Kangxi, your Qing Dynasty is dead

Chapter 203 Ming Zhongtang, Long Live the King of the West is welcome! (ask for subscription, ask for monthly pass)
Outside the north gate of Guangzhou City University, the tall and tall Shang Zhixin was sitting in the temporary reception pavilion, shaking his fan irritably while looking north.

Hundreds of soldiers, neatly dressed, carrying shotguns and sticking to spears, lined up outside the receiving official pavilion, just waiting for them.

To the south of the Jieguan Pavilion, there is a long trench being dug. More than [-] servants mobilized from the city of Guangzhou, both male and female, are using shovels to move the soil. Let's go, it's hard work.

The excavated soil was carried to the inner side of the moat, where there were also many slaves working under the sun, building a sheep and horse wall along the base of the city wall.

Anyone who has really fought a siege and defense battle knows that a castle with only one wall and a circle of moats can only be called a "naked city", and its defensive capabilities are limited. A real fortified city is a layered defense system , there are usually several moats on the outer circle, and several circles of barriers on the inside—there is the main city wall, the sheep and horse wall protecting the main city wall on the outside, and the inner city wall protecting the main city wall on the inside. The earthen wall that shields the city gate.

If we want to be more authentic, we have to build another branch city and branch fort outside the city to protect the main city wall layer by layer.

The defense capability of a Chinese-style city that is completely fortified is not much worse than that of a Western-style bastion.Moreover, the defense range of a Chinese-style city is very large, and it is often necessary to cover the entire city. Although it is not as strong as a bastion, it is not easy to be covered by the firepower of old artillery with a limited range.

Therefore, when the fortification of Guangzhou City is completed, it is actually very difficult to conquer it by relying on the "big-headed siege method".

In addition, the terrain of Guangzhou City is actually very dangerous.Guangzhou is surrounded by water on two sides and mountains on one side.

The west and south sides of Guangzhou rely on the Pearl River and its tributaries, so there is no way to attack.The north is protected by Yuexiu Mountain, and there is a square fort on the mountain, which is very difficult to attack.Only the east is open and not blocked by too many rivers, so it is easier to attack.However, in the past few months, the Shang family has tried their best to strengthen the defenses in the east of Guangzhou City, and now they have reached the point of being impenetrable.

After completing the defense in the east of Guangzhou City, Shang Zhixin started the city defense reinforcement project near the Dabei Gate and Xiaobei Gate (located on the east and west sides of Yuexiu Mountain) in the north of Guangzhou City.

This is a big project!

At least one or two more months of hard work will be required to complete the project, and Shang Zhixin will be even more worried at that time!
This is because Wang Zhongxiao, who covets the city of Guangzhou, is not idle!

If the current situation in Guangdong can be briefly summarized, it is that the countryside surrounds the city!

On one side is the "Shangxiu Wall" and on the other side is "Wang Fentian". It is not just those townships near Guangzhou that are dividing the land, but it is fully developed on the territory of Guangdong Province ruled by the Wang family and his son.The land that was allocated was mainly the coastal "fertile wasteland" in Xin'an, Yangjiang, Dianbai, Wuchuan and Leizhoufu.The objects of the land distribution are the landless and landless poor tenants in the densely populated prefectures and counties in the inland of Guangdong.

Most of these landless and poor farmers and tenants were the victims of the Shang family's coastal relocation or enclosure and massacres in Canton, and they hated the Shang family to the bone.So after Juntian, all of them became die-hard loyalists of the Wang family, and they were all organized into village military households!
And the capitalists in the metallurgical industry in Foshan Town, after learning the news of the Qing army's defeat on the Huguang battlefield, no longer had any worries, and they all went all out to help the Wang family make guns, cannons, and weapons.

Therefore, the Wang family's Guangdong soldiers are expanding at an extremely fast speed!

At the same time, the local soldiers of Lao Wang's family also began to build fortresses in the east, northeast, and northwest of Guangzhou City, set up checkpoints, and blocked waterways and intersections.There are also a large number of big bird boats with "Wang" flags on the Pearl River—all gunboats equipped with more than a dozen small red cannons!

After they appeared, the warships of the Guangdong Navy of the Qing Dynasty on the Pearl River also changed their flags one after another and joined the Wang family army. Wang Fuchen is the real governor of Guangdong and Guangxi!The Guangdong navy listened to the words of the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Is there anything wrong with that?

And the gradual defection of the Guangdong navy also means that the waterway traffic to Guangzhou's outside world will be completely cut off!
Now, the official road leading to Liuxi River and Hua County in the north of Guangzhou Fucheng is the only way for Guangzhou City to communicate with the outside world.Moreover, this only road is not very reliable anymore. Many townships along the road, especially those controlled by powerful clans, do not need to participate in the land equalization (if the clan has too many people and the land is not enough, some children can also be separated to participate) Juntian, moved to another place), almost all the townships fell to the Wang family and his son.

So this only way of life is already in jeopardy.

Seeing that the whole family is making dumplings for Wang Zhongxiao, Shang Zhixin can only hope that Wu Guogui, who is rushing in Hunan, will come to support him
But how far can Wu Guogui survive?
He is Wang Fuchen's sworn brother, his son Wu Shijue is Wang Zhongxiao's sworn brother, and Shang Zhixin has heard some rumors recently that Wu Guogui's daughter, the number one beauty in Yunnan known as the Eight-faced Avalokitesvara, is Wang Zhongxiao's wife Yang Xiaotu !

If this is true, can Wu Guogui still count on it?
All kinds of thoughts tossed and turned in his mind, and Shang Zhixin, who was sitting in the reception booth waiting, just let out a long breath and patted his thigh irritably.

Sitting with him in the Jieguan Pavilion, Shang Shuying, who was flirting with Liu Jinzhong, the chief soldier of Chaozhen, was startled by the sound of her brother slapping her thigh, thinking that her brother was very dissatisfied with her hooking up with Liu Jinzhong, an old man in his fifties , hurriedly looked back at his elder brother, and found that he was lowering his head and sighing there, as if it was not aimed at him, so he exhaled and said with a smile: "Brother, don't worry, General Li Shen under Brother Liu has already led his troops to Welcome to Mingxiang, Mingxiang can't run away."

Hearing what Shang Shuying said, Liu Jinzhong also smiled and said: "Brother Shang, don't worry, Li Chenggong will definitely capture Mingxiang for you! Even if Mingxiang cannot be caught, Shuying and I can keep you Break out and go to Chaozhou."

Shang Zhixin couldn't laugh or cry when he heard this. The old man Liu Jinzhong called him "Big Brother" and his widow girl in her 20s "Shuying". What did you say "Mingxiang can't run away" and "Mingxiang must be caught"!
Isn't this a rebellion?Although he wanted to send Mingzhu to Wu Guogui, and he also gave Wu Sangui a form of persuasion, but this does not mean that he wants to rebel. He is just "double allegiance", loyal to Kangxi and Sangui!
This is called "Loyalty and Yicheng Pair", which is twice as loyal as "Loyalty and Yiwushuang"!
Just when he was about to explain his position with his sister and his alternate old brother-in-law Liu Jinzhong, there was a sudden sound of gongs. Give the people time," shouted.

Shang Zhixin quickly stretched his neck to look around, and found a group of cavalry guarding a guard of honor that should be protecting the imperial envoy, coming in mighty force!

It should be the imperial envoy and mediation minister Mingzhu has arrived!
"Quickly, hurry up and invite Wang Shangshi to come over." Shang Zhixin stood up while ordering the left and right, and greeted Liu Jinzhong, Shang Shuying, Zhu Guozhi, and Li Lan who were sitting in a pavilion, and then the big guys went Together they went out of the pavilion to meet the imperial envoy.

On the official road outside the pavilion, a pomp has been set up to welcome the imperial envoys. Hundreds of soldiers under the Shang family lined up in two rows on the left and right beside the official road, and dozens of officials under the monks from Guangdong also stood up according to the system shift.When Mingzhu's eight-carried sedan chair approached, they all knelt down to meet her.As soon as the official sedan chair stopped and the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, hundreds of voices opened their mouths together: "Welcome to the imperial envoy Ming Xiangye!"

Mingzhu laughed loudly, got out of the sedan chair, then looked up and looked stupid!

It was not the first time for him to be an imperial envoy, and it was certainly not the first time that he was accepted by the officials below him.But in the previous kneeling reception, everyone was kneeling, but this time there was a group of people standing there swaggering!

It's all right to stand up to meet the imperial envoy, but the problem is that this group of people are all wearing black gauze hats, round-collared shirts, and belts tied around their waists. They are clearly dressed as officials of the Ming Dynasty!One of them was holding a sword.
What does it mean?
Why did the high officials of the Ming Dynasty appear at the scene of welcoming the imperial envoys in the Qing Dynasty, and they were holding a sword? Wouldn't it be Shangfang's sword?
Is this to use the Shangfang sword of the Ming Dynasty to kill the officials of the Qing Dynasty?
Thinking of this, Mingzhu yelled: "Who are you and why are you wearing the official uniforms of the Ming Dynasty?"

He is now "shocked". He just met a group of Cantonese gun-wielding scholars who "robbed the way" outside Guangzhou, and now he saw a group of Ming Dynasty officials outside the North Gate of Guangzhou. If he can calm down, he will be careless No lungs.

"Hahaha, my official, Wang Shirong, is the mediation imperial envoy sent by His Highness the West King of Ming Dynasty! Prime Minister Ming, please go with this imperial envoy!"

It was Wang Shirong who answered Mingzhu's question. Wang Shirong now knows that it is impossible to mediate the "Wang-Shang conflict", but it is a great achievement to catch Mingzhu!
Exchange the pearls for Wu Yingxiong's wife and children, can this credit be small?
Mingzhu was impatient, pointing at Shang Zhixin who was still kneeling on the ground, she questioned: "Shang Zhixin, so you are really rebellious! Wang Fuchen said that both you and your Ama have taken refuge in Wu Sangui, and even asked to come in, but I still don't believe it. , and even speak for you, I didn’t expect that your family is a traitor!”

Being questioned by Mingzhu, Shang Zhixin stopped pretending, stood up directly, and said to Mingzhu with a wry smile: "Mingxiang, if you want to say that, you are really wronged. In today's Guangdong, where is there anything else?" Reverse or not? Anyone who supports troops and occupies land is a powerful party. But as long as no one dominates Guangdong, then Guangdong will not be able to threaten the Qing Dynasty and the Western King.

But now the most promising to unify Guangdong, or even unify Guangdong and Guangxi, are Wang Fuchen, Wang Jizhen, Wang Zhongxiao, Sun Jiqing and his son. Mingxiang, you don’t think that after the unification of Guangdong and Guangxi, the Wang family and his son will be content to be in a safe environment Anmin's housekeeper? "

Mingzhu also knows that Guangdong is now in chaos, but he also has a bottom line. Guangdong and Guangxi can be chaotic and civil war, but you can't tie him up and hand him over to Wu Sangui!

He shouted and asked: "Shang Zhixin, do you want to hand over this imperial envoy to Wu Sangui, a traitor?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Shang Zhixin said categorically, "What Wang Qin said was that King Xi wanted to invite you. It was King Xi who wanted to invite you, maybe to discuss the release of the wife and children of King Xi's son. If you don't want to go, the Lord will never force you to go."

After hearing this, Mingzhu was still very worried!

If Shang Zhixin didn't force it, would others force him, a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, to be a hostage or second minister to Wu Sangui?
When Shang Zhixin saw that Mingzhu kept silent, he knew that the other party had accepted Wu Sangui's invitation, so he didn't continue to provoke him. Instead, he made a solemn gesture and said with a smile: "Mingzhu, please. Let's go to the city first. It's not very safe here, who knows when the Wang family's Guangdong soldiers will come over?"

"This" Mingzhu didn't know what to say.

Outside the city is Longtan, where there are Guangdong scholars and people with guns!And inside the city is a tiger's den, and there are imperial envoys sent by Wu Sangui to arrest him!

This time, it's more ominous than good!
"Brother, do you think this pearl plus Wang Shirong can resolve the conflict between our family and the old Wang's family?"

In Guangzhou City, Shizi Mansion, Shang Zhixin's good sister Shang Shuying is drinking tea in the flower hall in the back garden, while discussing mediation with Shang Zhixin.

"It can't be resolved." Before Shang Zhixin could speak, Liu Jinzhong, a reckless man, spoke first.

Shang Shuying looked back at Liu Jinzhong, frowned, with a displeased look on her face, "Brother Liu, didn't you say before that as long as you and Wu Guogui come out together, there is a way?"

"Hey, that's not to make you happy." Liu Jinzhong is also thick-skinned, he won't coax him anymore after he got his hands on his white, tender, plump and enchanting body.

"You bastard!" Shang Shuying blushed and looked unhappy, "Brother Liu, what are you talking about?"

"The truth!" Liu Jinzhong said, "Sister Shuying, is the current situation still unclear? The old Wang family just wants to take over the Guangfu, and there is Guangdong. Loyal to the Qing Dynasty and loyal to the Ming Dynasty. That Wang Fuchen doesn't care at all. He can't kill him." It doesn't matter if I kill you, Ama. What they want is Guangfu and even the whole of Guangdong! Shuying, if we don't want to hand over the whole of Guangdong to them, it's useless for anyone to say anything!"

"Is it not enough to hand over the Guangfu?" Shang Zhixin frowned and asked.

"Not enough." Liu Jinzhong shook his head, "How can it be possible? What is the terrain of Guangdong? Guangdong is also called Lingnan, which is the south of the Nanling. If it is not completely based on Guangdong, it cannot be based on the south of the Lingnan. If it is not based on the south of the Lingnan, the Wang family is not really Lord of Guangdong.

So if we want to negotiate peace, we can only withdraw from Guangdong and find another place to settle down! "

"Exit Guangdong. Where can I go?" Shang Shuying was a little anxious.

Liu Jinzhong said with a smile: "Honey, we always have somewhere to go. Your Shunfan only has five assistant leaders, and the 5000th Battalion Green Battalion under my command has only 10,000 soldiers. At worst, we will retreat to southern Jiangxi, and we will fight for the Qing Dynasty together." Keeping southern Jiangxi, preventing Wang Fuchen and Wu Sangui from entering Jiangxi, is it okay? But, my father, what should you do? Hunan's Chenzhou and Guiyang prefectures are only so small that they can't support the [-]+ people of Shangfan Bar?"

Definitely can't support it!

Originally, Shang Zhixin's bottom line was to occupy Shaozhou and Huizhou, and then take a little territory in Hunan.

However, Liu Jinzhong's analysis is reasonable. It is impossible for Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao not to accept Nanling.According to Guangdong without Nanling, that means they bought a mansion without a gate and people come in to move things at any time!

Although both father and son of the Wang family can fight, the tiger also naps sometimes!If there is no Nanling pass to guard, if someone calls at any time, the Wang family will not even have time to react.

Moreover, the Wang family's armed force is based on the rural soldiers in Guangdong, which is good because it has a large number of people and low cost. However, the rural soldiers integrate soldiers with the people, so it takes time to mobilize.

Therefore, the Wang family must occupy the dangerous area of ​​Nanling.
But without Shaozhou and Huizhou, Shang Zhixin would have nowhere to go.

Gannan has already been targeted by Liu Jinzhong, and it's not enough!How much money is there for a Gannan mansion?How could it be possible to support so many masters under the Shang family?As for grabbing land in Hunan, it is possible to have a little leftover material, but don't even think about a good land!

Didn't Wu Guogui tear up the Shang family?
As for going further north to grab Li Zicheng's territory?Tired of life?
"What, what's the matter?" Shang Zhixin was also anxious.

Shang Shuying was also anxious, and looked at Liu Jinzhong resentfully: "Brother Liu, you have to help my brother. If my house is run-down, even if we escape to the south of Jiangxi, I'm afraid we won't have a good life? Otherwise, you As long as I can help my family, I will marry you to fill in the house. I am Princess Gege, and I am also the wife of Shunfan, if you marry me, I will be the forehead, and Shunfan is also yours!"

Liu Jinzhong laughed, then gritted his teeth, and snorted: "What else can I do? Either wait for death or give them a grand banquet?"

(End of this chapter)