Feiyun Bridge was the only place where the Qing army crossed the Paohe River. This bridge built in the Yuan Dynasty had an important location and was located at the narrowest part of the river.
Even without this bridge, it would have been more convenient for the Qing army to cross the river from here.
It was early in the morning, and most of the river had melted, and the slowly flowing water was still mixed with a large amount of floating ice. Feiyun Bridge stood on the river, and soldiers of the Shun Army were stationed on both sides of the river. The town strongholds on both sides of the river, Pei
The county seat, Jingoukou and Liucheng, and Gu Kecheng were also repaired, and camps and forts were built as the forefront positions of the Shun army.
The soldiers and horses of the Zhengbai Banner were the first to arrive in Xuzhou. This army was personally commanded by Dorgon, and Nikan led the elite armored cavalry of the Xiaoqi Battalion and the Forward Battalion in the lead.
The day before, they burned and looted Jinxiang and Yutai counties, and then began to break up camp and move south. When the Qing army entered Xuzhou, they encountered almost no resistance. Nikan occupied the entrance to the temple without a single blow, and the front line began.
Approaching Pei County.
But this is not because Gu Kecheng does not intend to resist the Qing army's southern expedition, but because Gu Kecheng is moving the few defenders in Xuzhou to the vicinity of the lake area where the city and Weishan Lake have melted.
gather.
Peixian County, the city that once gave birth to Liu Bang and became the birthplace of the Han Dynasty, is now the last fulcrum and position of the Xuzhou garrison's northern defense line.
Temporarily built camps and forts were densely distributed on both sides of Feiyun Bridge. Although time was tight and Gu Ke was not allowed to build deep trenches and high fortresses and deploy airtight defensive positions, in these extremely short two days, Gu Ke achieved great success.
Being able to build such a level of fortification is quite outstanding.
The fog was thick, and the heavy fog in the early morning was mixed with the cold air that reminded Nikan of his hometown outside the customs.
There are many people from Henan and Hubei among the Xuzhou garrison. Their ability to withstand winter and severe cold weather is certainly not comparable to that of the Manchus who grew up in the white mountains and black waters.
In addition to the Manchus who were accustomed to the climate of Liaodong, the Mongolian foreign vassal soldiers on the grasslands, and even the Han soldiers in the Xuanda and Beijing camps, were better able to withstand the cold than the Xuzhou defenders.
However, the biggest advantage of the Dashun Army is in materials. Although many of them are not used to such cold weather. But after putting on thick cotton coats, the soldiers rubbed their hands, and their chapped palms rubbed against each other.
A little warm and moist white air is exhaled on the back of the hand and both sides of the palm, which naturally makes it much warmer.
The scale of public-private joint venture factories all over Huguang is getting bigger and bigger. After countless cotton cloths were shipped to Henan, they were sewn and made into cotton-padded clothes by local soldiers and civilians, and then immediately shipped to Tongguan, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and other places.
Almost everyone in the Dashun Army wore well-prepared warm cotton clothes. In addition, the Shun Army also rushed to produce a large number of cotton hats, cotton socks, and cotton shoes, which could basically serve nearly 700,000 people on the front line.
Soldiers who reach adulthood and above can have relatively sufficient clothing to keep out the cold.
This is a very great achievement. Senior scholars like Xu Du, who were considered social elites in the Ming Dynasty, saw from these details the huge energy contained in the Dashun regime and gave up without hesitation.
Bi joined the army and fought to defend Dashun.
"Defend the Yellow River! Defend the Canal! Defend Greater Xuzhou!"
Blood boils in the Yellow River, sparks fly in the Grand Canal;
The Dashun Army roared violently to defend Xuzhou!
The Dashun Army built three key camps on the north bank of Feiyun Bridge, and temporarily built a thick wooden fort. Although the fort was low, it was extremely thick. This was the Dashun Army's response to the Qing Army's Hongyi artillery.
Countermeasures designed based on the characteristics of
Although the low and thick fort cannot be compared with the majestic city wall made of masonry due to time constraints, its thick main body has a very surprising defensive effect when faced with the bombardment of red barbarian artillery.
The fog shrouded the camps and forts. Nikan led more than a thousand Eight Banners soldiers from the forward battalion and more than four thousand Han soldiers, and was the first to arrive at the north bank of Feiyun Bridge.
He looked at the Shun Army flags that flickered in the heavy fog, covered with frost and snow, and heard the songs of the Dashun Army soldiers coming from the mist. His expression became serious, knowing that the defenders were prepared.
The enemy is also a powerful force that cannot be underestimated.
"The difficult trespasser!"
Nikan cursed loudly, but after so many confrontations and conflicts, Nikan, who had suffered the loss of Hao Yaoqi as early as the Battle of Shenzhou, could finally understand one thing. The criminal thieves are not that easy to deal with.
.
"dismount."
Nikan gave the military order sternly. The Eight Banners soldiers in the forward army were all wearing three layers of thick armor, cloth face armor, chain mail, and thick lining smocks. Such a strong defense, even the war horses were wearing horse clothes.
However, the terrain around Feiyun Bridge was narrow and was not conducive to cavalry galloping. Nikan had no other choice but to order all cavalry to dismount and fight.
The infantry of the Han army were put on the front line by Nikan, and the Manchu princes continued to supervise the troops. Nikan himself, surrounded by guards, was careful not to be attacked by Hao Yaoqi or Boluo like in the past.
The fate of being beheaded by a traitor.
"The regent is watching you at the entrance to the temple." Nikan shouted loudly.
"Going all the way south from Puzhou and Yuncheng, you should have seen. When has the regent ever been stingy with rewards? Xuzhou is also an important town for sinners and accumulating treasures. And if we capture Xuzhou, we can enter Henan - Henan! Who!
I don’t know that Chuang Nie tortured the world and accumulated 70 million taels of white money, which he placed in Kaifeng City.”
Nikan pulled out his sword and said: "Whoever crosses the bridge first, the regent has issued an order. Whoever crosses the bridge first raises the flag!"
Raising the flag in front of the line of fire was also Dorgon's helpless move. After all, going south with all his strength to capture Xuzhou at all costs and at all costs had put all the main elite troops of the Qing army in a do-or-die situation.
In order to achieve victory, for "success" rather than "benevolence", Dorgon certainly did not be stingy with any reward or price.
As long as he can drive these traitors to capture Xuzhou for the Qing Dynasty, Dorgon will give them whatever they want.
The Eight Banners soldiers served as a supervisory team, keeping an eye on the Han army's rear, and when the situation was favorable, they entered the battlefield as an elite assault force.
Nikan was still a little worried. After all, the fog was currently shrouded in heavy fog and the terrain around Feiyun Bridge was quite steep. He was also worried that he would not be able to break through and cross the river, or that if there were too many casualties, he would not be able to explain to the regent.
Therefore, Nikan ordered more than 2,000 Han soldiers to launch the offensive first, and more than 100 elite Manchu soldiers from the forward battalion served as the backbone to launch the offensive.
Nikan looked at the gray fog. He had never been very familiar with the tactics of the Dashun Army. He always felt that the enemy was very difficult to deal with. Now the defenders of Feiyun Bridge were singing passionately in the fog. It was clear at a glance that their morale was low.
Low, I'm afraid it won't be as easy for the Qing army to capture this position as it was when they conquered Puzhou, Yuncheng, and Juye a few days ago!
"attack--"
The Han soldiers of the Qing army were arranged in a very dense formation. The best of these Ming Dynasty border troops were all very capable heavy infantry. Many of them were enemies who had a bloody feud with the Manchus in the past, but now they are fighting for something illusory.
As a reward, he aimed his sword at his fellow clan members.
There is really nothing to say about these things!
Nikan showed a ferocious smile: "Start charging!"
Bang, bang, bang——
Boom——
As the enemy approached Feiyun Bridge, Dashun's army also launched a counterattack from the thick fog. The gray fog was suddenly illuminated by orange-red firelight, and the dense fog turned into a dazzling canvas, with guns and artillery firing.
Shocking thunder suddenly resounded throughout Peixian County.