In the city of Ningxia, target shooting operations are in full swing.
The roar of gunfire echoed above the two wooden towers. With every gunshot, the rebel defenders on the wall were about to fall. The steel balls hit their bodies, penetrated their armor, penetrated into their flesh and blood, and shot out.
A bloody hole made them fall down screaming.
In order to defend against the opponent's attack, too many rebel defenders gathered on the wall in the direction of the main entrance of the Anhua Palace. Almost all of the thousands of rebels gathered here. The wall was only a few feet wide and a hundred and fifty paces long.
The walls are overcrowded.
Now, they were almost all exposed to the sight of the gunners on the wooden tower, and became live targets for them to shoot at will.
The rebel soldiers did not resist. Several crossbows on the fence adjusted their angles and tried to bombard the wooden tower. However, all the crossbow arrows they fired were blocked by the double-layer log fence. The crossbows tried to blast through the two-layer logs.
Protecting the fence takes a lot of effort and time.
But how could the other side give them a chance? In fact, the first target chosen by the gunners was the soldiers operating the crossbows. As soon as several crossbows fired a round, the unshielded operators were killed by the gunshots.
.After that, any rebel soldiers who tried to use the crossbow to shoot were undoubtedly the focus of attention. It was not possible to hold up a shield. The wooden shields equipped by the rebels would burst if they could not withstand a few steel bullets, and the people behind the shield would
He was shot immediately.
In this way, in the end, the area around Fangzi Nu was completely restricted to death. Unfortunately, except for Fangzi Nu, no long-range weapons could pose a threat to the wooden tower.
The wooden tower was one hundred and fifty steps away from the wall, which was completely beyond the effective range of the bow and arrow.
Even if a limited number of crossbows are barely within reach, they cannot kill the gunners hiding in the fence and shooting from the shooting holes. Moreover, everyone who dares to expose himself will bear the huge risk of being hit by the opponent.
.
The twenty cannon gunners on the tower were the twenty best shooters under Zhang Yanling. As long as their heads showed up, they would be shot. More than a dozen crossbowmen were shot through the forehead and died on the spot.
With the roar of bird cannons, the number of casualties on the wall increased sharply. The rebel soldiers on the wall were like a group of frightened chickens, with eagles hovering in the sky. The chickens fled in panic. However, the battlements
The places to hide below are extremely limited, and they have nowhere to hide.
Every roar of firearms is like God's judgment. The chosen ones are definitely not the lucky ones, but the unlucky ones who take the gun. Those who are not selected are not the lucky ones, because it may be their turn next moment.
After more than 170 rebels were shot and killed, there was no longer a single enemy figure exposed on the wall. They all huddled in the blind corner under the wall stacks, wishing they could turn into turtles and dare not
Expose even a little bit of your body. The enemy's gunners on the wooden tower are extremely precise in their shooting skills. Even if you expose even a little bit of your body and are seen by them, they will be hit mercilessly.
The wooden tower was pulled by more than a dozen horses and slid on the ground, changing its angle and position. By doing this, the hiding rebels could be found and shot when the angle changed. Every time the wooden tower changed position,
They will find some people who are not hiding well and shoot them.
The logs rubbed against the ground, making a loud and harsh sound. The entire wooden tower shook, as if it would fall apart at any time. But this harsh sound and the shaking sound caused the rebel soldiers at the top of the city to It was as if they heard a reminder in their ears, which made their hair stand on end.
"Zhang Yin, prepare to attack!" Zhang Yanling said.
Zhang Yin organized soldiers and horses to launch an attack. The rebels on the wall were in a dilemma. They had to defend the opponent's attack, but the cannons on the tower were a fatal threat. But if they did not defend, the first attack would be The outer wall will be breached quickly.
The rebels were suffering and at a loss. After barely resisting for a while, they finally couldn't stand this desperate battle. When the Zhenwei Battalion troops attacked the first wall, they chose to withdraw. The second fence dozens of steps away.
But this was obviously just a temporary measure and could not solve the problem. After the first wall was breached, the wooden tower pushed further in. The same scene happened again. The shadow of death hovering above accompanied the advancement of ground troops. , once again pushing them into despair.
Zhu Zhixiu was furious and furious. He roared and demanded that all the soldiers and horses should not retreat again, and once again promised a heavy reward. But his rebel soldiers did not think so, because any promises at this moment were meaningless. Everyone understood , this is not a question of reward or not, but simply that the situation has collapsed and there is nothing that can be done.
The second fence fell without any suspense. The helpless rebels only put up a symbolic resistance and then gave up. After the bird cannons on the wooden tower killed more than a hundred rebel soldiers, the rebel soldiers were unmotivated. Love to fight, can only retreat again, retreat to the last wall.
But everyone knows that this cannot solve the problem. The other party will attack in the same way. The same situation will happen again. At this moment, the military morale has been completely weakened, and everyone understands that the situation is over.
But Zhu Zhixiu didn't think so. How could he admit defeat? He shouted in the hall and told everyone to fight to the end. He didn't believe that the fortress he had carefully built could not survive for even half a day.
While smashing tables, chairs and teacups, he cursed his men and soldiers for refusing to help, and threatened to kill them all.
The generals and officials under his command stood outside the palace and frowned. No one went in to comfort Zhu Zhixiu. They were not in the mood to pay attention to his rage at this moment. At this moment, they themselves were already desperate. At this time, They were thinking about how to escape and escape, rather than expressing their loyalty.
Deputy Military Advisor Meng Bin walked into the palace and spoke in a low voice to the furious Zhu Zhixiu.
"Your Majesty, God's will is difficult. Your Majesty, we have tried our best, and our soldiers have also tried their best. Everything is God's will. Your Majesty, it is better to make other plans. Today's matter, if you continue to resist, it may not be easy. ."
Zhu Zhixiu scolded with angry eyes: "Meng Bin, what do you mean? Do you want to die? What do you mean by God's will? I don't believe in fate. I still have tens of thousands of troops in Song City, and there are tens of thousands around Ningxia City. Soldiers and horses. Where are they? Where are they? How did I end up in this situation? Where are the people in the city? Why don't they come to save me?"
Meng Bin sighed: "My lord, what I said is true and loyal. You also understand that the current situation is unsustainable. Although there are tens of thousands of troops, water from afar cannot quench the thirst of the near. If I had known better, In this way, we should leave more troops and horses in the city. Oh, what a mistake. It's too late to say this now. The people are even more unreliable. My lord, look at the appearance of the generals and soldiers outside the palace. They are no longer reliable. , the prince can no longer order them. If they continue to be forced, they may rebel. By then, there will be no room for maneuver."
Zhu Zhixiu looked at the frowning generals standing outside the palace and felt something was wrong with their emotions from the twinkling eyes.
"Your Majesty, for the current plan, we need to take a long-term approach. We will leave green hills without worrying about having firewood." Meng Bin said softly.
Zhu Zhixiu stared with blood-red eyes and said: "What does long-term planning mean? What other way out does this king have besides fighting to the death?"
Meng Bin said: "That's not necessarily the case. I heard that the soldiers and horses outside are the soldiers and horses of the Zhenwei Battalion of Jianchang Hou Zhang Yanling. Maybe we can talk to him about the terms. Your Majesty can go and talk to him."
Zhu Zhixiu said in astonishment: "What are you talking to him about? Begging him for mercy? Asking him to let me go?"
Meng Bin said: "It's not a bad idea. When it's time to bow your head, bow your head."
Zhu Zhixiu frowned and said, "But how could he let me go? He was sent by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion. How could he let me go?"
Meng Bin said: "That's not necessarily the case, it depends on the conditions. If the conditions are right, he may not agree to let the prince go. Zhang Yanling, an honorable person like Zhang Yanling, must be a person who is unjust for the sake of profit. The prince will give him what he wants. , maybe we can convince him to let the prince live."
Zhu Zhixiu frowned and said: "But, what capital does this king have now to negotiate terms with him?"
Meng Bin said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, what are you doing with your gold and silver treasures at this time? It's only right to use them to buy a life. Prince's gold and silver treasures, calligraphy and painting curios, give them to Zhang Yanling and let him collect them." Let the prince leave. After that, the prince fled directly to the Tatar territory. In the future, he can fight back with the help of the Tatars. The prince collected the Ruyi of Lantian jade, the calligraphy and paintings of Emperor Huizong of Zhao and Song Dynasties, and the Xixia Kingdom. I don’t believe Zhang Yanling won’t be tempted by the good things dug out of Yuan Hao’s tomb.”
Zhu Zhixiu said in astonishment: "How did you know that this king has these things?"
Meng Bin smacked his lips and said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates have been with you for more than ten years. How could you not know your family background? Although your Majesty hides these things from others, your subordinates are not stupid, deaf or blind. It's not just me." , Sun Jingwen also knows. Sun Jingwen even knows that these things are hidden somewhere in this palace."
Zhu Zhixiu sneered: "So you are spying on me behind my back. You are so brave."
Meng Bin said: "My lord, are you still so angry at this time? At this time, do you want wealth or your life? Your lord knows it clearly. As I said, you can keep the green hills without worrying about having firewood."
Zhu Zhixiu frowned and said: "But Zhang Yanling, I have never dealt with him, so he may not be willing to agree."
Meng Bin said: "If the prince is not sure, my subordinates can go and talk to him on his behalf. If the subordinates don't believe it, he will not be tempted. With my sharp tongue, I will be able to convince him. Your Majesty, wait for me." The good news is that I will definitely live up to my orders."
Zhu Zhixiu looked at Meng Bin with doubt, wondering where Meng Bin had the confidence to convince Zhang Yanling. But at this time, Zhu Zhixiu really had no choice. Once the third wall was broken, he was the turtle in the urn. Now What can indeed be exchanged are the calligraphy, painting, antiques and gold and silver treasures that I have collected. If I can exchange one life, it is worth it.
He can go and seek refuge with the little Tatar prince Batu Munch, and he can use his strength to fight back. Otherwise, he will die here.
The generals outside all looked unkindly. If they rebelled, they would have no chance to negotiate terms with Zhang Yanling.
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhixiu finally made up his mind.
"Meng Bin, I'll thank you for this trip. All my hopes are pinned on you. Tell Zhang Yanling that if he is willing to let me live, I will give you all the gold, silver, paintings, calligraphy and antiques collected in the secret room." Give it to him. If he refuses, he will never catch me. I will burn all the treasures and burn them all. He can neither catch me nor get the treasure." Zhu Zhixiu said solemnly.
Meng Bin nodded and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, my subordinates will fulfill their mission. This matter will definitely succeed. Please order your Majesty to stop fighting, and I will go out to talk to Zhang Yanling."