Wu Shigong led a group of officers on the hillside outside Wuchang City, watching with interest the two forts that had just been built at the foot of the hillside. Each of the two forts had a huge artillery piece.
These two artillery pieces were 18-pound heavy siege artillery newly developed and manufactured by the Workshop Division. They were ordered by Wu Shigong to be transferred here before the test was completed, in order to break the stalemate in the siege of Wuchang City.
In order to transport these two artillery pieces, the Runing Army used more than 3,000 soldiers and civilians to reinforce roads and bridges along the way, and used ten oxen to haul each artillery piece. It took nearly two months to transport the two artillery pieces.
The artillery was transported to the foot of Wuchang City.
Seeing the gunners on the fort raising the small flag in their hands and signaling "ready to launch", Wu Shigong and others took out cotton balls and stuffed them into the ears of themselves and their horses.
Xue Zhinong, the newly appointed commander of the personal soldiers, looked at the fort a hundred and fifty steps away, and asked Wu Shigong with a smile: "Uncle! It's so far away, do you still need to plug your ears?"
Wu Shigong also smiled and replied: "The master craftsman who escorted me here has told me several times that the power of this cannon is unimaginable. We should listen to the master craftsman's words!" After saying that, Wu Shigong also stuffed cotton into himself.
And in the ears of black feet.
Wei Feng, the deputy commander of the soldiers on the side, was observing the fort with a telescope in his hand, and his childish face showed excitement. Although he had also seen artillery firing, and even fired it several times himself, he
But he had never been exposed to such a huge artillery piece, so today, the childishness in Wei Feng's body was revealed unknowingly.
The gunners on the fort did not dare to light the cannon next to the artillery. They dragged a long match rope to a distance, and then after lighting the match, they immediately jumped into the bunker behind them, squatted down, lowered their heads, and covered their heads tightly.
Cover your ears.
"boom--!"
The ground shook and the mountains shook. The sound came and made people feel dizzy even if their ears were plugged. Some soldiers of the Runing Army who were close to the fort to watch the excitement were even knocked to the ground. The riders also stroked their horses.
To calm their frightened mood.
Everyone looked in the direction of Wuchang City. They saw that the wall of Wuchang City, a thousand steps away, seemed to be shaking a few times, and a huge plume of smoke and dust was rising. The officers with telescopes watched intently.
When the smoke and dust dispersed slightly at the impact point on the city wall, you could see that a deep dent had been made on the exposed city wall, and from the center, a large spiderweb-like crack spread out to all sides.
Seeing such a shooting effect, almost everyone took a breath of cold air, and then a feeling of elation surged in their hearts. With such terrifyingly powerful artillery, Wuchang City would not be able to hold on at all!
"boom--!"
The second artillery fire was also fired. As if it was an illusion, the walls of Wuchang City seemed to have collapsed a little. But when Wu Shigong and the others observed through the telescope: the Daxi Army soldiers on the wall were all running around in panic.
When they called out, Wu Shigong and others knew that if they fired a few more cannons, this section of the city wall would be blown down.
Wu Shigong smiled and took out the cotton balls from his and Heijia's ears, and patted Heijia's back to calm down Heijia who was full of fighting spirit. Then he told Xue Zhinong: "Let's stop here today!"
Give the city a chance and tell this guy Li Dingguo to surrender immediately."
Today's bombardment was to test the effectiveness of the shooting. It was also to deter the Daxi Army in the city. Seeing that the shooting effect was so good, Wu Shigong still wanted to surrender without fighting and recruit Li Dingguo, who was defending the city. Besides, the obstacles outside the city were also
Even if the city wall is blown down, the city cannot be attacked immediately. Therefore, Wu Shigong will make full preparations before attacking Wuchang City in one go.
But at this moment, more than a dozen cavalrymen with red flags on their backs came galloping towards them, which made Wu Shigong and others’ expressions suddenly change. This was the highest-ranking messenger in the Runing Army, and everyone understood
, there must have been a huge change somewhere.
Wei Feng hurriedly ran towards the couriers and took the letter from the leading courier before they stopped. Then he ran back to Wu Shigong and asked Wu Shigong to check that the seal was complete and then opened it immediately.
After receiving the letter, the cryptographer began to translate the secret language in the letter.
The coded letter was very short, and the code clerk translated it quickly. Wu Shigong took the letter, glanced at it, and said to the anxious Runing Army officers around him: "Shaanxi thieves came out in millions, and their troops were pointing directly at Beijing.
Usurping the throne and seizing it. What a troubled time!"
"Ah!" There were exclamations all around immediately.
"Sir! We need to return to the capital as soon as possible! My wife and the eldest son are in danger!" Zhou Xun said immediately. People like them, who were born in the capital, heard that Li Zicheng's Shun army was about to seize Beijing, and they immediately became concerned and confused.
"Sir! Will the bandits attack from the east and west, leave Tongguan and enter Henan, and attack our Runing army?" Chang Meng asked worriedly.
"We have to be on guard!" Wu Shigong nodded to Chang Meng, "In this situation, we must not mess up."
Wu Shigong looked at the smoke-filled Wuchang City in the distance, and his mind was racing rapidly. Now the various units of the Runing Army are intertwined with the enemy. If they act rashly, it is likely to affect the whole body.
The only ones who can maneuver are the more than 80,000 troops and horses of our own, so we must get out of Wuchang City as soon as possible.
So Wu Shigong immediately ordered Xue Zhinong: "Issue a final surrender order to the city: let him surrender within three days. If he does not surrender, he will no longer be summoned. Moreover, after Wuchang is captured, the city will be massacred, and all living creatures in the city will be killed."
If Li Dingguo surrenders, in addition to giving him official rewards, he is allowed not to fight against Zhang's thieves. This is the last condition!"
"promise!"
"The order is sent back to Runing, and all men of suitable age are to be enlisted in the army, and the general mobilization order is implemented."
"promise!"
"Xunzi, Biaozi! You two hurry up and gather in Xiongchui Town. Take advantage of the darkness tonight to march back to Nanyang. You must hold the line from Nanyang to Ruzhou. In case the Shaanxi bandits enter Henan, you must hold on to the main force in the north.
return."
"promise!"
"Inform the Hou Governor and ask him to order the Governor of Fengyang to mobilize 10,000 soldiers and horses as well as grain, mules and horses in the name of King Qin. When the main force here returns north and passes through Fengyang, he will take it with him to the north.
.”
"promise!"
"Send an order to Uncle Yongli, Shumo, Zuge, etc., to tell them not to cause chaos at this critical juncture, but to fight the Tatars according to the original deployment. They must not make rash maneuvers, expose flaws, and be captured by the Tatars.
Seize the opportunity. If the Tatars do not retreat, it is better to confront them. If the Tatars retreat, do not follow and pursue them. Wait for the northward rendezvous here, and then go to the capital together with King Qin."