The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 390: Curtain Falls
Sometimes, choosing to live is much more difficult than choosing to die.

Staying on Shiniushan Mountain and dying on the battlefield can be considered as preserving one's reputation. Even if the imperial court investigates, it will still take it into consideration.

However, if he left Shiniushan and led his troops to retreat, the imperial court would certainly hold him accountable for the defeat.

Sun Chuanting finally led his troops to evacuate Shiniushan.

Since taking office, Sun Chuanting has shown his sharpness.

Such a person who has always refused to bow his head, refused to bend, and has always been very aggressive.

In the end, he chose to endure the humiliation.

Sun Chuanting was clear about the consequences.

The defeat in Fengyang will become a shame in his life and a black spot for his political opponents to attack him.

But Sun Chuanting didn't care about these.

What he cares about is being the emperor and the country.

I am honored to be trusted by the emperor and entrusted with important tasks.

But he failed to live up to the trust and expectations.

The country was in turmoil, with internal and external troubles, but he was unable to fulfill his duties as prime minister, stabilize the country, clarify the world, and stop the war.

When Sun Chuanting led his troops to evacuate Shiniushan, the Wanmin Army did not pursue them.

To be precise, they dare not pursue.

The artillery fire in the Hanzhong army formation almost never stopped, and the entire artillery position was filled with smoke.

The troops of the Wanmin Army did not dare to move forward at all.

The cavalry of the Wanmin Army did not dare to approach the Hanzhong Army's formation. Earlier, the Wanmin Army had concentrated more than two thousand cavalry to try to attack the left formation of the Hanzhong Army.

As a result, under the joint attack of the Hanzhong Army's infantry's guns and artillery and the Guards' armored cavalry, they fled in panic, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

After Sun Chuanting led his troops to evacuate Shiniushan Mountain, they merged together at the north of the mountain, and then the large group headed north back to Shizifen.

Chen Wang personally led the armored cavalry of the Imperial Guard to provide rear guard support.

The troops of the Wanmin Army just followed closely, watching from a distance and dared not approach.

When the army was marching to the Prince's Tomb, news came that the cavalry of the Wanmin Army had broken through the Linhuai camp.

Afterwards, the army passed the Prince's Tomb and headed west. When they arrived at Fangqiu Camp, the cavalry of the Wanmin Army that had crossed Linhuai had already arrived to the north of Fangqiu Camp.

The Wanmin Army surrounded Chen Wang's Fangqiu camp from the east, south and north.

However, no troops of the Ten Thousand Nations Army appeared on the road to the west.

When leading his troops south to rescue Shiniushan, Chen Wang had already ordered Hu Zhiyi to send a troop to seize Changhuaiwei, recapture Huaiyuan County, and open up the way to retreat to the west.

The pursuing Wanmin Army finally stopped at Fangqiu and no longer followed the retreating Ming army.

The Ming army suffered heavy losses and was exhausted after fighting all the way.

But the Wanmin Army had also fought for a long time and suffered heavy casualties.

The battle in the inner city of Fengyang has been going on. The besieged Ming army in Fengyang city has been struggling and trying to break out, thus tying up a large amount of military force of the Wanmin Army.

It’s not that the Wanmin Army didn’t want to pursue, but that they were unable to do so.

Ruins of Fangqiu Camp, west.

Li Yan was riding on a white horse, his battle robe covered in dust.

His face was pale and his eyes were sinister.

Watching the large group of Ming troops slowly disappearing on the horizon.

If you get closer, you can see that his eyeballs are full of bloodshot.

To date, Li Yan has not slept for two days and two nights. His mind and energy have almost reached their limits.

Command and coordinate an army of more than 500,000 to stabilize the front line, attack and assist in defense.

It is also necessary to control and plan the battle line that stretches hundreds of miles from Xuzhou all the way to Fengyang.

“It is not the number of soldiers that matters, but their quality; it is not the bravery of a general that matters, but his wisdom.”

Li Yan looked serious, and his mind became increasingly clear about future developments.

The Hanzhong Army's tactics opened his eyes and completely opened up his mind.

Li Yan has made up his mind to select a group of elite soldiers in the future just like he did with the Hanzhong Army.

The soldiers wore double heavy armor, held strong bows, formed a large formation, and used long spears.

The heavily armored soldiers of the Hanzhong Army were like monsters on the battlefield.

It cannot be cut by a knife, pierced by a spear, or hurt by an arrow or a musket. It is unstoppable and makes people feel despair.

So much so that on the battlefield, whenever the Hanzhong army's armored soldiers appeared, the morale of the soldiers on the front line would quickly plummet to the bottom.

As for guns and cannons, this really cannot be forced.

Sharp guns and cannons like those in the Hanzhong Army are extremely rare among officers and soldiers, and can even be said to be unique.

The strange-looking muskets equipped by the Hanzhong army are indeed powerful weapons on the battlefield.

If we could seize one, it might be possible to copy it.

But now, let alone seizing it, we can’t even clearly see its appearance.

How can we imitate it if we can only get a glimpse of it from the fragmentary descriptions of the soldiers who fought in the battle?
"The soldiers have withdrawn..."

Li Jiyu rode forward from the side, his clothes and armor stained with blood and full of tears.

Everyone can see how much pressure the Hanzhong Army brought on the northern front.

Li Jiyu was disheveled and the silver helmet he originally wore on his head had disappeared, making him look extremely miserable.

"After all, I was not able to complete the task..."

Li Yan looked at the distant sky and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

After careful planning and numerous calculations, he ultimately failed to keep either Chen Wang or Sun Chuanting.

"Letting Chen Wang and Sun Chuanting go is like letting a tiger go back to the mountains or a dragon go back to the sea."

Yidougu and Waguanzi were filled with shame and stepped forward to apologize.

"It's our incompetence."

Yuan Shichu remained silent, holding the reins tightly in his hands.

His eyes were solemn as he just stared at the officers and soldiers in the distance.
Hongniang didn't say anything, but rode forward and held Li Yan's hand.

Li Yan shook his head slowly and said.

"I have seen all the fighting of the various divisions. It is not your fault."

No matter how much I say, it's still not enough.

In this great battle, all the troops of the Wanmin Army were united, the officers led by example, and the soldiers fought bravely and desperately.

But their armaments and training are far behind.

"The officers and soldiers have strong armor and sharp weapons, and their guns and cannons are powerful. We have thin armor and insufficient weapons. It is not easy for us to win the battle."

As a leader, Li Yan's depressed mood affected the officers around him to a certain extent.

Song Xiance rode his horse and stood behind Li Yan on his right.

He stepped forward first and echoed.

"Prince Xin is right."

"Although we failed to capture Sun Chuanting alive this time, defeating the northern reinforcements was a great victory."

Song Xiance glanced quickly at everyone's gaze and smiled.

"Now the northern soldiers are fleeing westwards in panic, the southern soldiers are hesitating and not daring to move forward, the Fengyang soldiers have become a bird in a cage and a turtle in a jar."

"All the officers and soldiers rely on is strong armor, sharp blades, and powerful guns and cannons."

"When we conquer Fengyang in the future, we will have as many armors, sharp blades, and guns as we want!"

After hearing Song Xiance's words of comfort, everyone's expressions improved a little.

Li Yan also reacted at this time. He realized his own gaffe and looked back at everyone, encouraging them.

“Although we didn’t achieve complete success this time, it was still a big win.”

"Send a message to the three armies. Let's hold a banquet today and celebrate together!"

The atmosphere finally eased under Song Xiance's words and Li Yan's control.

The military order was passed down, bringing with it waves of cheers, which rose and fell like the tide.

Li Yan took one last look back at the distant horizon.

At this time, the last team of Ming cavalry was slowly disappearing from the horizon.

When the curtain fell in Fengyang, it seemed that he had led the army of all people to a magnificent victory.

The Ming reinforcements were severely defeated, and the officers and soldiers' plan to relieve Fengyang was shattered.

They are the ultimate winners.

But in fact Li Yan knew very well.

He was not the winner in the Battle of Fengyang.

The real winner and the person who benefited the most was Chen Wang.

After failing to lift the siege of Fengyang, the imperial court held people accountable, and it was Sun Chuanting, not Chen Wang, who bore most of the responsibility.

First, it was the improvement of his reputation. At the last moment, Chen Wang led his troops to rescue Sun Chuanting who was trapped in the encirclement.

After this battle, Chen Wang's reputation in the army increased instead of decreased.

It can be predicted that Chen Wang's reputation will reach its peak among the reinforcements.

Second, there is the increase in authority.

The Ming troops that came to the north to support the suppression suffered heavy casualties, but the Hanzhong army led by Chen Wang maintained its strength intact.

Military power is equal to status; if you have soldiers, you have status.

Why does Zuo Liangyu dare to be so arrogant now? It is because of the troops in his hands.

And Chen Wang’s current size is more than several times that of Zuo Liangyu.

The officers and soldiers who came to support the rebellion suffered heavy losses. If the Ming court wanted to pacify the South, it would inevitably rely more on Chen Wang.

Chen Wang will inevitably gain more assistance and autonomy as a result.

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"Chen Wang..."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, his heart felt cold.

The conspiracy with Chen Wang is completely like courting disaster.

Chen Wang achieved all his goals, but the goals he wanted to achieve became impossible.

Chen Wang's existence was like a mountain blocking his way forward.

But now, Li Yan has no means to restrain Chen Wang.

If Chen Wang had put all his efforts into the suppression, I'm afraid Kaifeng would have become his burial place.

Li Yan clenched his fists and lowered his eyes.

It's not a pleasant feeling to rely on others for your fate.

"Go back to camp."

Li Yan slowly exhaled the foul air in his chest. He shook his head and stopped thinking about these upsetting things.

Gently pulling the reins, the white horse under him turned around and set off on its homeward journey as Li Yan led it.

Immediately afterwards, Hongniang also rode away, followed by Yuan Shichu, Li Jiyu and other officers.

The cold sun is hanging high in the sky.

There was cheering outside Fengyang City.

But in Fengyang City, there was deathly silence.

After months of siege and repeated fierce fighting.

Of the 50,000 Ming troops originally guarding Fengyang, only about 30,000 were left.

To the north of Fengyang inner city, on Phoenix Mountain.

A group of Ming army officers stood on the top of the mountain, and everyone's eyes were focused on the last red light on the distant horizon.

Hou Xun, wearing a crimson cloak, stood in front of everyone, quietly watching the last red light slowly disappear from his sight.

The mountain wind is cold, carrying thousands of flags.

The wind makes people feel cold in their hearts and bodies.

On the observation deck at the top of the mountain, all the officers and generals of the Ming army had gloomy expressions.

With no food or supplies inside and no reinforcements outside, the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Wanmin Army surrounded the entire Fengyang, making it almost impossible to get out.

Breaking through is harder than climbing to the sky.

If it were somewhere else, concentrating the elite forces to attack just one place might still be a possibility of breaking through.

But this is Fengyang. The Wanmin Army only needs to guard the outer city of Fengyang to cut off their way to the outside world.

The outer city wall turned the entire Fengyang into a giant cage.

Hou Xun didn't say anything either. He just stood on the top of the mountain, watching the sun rise high in the sky, the sun set in the west, and then the darkness enveloped the mountain.

The sun had completely set, and the sky and earth were dark.

The lights were lit, and the flames kept swaying in the cold wind, flickering.

Hou Xun turned around. Originally there were many officers standing on the observation deck, but now there were only five people left.

Flames danced in Hou Xun's eyes.

Hou Xun felt calm.

There is no fear of death in his heart.

The main emotion is guilt.

I am unworthy of the emperor's trust.

Hou Xun sighed softly.

He was not familiar with military affairs, and he knew very well why the court appointed him as prime minister.

When he went south to lead the troops, he encountered such a situation as soon as he arrived.

Now, he was about to become the first prime minister to be killed by rebels.

The situation in the southeast is collapsing before our eyes, and the blame lies with him.

The reputation you leave behind you must be extremely bad.

"Someone in the city opened the gate to surrender. The Wanmin Army has entered Fengyang City."

A personal guard came down the mountain, bringing news from the city.

Hou Xun looked back to the south and saw blazing flames in Fengyang City.

Countless fire dragons were advancing towards Fengyang City from all directions.

The faint sound of shouting and killing came from the foot of the mountain.

Hou Xun sighed in his heart. He knew that as prime minister, he could not give up easily even if he was in a desperate situation.

The army should be commanded to fight to the last moment, until death on the battlefield.

If he could control the three armies, he would certainly do so.

But in fact he had no control over the troops in the city.

Even surrender was tacitly approved by Hou Xun.

The army in the city had been owed wages for a long time and was out of ammunition and food. There were many troops outside the city and the army was approaching.

It was extremely difficult for the soldiers and generals under him to hold out until now before surrendering.

"Everyone."

Hou Xun looked at the officers who had not left yet.

His expression was serious, and he slowly clasped his fists and bowed to the few people.

"Take care of yourself."

"Prime Minister, take care."

No extra words, just take care.

On the observation deck, all the officers who remained half-knelt on the ground and saluted solemnly to Hou Xun.

The twentieth day of the first lunar month, the fourteenth year of Chongzhen.

19st quarter of the first month of the month (15:)

Fengyang City was lost and more than 13,000 Ming troops defending the city surrendered.

More than 16,000 Ming troops from Shengjia Mountain, Rijing Peak, Wansui Mountain and other three mountains also surrendered.

22:15

The camp on the hillside of Phoenix Mountain was broken, and the two thousand Ming soldiers guarding the mountain died along with the mountain.

Two quarters past midnight.

The Wanmin Army broke through the camp on the top of Phoenix Mountain.

The remaining Ming troops guarding the camp supported each other and finally retreated to Zhongjuntai.

Someone lit something flammable around them.

A huge fire broke out in the camp on top of Phoenix Mountain, blocking the offensive of the Wanmin Army.

The Prime Minister of the Southern Kingdom, Hou Xun, committed suicide on the Zhongjuntai.

A number of his followers also committed suicide one after another.

The wind fanned the flames, and in an instant, the fire had spread throughout the camp.

The people's army withdrew from the camp and did not re-enter the ruins until the fire was out.

A total of 237 bodies were collected after the war.

The fourteenth year of Chongzhen.

The twenty-first day of the first lunar month.

child time.

Battle of Fengyang.

The curtain falls.