Win the Ding 1617

ps: Continue to ask for a monthly pass. ,

He has a black horse under his crotch, a white felt hat on his head, a blue cloth arrow jacket, a bow and arrow on his back, and a sharp sword hanging from his waist.

This has become Li Zicheng's signature dress.

He rode his horse and stood on the embankment outside Kaifeng City. Behind his back, a large flag with the word "Chuang" fluttered in the wind. The flag tassel was white and the flag spear was silver.

Beside him, there is a flag with the word "Cao" of the same size and style, wearing a mink cloak and a sea dragon fur robe, Cao Cao, who is doughy like a rich man.

Behind the two of them, the generals of Chuangcao and Chuangcao gathered together. Liu Zongmin, Liu Fangliang, Li Guo, Gao Yigong, Yuan Zongdi and others all accompanied Li Zicheng.There are a few people dressed like literati beside them, they are Song Xiance, Niu Jinxing, Li Yan and others.Behind Cao Cao, Sun Shengzu, Ji Gui and others also stared vigorously at the Kaifeng city wall not far away.

And Cao Cao was chatting gossip with Li Zicheng without saying a word, praising his black horse.

This is a very tall steed. The whole body of the horse is dark gray with white spots. The hair is much and curly. The mane and tail have been trimmed. It is very handsome.

"Ru Cai, you are famous for your love of horses and beauties. After today's business is over, you send the old camp secretary to my camp to take away five horses. They are all little tigers who are going out this time, the eldest son of Uncle Ning Yuan." Give him the best heavenly horse!"

"Then I'd like to thank Brother Li very much! I didn't say anything, I will use a hundred collars to get good armor as a gift to Brother Li!"

The two exchanged a few words of haha, and each raised their binoculars to look at the opposite Kaifeng City Wall.

On the top of the city, there are crowds of people.Someone was sweeping snow from the top of the city, and someone seemed to be piling up bags of earth to seal up the gaps in the battlements. The place where the most densely populated people was the place where the peasant army was digging holes under the city.The two couldn't help but snorted.Express disdain for the stupidity of Kaifeng officials and generals.

"Last year we attacked Kaifeng for the first time. The soldiers and civilians who defended the city dug a hole from the top of the city and killed my brothers in the hole. Now we must still use this method to break through the city. Last year our army did not have any firearms, so the enemy was on the city in broad daylight. Dig down, not afraid of me, now our army has a lot of artillery. They still plan to repeat the old trick, really stupid!"

"Exactly! Our army has already dug more than [-] holes. Is it easy for the enemy to drive out our army one by one? As long as our army can keep half of the holes in their hands, continue to dig bigger, and release them all at once, it will be fine." Blow up several gaps in the city wall. Of course, the people who defend the city still have strong hearts and are determined to defend to the death. There is also Chen Yongfu commanding, so it should not be underestimated. Besides, the enemy is on the head and our army is at the foot, which is very unfavorable to my soldiers who dig holes. Tell The soldiers of our army digging holes will not yield an inch, so that every time the enemy attacks a hole, there will be casualties. Our soldiers who dig holes must save themselves in the hole, and die in the hole, and those who easily escape from the hole will not be pardoned!"

Looking at the Songmen city wall opposite.The two couldn't help being proud, this Kaifeng will be the first provincial capital they won in the tough battle!

"Command. Start!"

The sound of horns kept sounding, cavalry came and went to send orders, and several phalanxes walked slowly but firmly towards the north gate from the front line.

If there are observation equipment such as high-altitude balloons, Ding Qirui, Gao Mingheng, Chen Yongfu and others guarding Kaifeng will find that the troops in Chuangying and Caoying are still arranged in the direction of more than ten miles from the North Gate, Caomen, and Songmen. .The banners of the two elite soldiers and major generals all appeared and assembled in this area.

"The main force of the second thief who broke into Cao is still in the area around the north gate!" The officials and generals all confirmed with certainty.Originally!There are ready-made pits that are almost dug, provided that they are filled with gunpowder.Then if you succeed in releasing it, you can break through the city in one fell swoop!

Officials' attention was drawn north.But it ignored the outside of the south gate.

Near the embankment, thousands of cavalry galloped back and forth, guarding and imprisoning hundreds of thousands of starving people.Most of these people came from Xiaoyuanying not long ago.Today, Luo Hu will let them come in handy.

These are hungry people with dishes on their faces.Pushing the heavy vehicle with great effort, the vehicle was covered with huge bales of firewood, and I didn't know what was inside, and what was the purpose of transporting the firewood to the city.Some daring refugees speculated to each other, could it be that they wanted to set fire to the city walls of Kaifeng?But looking at these dozens of firewood carts of different sizes, it seems impossible.

"Stop!" Amidst the jeers of the soldiers and civilians guarding the city, Luo Hu ordered the brigade to stop at the location he had chosen.

Someone took the refugee team back, more than a hundred steps away from the large and small vehicles.

"Ma Yaozi, take the people there!" Luo Hu ordered, Ma Yaozi got on his horse and led more than ten riders to the refugee team.

The leaders of Luo Hu's subordinates nervously got busy according to their respective duties.

Soon, hundreds of huge pots and stoves emitted bursts of cooking smoke, and the aroma behind the embankment suddenly smelt.

Following bursts of clamor and shouts, Ma Yaozi and more than a dozen of his subordinates had conveyed General Luo's order to the refugee team.

"Today's battle is your good fortune! Anyone who is willing to fight will have porridge to drink! Those who fill the trenches under the city wall, and those who carry a bag of earth to fill the trenches, will have hot steamed buns to eat when they come back! Those who fill the trenches , Lord Luo said, only 3000 people! Who are willing to go?!"

3000 people?There are more than 3 refugees here!Even if you want [-] people, call for an immediate call!The [-] hungry people who were selected to fill the trenches each held large porcelain bowls, and snorted to drink the thick and thick multigrain porridge. The porridge was so thick that it was quite laborious to wring the chopsticks.

Putting down the bowls and chopsticks, the more than three thousand people screamed, carrying various earth bags on their backs, and ran towards the dry moat below the city. Just now, Ma Yaozi had told them that as long as they didn't die, throw the earth bags into the designated area, and they would be alive when they came back. Hot buns are waiting for them!

Sparse arrows began to fall on the top of the city among the running crowd. However, the strength and attention of the troops on the city were attracted by the pounces of Li Zicheng and Cao Cao in the north. They rushed to the Song Gate, and there were only a few hundred Ding Qirui's soldiers of the supervising battalion and thousands of people left here.

Under the city, Luo Hu had already formed his formation.

Thousands of cavalry supervised the battle behind the ranks of hungry people, and more than a thousand firecrackers lined up in front of the army, checking their firecrackers in the cold wind.Hao Yaoqi, who came to assist with his own soldiers and horses, ordered his subordinates to check their swords, guns and armor, and only waited for Luo Hu's general order.

"Artillery! Get ready!"

With an order, the firewood on the carts was suddenly pushed down.The gun barrel under the firewood was exposed.

Li Zicheng also spent a lot of money.All ten twelve-pound guns and twenty eight-pound guns were handed over to Luo Hu for use.

"Divide into two artillery groups! Just aim at the foundation of the city wall with the [-]-pound gun, and load the cannonballs on me! Eight-pound guns are loaded with cannonballs, and hit the top of the city! Make sure that the people on the top of the city dare not show their heads!"

The sound of the cannon was booming, and many artillery shells whizzed over, continuously hitting the city wall, and heavy iron balls shot out.From time to time, there was the rumbling sound of breaking and collapsing city bricks.The city bricks, which usually cost an unknown amount of manpower and even lives to hew, looked so vulnerable in the face of gunpowder and twelve-pound shells.In front of the dense artillery fire, the city wall was continuously stripped of its brick coat, revealing bits and pieces of rammed earth.

"Little Tiger, is this okay?"

Hao Yaoqi shook the copper jug ​​in his hand, and there were empty sounds. He had already drank up all the spirits in it. "Is it time to let those refugees come forward?"

"Uncle Waqi, don't worry. Let's fight again!"

In the midst of another round of cannon fire, the secretary in the Luohu Battalion led hundreds of auxiliary soldiers to carry out the pots of miscellaneous noodles.

If you want to eat these buns, it's very simple, go to the city wall and bring back a brick.You can exchange four buns.There are no more city bricks, so you can dig out the soil on the city wall and return it.As long as the portion is enough for one city brick, there are also four buns.

The number of people is not limited, and the number of times is not limited.As long as you have the guts.The general is here.Momo has a lot of preparations!For the second time, there is still broth for dinner!

The overwhelming crowd shouted and roared.Along the moat that had just been filled, he rushed straight to the city wall that had been ravaged by twelve-pound shells.

Although there were no siege equipment such as shield vehicles, nest vehicles, flying bridges, and pointed wheels, the pressure on the city was no less than that of the officers and soldiers in the north at this time.

On the line from Songmen to Beimen, the Chuangcao family fired nearly a hundred six-pound guns and Dafo Langji in one go, and suppressed the artillery fire on the top of the city.

Under the unified measurement and command of the Beijing camp gunners abducted by Wang Long, the artillery fire level of the Peasant Army has made a huge leap.

Although it is impossible to point and hit.But it has opened the eyes of Li Zicheng, Luo Rucai and others.

The whistling of the artillery continued to sound, the roar of the guns at the top of the city, the dazzling flames rose up, and the thick white smoke below the city continued to rise and condense in mid-air.In a blink of an eye, it was blown away without a trace by the cold wind blowing from the Yellow River.

The artillery of the Peasant Army kept bombarding the city wall, smashing the bricks and stones on the top of the city, and from time to time there were weak and short screams, bringing up bursts of red flesh and bones.Occasionally, a few cannons were lifted into the air by the huge impact, and then fell down, causing another massacre on the city.

The artillery at the top of the city was also desperately fighting back, and there were many rockets such as flying knives and flying swords, flying towards the outside of the city with bursts of green smoke.However, the momentum was much weaker than before, presumably the city had been defending the city for many days, and the arrows stored in the city pool were almost exhausted.

With a bang, a six-pounder shell, carrying a scorching iron ball, roared and smashed into a group of townspeople at the head of the city. Amidst the blood and screams, stumps and broken bones flew up and down, accompanied by terrifying Fracture sound.

"No retreat! No chaos!" Hundreds of battalion soldiers under Chen Yongfu, armed with big knives and shields, forcefully pushed the group of people who were about to collapse back to the top of the city. , Fa-rectification on the spot!"

These people are the law enforcement team designated by Chen Yongfu, and their full-time job is to supervise the battle.Under the joint orders of His Royal Highness King Zhou, Governor Ding Qirui, and Governor Gao Mingheng, but those who fled without fighting can be punished on the spot.These days, they have killed hundreds of people without knowing it.

At this moment, it was the middle of the hour, the sun had risen overhead, and the battlefield became more and more scorching and boring.

The deafening sound of cannons continued continuously, and it took a long time to count the hundreds of cannons fired in one round, and the cannons were always fired from left to right in turn.For a while, the sound of cannons and the whistling of shells continued.

Under the cover of the sound of cannons, the people digging holes in the city moved swiftly and continuously expanded the cave so that more gunpowder could be filled.

Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai couldn't help being overjoyed to see baskets of rammed earth being passed out of the cave entrance, and the generals and counselors who broke into Cao's second battalion were also overjoyed.

It seems that breaking the city is not a problem today!

"We broke Kaifeng today, and the wealth in this city is enough to arm an army of hundreds of thousands! At that time, we will not wait for Zuo Liangyu to come. Let's go south to seek his bad luck! Beat this Zuo Rabbit master hard!"

When the two families were arranging combat missions, Wang Long was ordered to convey to everyone in front of the generals what the generals of the Beijing camp had given him that day, so as to reassure everyone.

"This guy Zuo Liangyu was originally a rabbit who accompanied wine among the Changping officers and soldiers! Zhan grew a good skin and wooed Hou Xun, so he had the opportunity to go to Liaodong to fight the Tartars. I made a fortune by making some small contributions!"

As the saying goes, good men don't meet old neighbors.Even Sun Houzi only mentioned Havoc in Heaven, and he didn't want others to say that he was Bi Mawen.However, everyone in the Beijing camp knew Zuo Liangyu's details very well, and these honorable children hated Zuo Liangyu's fawning over civil officials and getting rich, so naturally they would not show any morals in their mouths.Ever since, any dirty and dirty words can be said.

Amidst the laughter, Niu Wancai, who was in charge of digging the hole, sent someone to deliver the letter. The 36 holes are roughly completed, please ask King Chuang to send someone to prepare gunpowder.

Just as he was about to send an order, Li Zicheng's hand holding the binoculars shook slightly.

The people in the city were also struggling to dig down the city wall when the sound of the cannons stopped, trying to get through those holes and take those potholes down.Amid bursts of cheers, several holes were opened, and people from both the city and the city.Both can see each other with the help of torches.

"Quick! Bring the gunpowder barrel up! Get ready to explode!"

Under the city and above the city, the competition for the entrances of each cave began.

As the holes were opened one by one.Niu Wancai had no choice but to order people to stop the transportation of gunpowder for the time being, and must repel the government troops who were vying for and destroying the entrance of the cave.

With the help of firecrackers, bows and arrows, many of the officers and civilians who tried to come down to compete with the peasant army for the entrance of the cave were killed and wounded, and the rest were too frightened to approach the entrance of the cave, and just threw their enemies down.

But the killing effect of Ten Thousand Enemy is average, and.When Niu Wancai was digging a hole, he ordered his men to dig down first, and then expand to both sides after digging a hole.Most of the thousands of enemies and stones thrown from the entrance of the city fell into the pit.

"Chen Zongbing! Chen Zongbing! You have to find a way!" Gao Mingheng grabbed Chen Yongfu's shirt and begged humbly regardless of his status.

"Master Governor! Lord Chief Soldier! Just now the south gate came to report, and the bandits drove tens of thousands of hungry people to rush to the city wall, and the attack was ferocious!"

"Don't worry about it! It's a trick of the bandits! Li Chuang and Cao Cao are here. The famous leaders of the bandits are here, and the holes they dug are also here. The south gate is just a feint!" Gao Mingheng Angrily, he kicked the officer who reported the letter.

"My lord governor, besides opening up the holes dug by the thieves one by one, I want to offer a huge reward among the soldiers and civilians defending the city to recruit warriors to seize these holes!" Chen Yongfu couldn't think of a way out of desperation, so he had to offer a huge reward There must be a magic weapon of a brave man.

Holes were dug on the city wall, trying to get through the holes dug by the peasant army below the city.First dig a big hole in the city. The vertical hole is reduced layer by layer. The diameter of the top layer is at least one foot. Many people can stand on it, and then gradually shrink to eight feet, and then down to six feet. , four feet, and finally reduced to two or three feet in diameter, people can jump down without hindrance.

Soon, the densely packed cave entrances continuously let out exclamations, and connected with the cave under the city.

Under the tower of the Song Gate, Gao Mingheng ordered someone to bring 3000 yuan of silver dollars from the treasury, and put them on the altar table casually.

This is a reward for the warrior who has a way to recapture those potholes, or drive away the peasant army in the cave.

The peasant army fought fiercely with the city leaders in each cave, fighting each other with the city leaders.The city kept throwing stones down, and stabbing down with long spears; while the lower part also prepared firecrackers and archers, and fired blunderbuss and arrows upward.Under the faint light and starlight, as long as you see a figure shaking above, the bottom will immediately release firecrackers and shoot arrows.They can't see whether their arrows hit each other, but they can understand everything from the voice from above.

Officials in the city keep saying that anyone who can seize the cave will be rewarded with 3000 silver dollars.For a while there was a lot of discussion in the city, everyone said that three thousand silver is not a small amount, but no one dared to try it, because they all knew that there were many enemies in the cave, and our soldiers could only jump down one by one, while the bandit soldiers stood below and waited. Go down one, kill one.Jumping off is tantamount to death.People waited and looked at each other, timidly, lest they would lose their own lives for the three thousand silver dollars. .

"My lord, leave it to me!" A member of Chen Yongfu's subordinate, Zhu Chengxiang, separated the general manager and everyone came out proudly.

"Okay! As long as you succeed in capturing the cave, in addition to the reward of silver, you will definitely be promoted in a special way when you report your achievements! The general is too small! It is not impossible to defend and participate in guerrillas!" Gao Mingheng also went to the doctor for illness. Just keep writing blank checks that don't cost money.

"President Zhu, what do you need?"

After hearing Zhu Chengxiang's request, Chen Yongfu nodded, agreeing to his solution.

Soon, the [-] strong soldiers and everything needed by Zhu Chengxiang were handed over to him for dispatch.

A few bundles of dry firewood were dropped from the cave first, followed by seven or eight oil jars covered with masking cloths.Before the oil jar caught fire on the firewood, large bags of realgar and nitrate were dropped on it.

As the oil jar burst open in the cave, igniting the firewood, the cave immediately caught fire.The realgar and nitrate also fired their power, and the whole cave was filled with black smoke and a suffocating pungent smell.

Fuel with firewood and realgar nitrate, this recipe can be regarded as the original version of incendiary bomb plus gas bomb.Immediately, the peasant army who dug the pothole complained endlessly.In addition, firewood and oil altars were still being thrown in continuously, the fire in the cave was blazing, thick smoke was billowing, and realgar and nitresulphur smoked so that people could not breathe.The peasant army in the cave can avoid the firecrackers and arrows, even ten thousand enemies, but there is nowhere to hide from the oil fire and the pungent smell.Some were burned, and some fell to the ground due to smoke. Several people staggered out of the hole with flames on their bodies and escaped, but they were shot by arrows from the city and fell to the ground before walking a few steps.

After a while, the people in the city estimated that there was no one alive in the cave, and even if there was one person who did not escape, he must have been burned to death or smoked to death.Zhu Chengxiang waved to his [-] brothers, and everyone immediately poured the prepared water buckets into the cave.The thick smoke in the cave was slowly doused out.Then the smell of realgar and nitrate faded away.Zhu Chengxiang soaked a towel in clear water and covered his mouth and nose, and jumped down the hole first, followed by his subordinates one by one, occupying the hole.

Most of the peasant army who did not escape from the cave had been burned to death, and the few who had not been burned to death had also passed out.Zhu Chengxiang and his soldiers didn't care whether they were dead or alive, they just stabbed them one by one, and then threw the corpses out of the cave.

This battle made the soldiers and civilians defending the city suddenly feel rustic, and all places imitated Zhu Chengxiang's method to seize the cave.However, within half a day, all 36 burrows were taken into the hands of the officers and soldiers, and the peasant army who dug the holes suffered heavy casualties.

"It took more than half a month, and countless people were killed and injured, and it was over in half a day?" Li Zicheng saw this scene clearly through the lens barrel of the telescope.

"Chuang Wang! In the matter of war, if you are afraid of death or injury, you cannot win. Order all battalions and prepare ladders to attack the city!"

"That's right, Master Liu is right, what about fighting? Is it still called fighting if you don't die?"

Regarding Liu Zongmin and Cao Cao's suggestions, Li Zicheng also immediately adopted them. However, he nodded and called Gu Ying, "Go to the south gate to see how the little tiger is doing?" (to be continued...)