The siege by the government and army became more and more urgent. Song Yihe's Fubiao brought in another batch of artillery and stepped up the siege. It was just because the government and army were massacred along the way that all the people in Macheng were forced to the side of Shenzhuang's army. Otherwise, Mei Zengzhi would have tried his best. Unable to resist, we can only surrender.
The major families in Macheng have suffered heavy losses in terms of their villagers and servants. Mei Zengzhi also knows that the "gentry" in the city are gradually getting tired of war. Most of the gentry feel that there is nothing they can do if they continue to fight like this. It is just a waste of energy and their own property is in decline Outside the city, they were massacred and plundered by the army.
The unfavorable battle situation also caused many gentry to quietly withdraw their servants and servants from the city wall. Although Mei Zengzhi claimed to be the leader of Shen Zhuang's army, his prestige was far less than that of Mei Zhihuan, and he was worried that his restrictions would be too strict. It might cause changes in the city, so I had no choice but to acquiesce to this situation.
"The troops are stretched thin. Once the officers and soldiers break the city, the people in the whole city will be destroyed."
Mei Zengzhi's mood became more and more desperate. After the gentry evacuated their servants one after another, in order to make up for the shortage of troops, he had to temporarily recruit troops from ordinary people in the city and fleeing villagers.
Fortunately, due to the evil deeds of massacre and plunder by the army, many villagers’ hometowns and houses were burned down by the officers and soldiers, and many relatives died under the massacre and plunder by the army. Therefore, as soon as Mei Zengzhi’s recruitment list was posted, people immediately More than a thousand people responded to join the war, which gave him some comfort.
"Mr. Mei, under such a siege by the army, we can only last for two days at most. Should we think of a way? Maybe now the only way is to surrender."
Zhou Wenjiang, who was also a squire in Macheng, once again persuaded Mei Zengzhi to stop. He was from Shunheji in Macheng and had a certain influence in the local area. Now that the official army was attacking the city with such ferocity, most squires did not believe that Mei Zengzhi could still do it. The defense continued, because Zhou Wenjiang was familiar with Mei Zengzhi, so everyone entrusted him to persuade Mei Zengzhi to open the city and surrender as soon as possible.
Mei Zengzhi looked at the tragic battle at the top of the city and said with a wry smile: "This matter is definitely not due to my brother's insistence on surrendering, but it is actually Song Yihe's viciousness that has been fully exposed. Even if we surrender, we will not be able to protect our heads."
"Look." Mei Zengzhi pointed to the villagers who were desperately resisting the government troops on the top of the city, and said, "These villagers are refugees caused by the government troops massacre and plunder. Song Yihe acted so violently, and the court officials remonstrated. There will be impeachment, and Bird Official will be overthrown soon. When a new official is appointed to Chu, this dead situation may have a glimmer of hope."
While he was talking, an artillery piece from the siege army hit the crenellations of the city wall, stirring up a cloud of flying stones. Mei Zengzhi was unable to dodge and was scratched by the gravel. A trace of blood dripped down his right arm.
Zhou Wenjiang shook his head repeatedly, feeling very helpless at the luck of his old friend. In this situation, even if Song Yihe resigned, the court would never let go of the main gentry who participated in the Shenzhuang Army, unless...
Unless Kaicheng was successful in killing the thieves, he might be able to escape death.
Thinking of this, Zhou Wenjiang's eyes when he looked at Mei Zengzhi changed greatly. He asked two servants to take the injured Mei Zengzhi for treatment. As soon as Mei Zengzhi left, he gritted his teeth and showed his viciousness. With a look on his face, he stepped on the battlements that were damaged by cannons and said in a deep voice: "You want to take all the squires in Macheng to be buried with Mei Zhihuan. Why? We are all good gentry who love the imperial court. We have fallen." It took eight lifetimes of bad luck to get through the muddy waters of Shen Zhuangjun."
Zhou Wenjiang's murderous intention was revealed. When night fell, he took advantage of Mei Zengzhi's injury and slowly replaced the group of Macheng villagers temporarily recruited by Mei Zengzhi from the city's defenders with his own slaves. Then he quietly replaced them with his own slaves.
He sent people out of the city to contact Song Yihe, and waited until midnight to open the city and surrender the enemy, and welcome the army into the city to kill all the Mei family members.
But what surprised Zhou Wenjiang was that the envoys he sent to the city to contact the government and army had not returned for a long time even though it was almost early in the morning. Could it be that the officers and soldiers had become jealous and killed his envoys without distinguishing between good and evil?
Already?
As time passed by, Zhou Wenjiang became more worried that after Mei Zengzhi recovered from his injury, with the strength of the Mei family in Macheng City, he would lose the good opportunity to surrender in Kaicheng. In desperation, Zhou Wenjiang became cruel.
, since we cannot welcome the official army into the city and kill all the children of the Mei family, we must take advantage of Mei Zengzhi's injury to unite with other gentry to launch a surprise attack. After we deal with Mei Zengzhi ourselves, we can open the city and surrender the enemy.
There are seven or eight gentry families who agree with Zhou Wenjiang. They all feel that if they can kill Mei Zengzhi and use his head as a greeting gift, they can open the city and surrender the enemy. Then Song Yihe may not be interested in this merit.
They are too difficult.
After all, we are not poor people. Many people are related to each other and are of the same age and relatives as Mr. Futai. How could things get to this point?
These people hit it off immediately, and before dawn, they gathered nearly a hundred servants and arranged them near the Mei Mansion. Zhou Wenjiang, under the pretext of seeing Mei Zengzhi's injury, personally entered the Mei Mansion with more than a dozen followers, preparing to assassinate Mei Zengzhi.
Increase your intelligence, and then cooperate with the inside and outside to catch all the children of the Mei family.
Mei Zengzhi was not aware of the deception. He just thought that Zhou Wenjiang was an old friend for many years. Although his injury had not healed, as soon as he heard that his old friend was coming to visit, he immediately went out to greet him.
He personally walked to the courtyard of the Mei Mansion to greet Zhou Wenjiang. When he saw Zhou Wenjiang with more than a dozen followers, he was confused and couldn't help asking: "Did something change happen in the battle at the top of the city? Why did you bring such a large number of people with you?"
How come you are coming?"
Zhou Wenjiang is not a bold and careful person. When he heard Mei Zengzhi's question, he thought that the matter had been exposed. He immediately took out a finely crafted self-made fire gun from Guangdong from his sleeve.
, shot Mei Zengzhi in the chest.
There was a bang, and blood spattered from Mei Zengzhi's chest. He looked at his old friend Zhou Wenjiang in disbelief, and cursed with the last bit of his strength: "It's easy to do, easy to do. After the city is opened, Song
The bird officer should kill all of you for me!"
"Bah, the Mei family is full of traitors, we are just killing thieves for the imperial court!"
After Zhou Wenjiang retorted angrily at Mei Zengzhi, he rushed forward and knocked Mei Zengzhi down with the handle of a fire gun. A dozen servants behind him also drew their weapons and chopped Mei Zengzhi into pieces.
He piled a pile of meat paste, then rushed towards the unsuspecting servants of the Mei family in the yard, killing several of them in the blink of an eye.
"Hurry up and send a signal to let the others who are ambushing outside the house come in...ah!"
But before Zhou Wenjiang had time to celebrate his victory, he was shocked. The people rushing in from outside the house were not the gentry he had contacted in advance, but some strangers armed with blunderbuss and long knives!
These strangers were divided into several teams, with well-established advance and retreat. There were probably dozens of them. However, their fighting power far exceeded those of Zhou Wenjiang's servants. They were invincible. This time Zhou Wenjiang brought more than a dozen people from Mei Mansion.
His famous subordinates are already what he considers to be "elite soldiers", but when faced with this group of murderous gods who suddenly appeared, they can't even survive a single attack.
"Who are you...! Officials and soldiers? Are you the Futai of Master Song? The flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple. I have made contributions to the court. Don't kill me. I want to see Mr. Futai!"
Zhou Wenjiang thought that these strangers who suddenly appeared in the Mei Mansion were Song Yihe's escorts, but the strong man wearing a white felt hat and carrying a long knife smiled strangely and said: "I am an intruder! We are here to help Mr. Mei.
"Guardian of the city, you are selling your friends for glory, how can you survive the sharp knife in my hand?"
"Crash...break into the army!?"
Not only Zhou Wenjiang and his men, but also the other family members of the Mei family who were still resisting were all stunned and in disbelief.
Suddenly, a servant of the Mei Mansion remembered that Mei Zhihuan had proposed to join forces with Song Yihe to attack the Dabie Mountains. Wasn't it because a group of bandits named Xiao Li Thief destroyed Niu Xin Village?
Since the intruder was in the Niuxin Village area, only a stone's throw away from Juma, it didn't seem strange to appear at this time.
Zhou Wenjiang, however, seemed to have seen a ghost. His eyes widened and his expression was dull. It took him a long time to figure out the logic. He pointed at the leader of the army in front of him with trembling fingers and said with chattering teeth: "You, you, you... you
How could it be a trespasser? No, no...why is a trespasser here?"
"Damn it, you called me a thief in front of me. You really don't want to live."
The leader of the invading army sneered, and cut off Zhou Wenjiang's neck with a sword in his hand. Dozens of other officers and soldiers in the invading army also quickly controlled the situation in the Mei Mansion. The nearly one hundred servants Zhou Wenjiang had arranged could not be seen at all.
It was not like this group of wolf-like and tiger-like "rogue bandits" were all enemies in one fell swoop, and were completely eliminated in the blink of an eye.
It is a pity that Mei Zengzhi has been killed. After this internal strife, the defensive strength of Shenzhuang Army may be greatly reduced.
"Although the red team made many arrangements in advance, and took advantage of Mei Zengzhi's opportunity to recruit soldiers from the villagers, they arranged for many people to enter the city. Unfortunately, we all waited for the handsome soldiers to arrive before responding, and the results were slow.
One step further would have worsened the situation."