrymen were knocked off their horses and then trampled to pulp by the horses' hooves!
"Kill! Kill the prisoners!"
"The bright thief shall die!"
The weapons exchanged, sparks flying out.
The saber clanged as it struck the armor.
Most of the guards around Ming Fu had been dismounted, and he could only fight to the death on his own.
Then he discovered a truth that made him despair!
His saber slashed at the Ming cavalry, unable to break the armor at all.
However, when the Ming army's saber slashed at him, the protective effect of the cotton armor on his body was very limited. Only the lined chain armor could provide a certain protective effect.
Touching the gap in the cotton armor on his waist and abdomen, Mingfu's face turned gloomy.
When he looked up, he suddenly discovered that most of the Eight Banners soldiers beside him were dead or injured, and their numbers were seriously reduced again.
Boom!
Boom!
This was the roar of horses' hooves trampling the ground. The Ming army's cavalry turned their horses and charged towards Ming Fu's troops again.
"kill!"
"Kill the prisoners!"
"..."
Wutuo held a spear in his hand and took the lead, shouting and killing the Qing army in front of him.
In order to prove his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, after surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, Wutuo fought bravely and rushed to the front in every battle.
It’s like this now too!
Facing the defeated Qing army that escaped from Tianjin, Wutuo showed everyone what it means to be brave and unstoppable.
A spear was thrust at him, and Ming Fu subconsciously dodged and leaned his body sideways.
He thought he could avoid the spears of the enlightened army in this way, but in the next moment, he knew that he was wrong.
There was a loud bang, and when the spear grazed the armor, Ming Fu felt a huge force coming from his side.
The spear shaft hit Ming Fu's chest mercilessly!
Wu Tuo missed the target with one thrust, so he immediately changed his thrust to a throw, using the front end of the spear as the point of force, knocking the opposite Ming Fu off his horse.
Mingfu was hit hard on his side, and he fell off his horse due to instability. He was thrown to pieces.
"ah……"
"Protect the master!"
"The master has fallen from his horse, protect the master!"
"..."
Now the Eight Banners soldiers around Ming Fu were all good slaves who loyally protected their master. Seeing that their master was defeated, these good slaves also gave up the chance to escape, got off their horses, and surrounded Ming Fu in the middle.
Around these Eight Banners, the Ming army's cavalry quickly formed an encirclement.
The sharp spears are aimed at the Eight Banners soldiers in the encirclement!
Further outside, there were cavalrymen bending their bows and setting arrows, ready to throw arrows at the Eight Banners soldiers in the encirclement.
The dismounted Eight Banners soldiers also held up their spears, with their spear points forming a circle.
Or bend your bow and set an arrow to target!
The situation on the battlefield has formed a temporary stalemate!
Wutuo jumped out of the formation on horseback. At this moment, he looked like an evil ghost killed from the Shura Hell. His whole body was covered with bloodstains, including people and horses.
His eyes swept around the Eight Banners soldiers who were surrounded, and Wu Tuo said coldly.
"Surrender or die!"
Ming Fu had just been thrown off his horse and broke one of his legs, exposing his bone stubble. He was in severe pain and now needed help to stand up.
The expression on his face was full of distortion caused by pain.
"Hehe...hehe!"
"I am a member of the Qing Dynasty in life and a ghost of the Qing Dynasty in death. I will never surrender to the Ming thieves!"
After saying this, Ming Fu pulled out the saber from his waist with a clang and placed the saber around his neck.
Then he pulled it back hard, and with a pop, the sharp blade cut through the flesh, and blood spurted out.
A series of whooshing sounds came from Mingfu's throat, and the blood stained the cotton armor on his body red. His body limply fell into the arms of the Eight Banners soldiers who were supporting him.
Gradually die from exhaustion!
"master!"
"Master!"
"Master, go slowly, I will go with you!"
"..."
When these Eight Banners soldiers saw that their master was dead, many of them chose to kill themselves with their swords and follow their master.
But there are also more people who choose to throw away their weapons and kneel on the ground to beg Wutuo to surrender.
Wutuo reported the news to Zhu Hongyu, who nodded and agreed without thinking.
"Let's take the surrendered Qing troops into custody for now!"
Looking away from Wutuo, Zhu Hongyu looked at Tianjin City not far away and gave an order.
"I ordered someone to take Ming Fu's head, and then use it to persuade the defenders in Tianjin to surrender!"
"If you don't surrender, we will kill them all after we break the city!"
Tianjin's city defense is very good. If the defenders in the city insist on not surrendering, it will be a big trouble for the Ming Dynasty.
Although it would not be a big problem for the Ming army to attack Tianjin, Zhu Hongyu still wanted to persuade him to surrender if he could.
It can only be said that the result was not what Zhu Hongyu expected. Faced with the Ming army's persuasion to surrender, the remaining Qing troops defending the city in Tianjin chose to surrender without any hesitation.
The Eight Banners soldiers abandoned them and ran away. Why did they, a group of Han people, need to die for the Qing Dynasty?
The Qing Dynasty is in such a bad state now, it looks like it is about to overturn and sink the ship. Only a fool would devote all his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty.
Not to mention that the moment they saw the bloody head of Ming Fu, the defenders of Tianjin City lost their will to fight.
What else is there to fight?
With the surrender of the Tianjin defenders, the Ming army also began to take over Tianjin's defense.
Zhu Hongyu watched helplessly as the Qing army's flag on Tianjin City was lowered, and instead the Ming army's flag appeared over Tianjin City.
Zhu Hongyu took a deep breath, turned around and returned to his tent.
"Send the order, let the army recuperate overnight, and then immediately break camp and head west!"
"Target, Beijing!"
Although the Battle of Tianjin seemed large in scale, it was far from intense.
The Ming army had just stretched its muscles and muscles. The reason why Zhu Hongyu ordered a night of repairs in Tianjin was just to allow the army to regain its strength, not because the Ming army was unable to fight.
Of course, there was also the reason why Zhu Hongyu wanted to resettle those Qing prisoners of war.
There were 20,000 to 30,000 Han troops in the green camp in Tianjin, and almost all of them surrendered.
These are almost all strong laborers. Zhu Hongyu must arrange these people well!
…
On the second day, it was just dawn!
Smoke from the cooking pots floated over the Ming army's camp, and the smell of meat wafted into the air.
For breakfast this morning, the Ming army had meat porridge and meat patties.
Cook porridge with marinated dried meat, add rice, some greens, carrots and other vegetables, and add enough oil and salt for seasoning.
In addition to meat porridge, there are also meat patties!
The meat wrapped in the meatloaf is not cured meat, but fresh meat.
The source of these fresh meats was the military supplies sent by the landlords and gentry in Northern Zhili.
In addition to a large amount of grain, these supplies also include a lot of vegetables, wine and meat.
Mix minced pork, mutton, chicken and duck meat together, add green onions or leeks to make a filling, top it up with white bread that has risen in advance, and then fry it in a pan until both sides are golden brown.
Such a meal was considered a luxury for ordinary small landowners, and it naturally improved their lives for the Ming army.
The food of the Ming army used to be very good. At least in this era, the food of the Ming army can be considered to be the highest in the world.
Not only were they full of rice and noodles, they could eat as much as they could, and they could even eat a meaty meal in two or three days. The armies of other countries in this era were far from reaching this level.
To put it bluntly, even if the Ming Dynasty was not short of money, Zhu Hongyu would still be willing to spend money on the army.
But even so, it was impossible for the Ming army to eat meat every meal.
The soldiers are all big-bellied men, and they all eat a lot. If they really want to eat meat every day, the court cannot afford to feed them!
But for this period of time, the Ming army ate like this almost every day, and had meat every meal.
The reason is also very simple. The landowners and gentry along the Ming Army's Northern Expedition sent too many supplies to reward the army. It would be a waste not to eat them.
In order to prepare meals for the whole army, the Ming Dynasty's cooking soldiers began to be busy before dawn, and they have been preparing meals.
By the time it gets dark and all the Ming army troops start blowing the morning bugle to wake up, the meals are almost ready.
After the troops of the Ming Dynasty organized their internal affairs, took roll call, and performed morning exercises, they began to line up for dinner.
The fragrant meat porridge and the oily big meat cakes made everyone in the Ming army very satisfied.
After breakfast, the Ming army immediately began to prepare for departure!
By early eight o'clock in the morning, the Ming army was ready to leave.
With the sound of the trumpet, the Ming army broke out of camp and headed west.
Transport ships were sailing on the Tonghui River one after another, hoping to pass through the Tonghui River and go straight to the capital.
Zhu Hongyu took his own guards and support, marched sideways, and marched with the Ming army.
The Ming army's marching team stretched for tens of miles in front and back, and the sentries were dispersed for dozens of miles.
"Wolf smoke is rising, the mountains and rivers are looking to the north, the dragon flag is rolling, the horse is neighing, and the sword energy is like frost!"
"The heart is like the vast water of the Yellow River. Who can resist it in twenty years?"
"Hateful and mad, the long sword is directed at me. How many loyal souls of my brothers and sisters are buried in a foreign country? How can I die to serve my family and country..."
"..."
A famous soldier sang a powerful war song and headed towards the capital.
This song praises Yue Fei's "Serve the Country with Loyalty" and is currently the most popular military song among the Ming Dynasty's army, second only to "The Battle Hymn of the Red Scarf Army".
The story of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and his recall by Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty made everyone in the Ming army regret it.
But now they were under the personal command of the Ming Emperor, and even under the personal command of the emperor, they launched the Northern Expedition to directly attack the old capital.
How lucky you are?
It is a great blessing for all soldiers in the world to have such an emperor who values military merit and is determined to make progress!
A qualified soldier is never afraid of being wrapped in horse leather. What they are afraid of is not being able to fight and not being able to prove their worth!
How can you not make people feel emotional?
Sometimes, the gap between emperors is really wider than the gap between humans and dogs!
If the one Yue Wumu was loyal to back then was the Emperor of Heaven today, he wouldn't have the eternal grievances of the Soul-Destroying Fengbo Pavilion, right?
Thinking of this, everyone's hearts were filled with pride and excitement, and their blood was boiling.
Because everyone knows that they are going to regain their old capital this time.
Ming Dynasty wants to unify the world and will never favor one side!
Not to mention that people from the south will return to the south and people from the north will return to the north.
To the Son of Heaven, all people in the world, regardless of region, are his subjects.
Similarly, in the Ming Dynasty, Lu Fangweng also used an almost desperate tone before he died.
Here are the words: "Wang Shibei fixed the day of the Central Plains, and he never forgot to tell Nai Weng about family sacrifices."
Because, for the Ming Dynasty, the day when Wang Shibei set the Central Plains was now, not the uncertain future!
The Ming Dynasty was not like the Southern Song Dynasty. There would be huge quarrels in the court over whether to go to the Northern Expedition.
When it comes to the Northern Expedition, no one in the court of the Ming Dynasty dared to mention the word "no"!
From the moment the two Song dynasties usurped the kingdoms of orphans and widowed mothers, they were destined to be inherently deficient from the very beginning.
There is weakness in his bones!
As the most righteous dynasty in history, the Ming Dynasty was founded on the basis of "driving out the Tartars and restoring China."
From the beginning of his birth, he was destined to be strong!
The Ming Dynasty cannot tolerate soft-hearted emperors, nor can it tolerate ministers who talk about peace talks!
…
The walls of the capital!
Obai stood at the top of the city, looking to the east.
A pair of eyes were full of solemn expressions, and the bright sun hung high in the sky, emitting endless light and heat, scorching the earth wantonly.
Bake cracks on the ground!
It was midsummer at this time, and the long drought and scorching high temperatures caused the moat outside Beijing to steam with steam.
Even some places with shallow water have turned into mud ponds.
It can be passed by wading, and its military value has been lost!
The summer climate in the capital is relatively dry, and even if other water systems are introduced into the moat, its flow will often dry up.
Normally, no one cares about it, because the moat in the capital is just a decoration and is not used under normal circumstances.
By the time the moat is used, it is already too late to manage it.
Although Obai has been rectifying the defense of the capital during this period of time, his focus is not on the moat.
Now looking at the dry moat outside, Obai's expression was not very good-looking.
At this moment, a group of cavalry rushed towards the end of the horizon in the distance.
But looking at the flag, it was not the cavalry of the Ming army, but the sentry cavalry of the Qing army scattered outside.
These sentries came all the way towards the capital. With a creak, the gates of the capital opened wide, and the sentries ran straight into the city.
The leading sentry rider ran all the way to Obai, bowed and said.
"Reporting to Shaobao, our sentry cavalry came into contact with the Ming thief's vanguard cavalry. The Ming thief's vanguard is less than thirty miles away from the capital!"
Ao Bai had a solemn look on his face, nodded slightly and said.
"Get up!"
The sentry rider got up from the ground, and then stood aside very respectfully, waiting for Obei's questions.
Obai squinted his eyes and looked in the east direction and asked.
"Have you ever found out how many soldiers and horses the Ming thief has?"
The sentry rider shook his head helplessly and said.
"Reporting to Shaobao, the Ming thief's cavalry completely blocked the entire battlefield. Our army's sentry cavalry was driven away by the Ming thief's cavalry before they could get close to the main force of the Ming thief."
Obai slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his eyes full of solemnity.
The infantry of the Ming thieves were capable and good at fighting. Needless to say, Oboi also knew this.
However, now, the Ming thief cavalry, who were originally very powerful, have begun to become good at fighting, and can even drive away the Qing cavalry on the battlefield.
This makes Obai very desperate!
The more he could see the Ming army's progress visibly, the more painful it was for him.
Waving his hand to signal the sentry to retreat, Obai was thinking about other things.
As Baoding and Tianjin were lost one after another, Obai began to question his strategy.
Questioning his decision to disperse the few troops at hand among Baoding, Tianjin and Beijing.
The triangle of defense seems to be quite solid at first glance!
But it also dispersed the Qing army's not-so-rich troops to three places.
Since the Qing army did not have the ability to engage in field battles with the Ming army, there was no difference at all from dividing the troops to death and allowing the Ming army to defeat them one by one.
Originally, Obai didn't feel anything happened until Baoding and Tianjin fell one after another, and he was completely unable to send troops to rescue.
Only then did he realize how stupid his operation was!
If the Qing army's triangular defense line was used to deal with the Ming army's small-scale Northern Expedition, it might be feasible when the Ming army's strength was not too large.
Once the Ming army concentrated its main force and launched a large-scale Northern Expedition, facts proved that the Manchu Qing's so-called triangle defense line was vulnerable to a single blow in the face of absolute strength.
Obai really felt a deep sense of powerlessness now.
Is this what is called, in the face of absolute strength, everything is just a cloud?
…
Loud military songs resounded all around, neat footsteps, sharp bayonets, and strict formations made the Ming army look neat even when they were marching.
Zhu Hongyu is sitting on horseback, and the golden helmet and armor on his body is very conspicuous, and the red cloak behind him makes him even more powerful and heroic.
"Report!"
"Your Majesty, the vanguard of our army has made contact with the Qing Dynasty sentries. Our army is less than thirty miles away from the capital!"
Zhu Hongyu squinted his eyes and said.
"Send the order and the army will march faster!"
"We need to arrive at the outskirts of the capital before dark today, and then set up camp on the outskirts of the city!"
After Zhu Hongyu finished speaking, several messengers around him bowed in agreement, and then they all trotted forward to deliver the order.
Suddenly, the Ming army's march speed accelerated a lot!
The smoke and dust rising from the ground are becoming more and more obvious!
…
ps: A 9,000-word chapter is enough, so I’m too lazy to divide it into chapters!