Win the Ding 1617

"This is what will happen to you!"

A corpse was thrown from the top of the city by the Shimadzu Army, and it drew an arc in the air and landed heavily on the ground, making a muffled sound.

After paying the price of more than a thousand people again, the shogunate army finally leveled off all the obstacles under the city and pulled out several Shimadzu army strongholds outside the city one by one.

Under the cover of artillery fire under the city, the various daimyos of the shogunate army began to besiege the city.

This time, the artillery fire of the South Central Army was no longer a laborless effort, but let both the upper and lower city have a taste of what artillery warfare is, what is precision, and what is speed and passion!

Two mortars also joined the battle group belatedly, and cleared all the iron cannons and lime walls at the top of the city one by one.

Under the unified command of the artillery team officers of the Nanzhong Army, the shogunate and daimyo's Daifuran machines also achieved unprecedented accuracy. Under the report of the rangefinder of the artillery team, the Daifuran machines adjusted the elements, fired, and reloaded the guns. Gun, and then fired, compared with the previous shooting effect, it can be said to be more accurate and more ruthless.The near-perfect artillery technology was an eye-opener for everyone in the shogunate army. It turns out that artillery is used like this!

In this way, the Shimadzu army who had been guarding various fortifications before was in bad luck.The shells fell on the fortifications above their heads, and the heavy shells pierced through the civil structure of the city tower. The weight of the iron guns and sculls collapsed and hit the soldiers guarding them. These soldiers were either smashed by the beams In the middle, or the body was split in two by shells, pink blood mist sprayed everywhere, and bloody red flesh flew everywhere.Or a huge blood hole appeared on the body, and the inner intestines coiled in the middle were ruptured.Or a whole thigh, a whole arm was broken, blood gushed out like a fountain, and the flesh and blood of the severed limbs filled the air, making it even more ruthless in this cold weather.

After the artillery fire, several huge gaps appeared on the top of the city, which looked very uncoordinated on the neat and majestic Kumamoto Castle, like a beauty showing her teeth.

"The city will be broken today!"

Kuroda Tadayuki was in the north of the city.Tokugawa Yoshinao is in the south of the city.Unanimously, they howled loudly, encouraging their subordinates to attack bravely.

The dark crowd rushed to the bottom of the city in a blink of an eye, and the Martial Artist Fan, who used to be able to discourage countless people, looked so pale and powerless in front of the ladder.Some brave warriors.Shouting and dancing on the slopes of bricks and stones that have collapsed from the top of the city.Wielding a long knife and spear with a finger, trying to be the first to rush to the top of the wall.

Under the huge temptation of the first comer reward.People quickly set up a ladder and fell to the top of the city, and a ladder was pushed down by the defenders at the top of the city.Soon another ladder was erected.

Finally, a series of ladders were erected, and soldiers of the shogunate army swarmed up.

The shogunate army below the city cheered like a tide, and the daimyos celebrated with each other, and began to look forward to the beautiful days after the city was broken.

"Pikemen array!"

Katsushige Nabeshima played another trump card of his own.

Thousands of spearmen lined up in the area densely packed with siege ladders. Their eyes were full of bloodthirsty fire and killing desire. Some people licked their chapped lips with scarlet tongues, so that they would not be exposed to the cold wind. So dry.

A shogunate soldier appeared at the top of the city. He cheered and waved the long knife and flag in his hand, "Ashigaru Twelve Lang of my Kuroda family became the first..."

Before he finished speaking, the tips of three or four spears had reached his chest.

His body was picked up by the four spearmen, and he was thrown down along the ladder at the top of the city. The rolling corpse acted as a rolling log and stone.

The people on this ladder fell from mid-air screaming.

Exactly the same, several nearby ladders, the samurai and ashigaru were still climbing up like ants, but they were overturned by the defenders at the top of the city, and a series of screams came and went.

"Fire!"

Taking advantage of the chaos below the city and being unable to attack the top of the city, the iron cannons at the top of the city once again organized to shoot at the dense crowd below the city.

Crowded crowd, chaotic scene, iron gunners don't need to aim at all, just shoot towards the place where there are many people and many flags.

"Fire arrows!"

When the iron cannon team retreated to load ammunition, a group of archers swarmed forward, drew their longbows and fired arrows at the crowd in the city.

Although Japan's bamboo bows are not strong enough, the shogunate army that can be seen everywhere under the city is densely packed, so there is no need for a strong bow.Countless arrows rained down, and arrows like hedgehogs suddenly appeared on the ground below the city.

However, more and more ladders are coming up, and many ladders have flying hooks on their heads, once hooked to the city wall, they will not be knocked down no matter what.The hook head is made of iron, even if the defenders swung their knives and axes to slash, it is not so easy to cut off.

However, you have Zhang Liangji, and I have a wall ladder.There are many iron cannons on the city wall and the hidden places behind the castle tower, and the boiling water is continuously boiled in a large pot, and the boiling water is steaming.Numerous defenders carefully wrapped their hands and faces with cotton cloth, scooped up a scoop of boiling water with a long wooden ladle, and fell down on the shogunate soldiers who were on the ladder.

There was a howling sound that didn't sound like a human voice, and as the boiling water continued to pour down, the exposed skin of each shogunate soldier instantly turned bright red, and immediately after that, large blisters formed, and those unlucky ones who were directly drenched by boiling water In the process, the whole piece of skin was scalded immediately, exposing the bright red tender meat under the skin.

Since ancient times, water and fire are the most ruthless.

"Invite them to drink tea first, and then invite them to warm up by the fire!"

Following Huashan Jiushou's order, the city suddenly burst into flames, and the Shimadzu army on the city kept throwing down bundles of straw.

Those straws were sprinkled with gunpowder and drenched with water. After being ignited, the flames rolled at the foot of the city with thick smoke, and the ladders were burned.Countless soldiers of the shogunate army were led by the straw to wear their clothes, or rolled on the ground one by one with flames all over their bodies, or rushed into the crowd screaming and screaming with flames all over their bodies.Amidst the thick smoke, many people were coughing and breathless, and their eyes were so red and swollen that they could barely open them.

Taking advantage of the chaos, a ladder was overturned.Immediately afterwards, the iron cannon above the head was fired again, and dense arrows fell from the sky, and there were bursts of piercing howls from the city.

Iron cannons and arrows fell alternately like raindrops, and the shogunate army that was besieging the city became more and more chaotic. The people under Hedgeji City were either hit by iron cannons or a few arrows on their bodies. These soldiers generally did not have iron armor. At most, it was a piece of bamboo armor on his body, and he looked pale and weak in the face of the arrows and iron cannons falling from the city.By this time.Everyone's previous courage has been exhausted.

Whether it is the ronin of the volunteers.The ashigaru samurai who belonged to various daimyos all threw down the ladders or weapons in their hands to recognize the flag, and fled back like headless chickens.

Then, after a brief rectification, someone was beheaded.Someone was ordered to cut seppuku.Under the artillery support of the South Central Army.The various daimyo and the bannermen directly under the shogunate once again organized an offensive on the city.

Spears pierced, iron cannons bombarded, bows and arrows were thrown.Even scalding with boiling water, the burning straw bales became a defensive weapon.These tricks were repeatedly used by the Shimadzu army at the head of the city.The shogunate army was helpless.

The number of wounded soldiers sent to the camp of the South China Army increased more than once.

Kumamoto Castle has become a huge meat grinder, and both the attacker and the defender are troubled by the huge casualties.But he had to grit his teeth and persevere. Once he couldn't hold on, it would be an opportunity for the other party to take advantage of, resulting in disastrous consequences.

There are piles of meat paste parts everywhere under the city wall, limbs and arms in various states, and scattered large and small intestines.Dead bodies piled upon layers.And the characteristic city wall that makes Kumamoto Castle proud—Wu Zhe turned up, was even covered in blood. Many places where the blood hadn't dried up were covered with another layer of blood, flowing down from the stone wall silently.There are endless corpses under the city one after another, and many corpses have been deformed and cannot be recognized, obviously they were trampled to death while fleeing for their lives.

The city was also covered with blood, puddles of dark red blood and body fluids of various colors shone coldly in the cold wind.The artillery fire of the South Central Army and the iron cannons under the city that provided cover for the siege troops played a very good role. Blood flowed from the wounded and dead bodies hit by shells and cannonballs. It condensed on the ground, and it was extremely slippery when stepped on.

Apart from the disgusting smell of blood, what was blown around by the wind were bursts of desperate moans and cries.Many people began to vomit, especially those who had just put down their farm tools and picked up their spears and bamboo bows. Many people experienced such a bloody scene for the first time. How could they bear it? Some people vomited until they couldn't even vomit out bile.

The city was better. The shogunate army sent out civilian men to gather up the soldiers who were hit by iron cannons, shot by arrows, scalded by boiling water, and stabbed by spears. They supported each other and sent them to the Nanzhong Army camp for treatment.

The defenders at the top of the city were too lazy to waste energy on these unarmed peasants, allowing them to take away the wounded and the dead.

On the top of the city, those soldiers who were broken by shells, injured their bodies, or were hit by shells, they had no place to heal, and the limited medical power had to be used on the bodies of the warriors.They can only wait to die in painful cries.

Soon, the offensive and defensive battle that caused both sides to complain endlessly came to an end before the sun set.

In the general's tent, Tokugawa Yoshinao kept complaining to Matsudaira Nobutsuna.

Since the start of the war, his Second Army had killed nearly 5000 people, including those ronin, and even his headquarters had suffered more than a thousand casualties.As for the casualties of the famous troops under his command are even greater.

"May I ask Your Highness to increase the number of artillery pieces? The Nanzhong Army could break through the city in one day if they captured Shimabara Castle that day. Why did our shogunate army have to delay for a long time under the Kumamoto Castle? According to the art of war, it is impossible to stop the troops under the fortified city." It’s not a good thing! There are some foreign daimyo camps, but there are some rumors.”

"What rumor?!"

"These people said that the reason why the daimyo came to Kyushu was to kill them with the sword of Shimadzu's family. Because they, like Shimadzu, were the Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara!"

"Bastard!"

The chief general threw the sake cup in his hand to the floor, and the cup shattered instantly.

"Shimabara Castle is a group of rioters and ronin. Can it be compared with the elite soldiers of the Shimadzu family? Can Shimabara Castle be compared with Kumamoto Castle, one of the three strongest cities in the world? Our army can be compared with the Nanzhong Army Is it?! As for casualties!"

The chief general stopped talking.

It is an unspoken secret of the shogunate family center to use the Kyushu wind war to weaken the strength of foreign daimyos and even some genealogical daimyos.If it weren't for the Nanzhong Army to take care of the wounded.It's winter again, and infectious diseases are not easy to break out. I'm afraid that the plague has already broken out in Kumamoto Castle!

"That's right! No one will be killed in the siege! When we conquered Daban City, our army also suffered heavy casualties! After several months of hard work, we took Daban City!"

Tokugawa Yoshinao, who participated in the Osaka Winter Battle and Summer Battle, still has a fresh memory of the battle that forced Tokugawa Ieyasu to almost commit suicide.

"However, no matter what, I have to pay a visit to His Highness, and ask him to increase the artillery fire on the many iron cannons at the top of the city tomorrow, so as to reduce the casualties of our army!"

"Yes! My lord, please ask Your Highness to help our army at least [-] more!"

"Master General. My lord, His Highness sent the General Attendant by his side to invite the two of you over for a drink, saying that we have something important to discuss."

Outside the tent door, Tokugawa Yoshinao's retainers sent an invitation from Li Huayu.

The two looked at each other.Quite surprised.Have something important to discuss?I hope you don't make up your mind to retreat!Think of the worst possibility.The two immediately joined hands and led the retainers from the people to Huayu's camp.

The camp of the South Central Army occupies a very large area, almost including the entire site of the original Zhupu City.

The whole camp is divided into two parts, inside and outside.

In the camp outside.Hundreds of military doctors shuttled back and forth to check the wounds, clean the wounds, and apply medicines for those wounded.The camp was filled with the pungent smell of medicine and the painful cries of wounded soldiers as their wounds were washed.

Those wounded soldiers who were taken in here early due to injuries were sorted and taken in according to different injuries, which disrupted the original regional and vassal framework, and exchanged with each other about the injury process, telling the experience and experience of healing. , Many people have made up their minds, and after they recover from their injuries, they will go to Nanzhong with the ships of the Nanzhong Army to make a living.

The wounded soldier who was scalded and the ronin who was shot by the arrow shared the meals of the Nanzhong Army in a friendly manner.As people who have signed a labor contract, they can enjoy the food standard of Nanzhong military and civilian husbands by virtue of the armbands on their arms. In their opinion, the food is quite rich, and it is completely good that many ordinary people may not necessarily have to eat during the New Year. Steamed japonica rice, large chunks of salted fish and beef were stewed and poured steamingly on the rice, which made the wounded soldiers in the outer battalion eat more happily and completely forget the pain of their own wounds.

"The siege has been frustrated, what do you think should be the next step?"

In his big tent, Hua Yu casually asked the commanders of the shogunate army in front of him.

After a few days of attacking, nearly ten thousand wounded soldiers have been taken in in the battalion outside. After selection, those lightly wounded who do not affect their labor are taken in as labor objects. Didn't see much good going there.

On the second day of Kumamoto Castle, the guard tower and more than a dozen iron cannon sculls had been turned into ruins under the artillery fire, and the remaining building materials became the rolling logs for boiling water and throwing down the castle.Although we don't know the extent of the casualties of the defenders at the top of the city, judging from the fewer and fewer firing times of the iron cannons and the longer and longer stay time of the attackers at the top of the city, the defenders in the city also suffered heavy casualties.

What's more terrible is that they may not have the logistical support of the shogunate army.The Nanzhong Army fleet kept bringing food, supplies and ammunition, and then transported the captives of various ministries away as trophies.

"The city will be broken in the next few days! The foreign minister also hopes that His Highness can transport the artillery from the battalion to the city to strengthen the suppression of the artillery fire on the top of the city!"

In the inner camp, Liang Kuan and others set up forts at several key points of the wall, aiming a dozen cannons at the only way in and out of the camp.These cannons have now become Matsudaira Nobutsuna's eager thoughts, hoping to become the key to unlock Kumamoto Castle.

"The siege must be taken down, but I have a method that can make Kumamoto Castle collapse without attack."

Hua Yu's tone was well-chosen.

"However, I need the shogunate to provide two thousand elite warriors and a general to command these people. Once this plan is implemented, not only Kumamoto Castle can be conquered overnight, but also Kagoshima, the home of the Shimadzu family. , also instantly reduced to ashes!"

Hearing these words, Matsudaira Nobuzuna, Tokugawa Yoshinao, and Kuroda Tadayuki were inspired, and conquered the two cities of Kumamoto and Kagoshima in one fell swoop. What kind of military exploits is this?When these two cities are combined, the Kyushu storm can be declared to subside.The biggest battle since Yanwu in the world was settled in his own hands.

The next day, the sky had just turned pale, and a new round of offensive was launched.

Almost all the elite bannermen of the Tokugawa family were dispatched, and all the cannons of the Nanzhong Army were pulled to the bottom of the city and aimed at the top of the city.Dozens of carts were constantly transporting gunpowder and shells. These signs made the defenders at the top of the city tremble with fear.

In the north of the city, the banner of General Matsudaira Nobuzuna appeared in people's field of vision.

In the south of the city, Tokugawa Yoshinao, the commander of the Second Army, shouted and cursed within the sight of Katsushige Nabeshima, urging all the armies and ministries to move down the city,

"Katsumo-kun, it seems that in today's battle, the shogunate army has come out in full force. If you and I can still stand here before sunset today, we must be blessed by the gods of our ancestors!"

"Jiu Shou-kun, why do you say this? Although the shogunate army has a large number of people and sharp firearms, it is a refueling tactic. The cannons refuse to be used once, and the soldiers and horses are also worn out a lot these days. This Kumamoto City, is The place where you and I are famous all over the world!"

"I hope so!"

"Just in case, I have ordered people to go to Kagoshima Castle again to ask for rescue soldiers!"

. . . . . . .

It was another day of hard work, so I won't repeat it.

When a round of bleak moonlight was cast on the battlefield, the defenders at the top of the city found someone among the dead people below the city quietly moving towards the top of the city.

Immediately, he was captured and sent to the two family governors.

Unexpectedly, this person was one of the first emissaries to Kagoshima.

The disgraced and smoky envoy knelt down and wept bitterly when he saw the two house governors.

"Kagoshima is over!"

"The shogunate army took a gunboat as the vanguard, four gunboats suppressed it on both sides, and four fireboats continued to cast skyfire on Kagoshima Castle. Thousands of elite soldiers swarmed out of the troop carrier and charged into Kagoshima Castle!"

"In addition to the sea of ​​fire in the city, it is the banner of the shogunate army!"

"The Shimadzu family, it's over!" (To be continued...)