Chapter 323: Burning fire burns the city and refuses to surrender
Jining Zhoucheng.
Shang Kexi, who had been defeated and fled all the way, was surrounded. He stood on the city wall and looked at the Ming cavalry outside the city surrounding the city with despair in his eyes.
I thought I could be saved by escaping to Jining, but who would have thought that after escaping all the way here, Jining turned into an empty city. King Zhishun Geng Zhongming, who was supposed to lead 6,000 troops to station here, actually evacuated this place long ago, leaving only an empty city, and
There was no food and grass in the city, and the people all abandoned the city and fled.
The men and horses were exhausted from running all the way, and before they could leave, the Jinwu cavalry of the Ming army had already caught up with them.
"Your Majesty, we only have ninety-eight riders left."
Ninety-eight riders, all tired and hungry, guard an empty city alone.
"Kill the horse and have a full meal first." Shang Ke said happily.
Jining is a scattered state, under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou Prefecture. In the early Ming Dynasty, Jining City was still called Rencheng. It was an old city built with earth on Yushan Mountain, a high terrain. During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, in order to prevent it from being flooded by the river, the Jining Guard Command sent
The brick wall was rebuilt, and in the 18th year, Jining Prefecture was renamed Jining Prefecture, and the prefecture governed Rencheng, leaving only three counties.
Up to now, the name of Rencheng County has gradually been abolished, and people no longer call it the county seat, but directly call it Jining Zhoucheng or Zhoucheng.
The current Jining Prefecture City is relatively complete. It is in the shape of an irregular square, three feet high, two feet wide at the top, four feet wide at the base, ten miles and thirty steps in circumference, with bricks on the outside and earth on the inside.
There are also military and horse roads built on both sides of the four gates.
There are towers, forts, parapets, crenels on the city, a moat below, drawbridges outside each of the four gates, seas at each corner of the city wall, an outer city, a polder gate and an outer moat.
If Geng Zhongming's six thousand troops were still there, then with this brick city and the Yanzhou Eight Banners army not far away, there would be no need to fear the Ming army.
But now, Geng Laoer has run away.
There was even no food and no one in the city.
He only had ninety-eight cavalry left, which was not enough to guard four gates.
A strong sense of despair arose in Shang Kexi's heart. He looked at the bright flag outside the city and couldn't help but recall the years he had fought under that flag.
At that time, he and his father and brother were unwilling to accept the raging wealth, so they joined the army to resist, joined Mao Wenlong's command, and joined Dongjiang Town. He fought in Dongjiang Town for ten years, and accumulated merit along the way to become the deputy general of Guanglu Island.
Looking back on those ten years, they were the most passionate and passionate ten years of his life. They were also the ten years of his life when he was most idealistic and even willing to die for his ideals.
Those were the most meaningful ten years of his life.
He resisted the Hou Jin Dynasty, fought for the Ming Dynasty, fought for the Han people, and fought for loyalty. This was a tragic decade, and it was also a decade of overwhelming power.
He is worthy of his compatriots in Liaodong and worthy of the imperial court.
If Mao Wenlong hadn't been killed by Yuan Chonghuan without permission, Dongjiang Town would have been experiencing frequent internal strife. Although he had been obeying orders from the court and suppressing rebellions for the court, what he got in the end was that Shen Shikui, the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang, wanted to kill him unjustly.
He was forced to surrender to Hou Jin Dynasty. Hundreds of his family members died for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.
Looking back again, those dusty memories became clear again.
Looking at the bright flag, Shang Kexi actually had a smile on his face.
"Your Majesty?" The thieves are about to attack. "I have assigned brothers to guard four gates, but there are too few of us."
Shang Ke was happy but not at all panicked. He looked at the same lieutenant officer who had followed him from Dongjiang back then, "Geng Laoer deliberately wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife and trapped me to death. Kong Youde made a mistake in Xiazhen before. He must be aware of the strength of the Ming army, but
I deliberately didn’t mention a word and let me take the lead, haha.”
"Your Majesty, my brothers will cover your breakout and return, and you must impeach the two thieves Kong and Geng to the court."
"late."
"We ran out with only one horse. The people were tired and the horse was trapped all the way. There are so many riding horses outside now, it is impossible to escape back to Yanzhou.
This is where I end!"
"Your Majesty, the brothers will cover your escape. Your Majesty and I will change clothes and armor to attract the Ming army."
"it's useless."
If he had known that Jining was an empty city, he would not have exhausted his last strength to come here. He would have fled in other directions, maybe there would have been a glimmer of hope.
But now I'm trapped here, with no chance.
"I fought hard for the Ming Dynasty for ten years, and I was worthy of your kindness to the country. Later I was forced to flee to Houjin. Emperor Taizong treated me with great kindness. I surrendered as a general but was awarded the title of king. Now let me die here.
."
"After I die, cut off my head and surrender to Kaicheng. Maybe the Ming army will spare my life."
Outside the city, riding horses gallop and hunting with red flags.
Desperate, Shang Kexi drew his sword.
"Your Majesty, if it can't be done, let's surrender together!"
Shang Kexi refused.
"I was once a minister of the Ming Dynasty, but that was long ago. I crossed the sea and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty twelve years ago, and I am no longer a minister of the Ming Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty treated me well, so how could I be capricious?"
"Now I can only die to repay the kindness of the Qing Dynasty, and to die to clarify my ambition."
Shang Kexi still has family members and generals in Haizhou, Liaodong. He also has seven sons, the youngest of which was just born. If he surrenders now, the people in Haizhou will definitely not be spared.
Say it.
Shang Kexi swung his sword and killed himself.
The horns outside the city were loud, and the Mingqiu roared loudly.
"King!"
Zhongjun hugged Shang Kexi and cried. He had followed Shang Kexi for more than ten years, but he didn't expect it to end like this.
Shang Kexi's eyes are dull and his eyes are shining.
A generation of heroes died in the empty city of Jining.
The Chinese army howled like wolves while holding Shang Kexi's corpse, and summoned the remaining dozens of riders.
"Your Majesty does not want to bring down the sun."
"I don't want to see the light coming either!"
"My wife, children and family are all in Liaodong."
Dozens of riders were all Shang Kexi's most confidant servants, and they were all silent when they heard the words.
"Let us burn it for your Majesty, and prevent the Ming thieves from humiliating your body!"
Dozens of Liao cavalry quietly went to fetch wood and wait.
There are only two ways in front of them. They may survive by descending to Ming Dynasty, but their family members in Liaodong will die. Or they can commit suicide like Shang Kexi and exchange their own lives for the lives of their family members. If they die, they can still get a life.
In the name of dying in battle, his wife and children can still receive compensation.
Outside the city, Zhang Mingbin and Zhu Shengli led their cavalry to attack, and they successfully reached the city without any resistance.
Just when he was doubting, thick smoke billowed from the city.
When several cavalrymen climbed up the city wall with hooks and ropes, then opened the city gate from the inside, and welcomed the Ming cavalry into the city, they did not encounter any resistance.
Finally, at the government office in Jining Prefecture, they saw the fire still burning and the smell of barbecue coming from inside.
The fire goes out.
The Jinwu cavalry found ninety-eight charred corpses. Judging from armor and other fragments, they were Shang Kexi and others who had fled into the city.
Committing suicide by setting fire to fire?
Zhang Mingbin didn't quite believe it, so he sent people to continue searching the whole city. As a result, the horses were also found, and 98 horses were found.
"Really dead?"
"It looks like he's dead."
"Where is Geng Zhongming from Jining City?"
······
After searching for an hour, they concluded that Shang Kexi was indeed dead and burned himself to death.
After collecting the half-burnt corpse, Zhang Mingbin sent people to report the victory to the rear.
The Tatar King Zhishun Shang Kexi's 8,000 troops were completely annihilated, and Shang Kexi was even forced to burn himself in the city of Jining Prefecture.