Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

However, like many people who have experienced important historical periods, they did not feel that there was anything unusual around them.The same was true for Wu Shigong at that time.

On November 36, the fifth year of Chongzhen, four modified two-pounder curved guns officially started firing.On this day, the Runing Battalion fired a total of [-] shells, of which [-] fired into the city.On the second day, all the [-] shells fired by the rectified artillery were fired in or near Shuicheng, Dengzhou City.

On the third day...it was gone on the third day.Why?These guns have no shells.When Liang Hui bought these artillery pieces, he only bought 34 shells at the same time.And during this period of time, only [-] rounds were added due to intensive construction, which could no longer support such a high frequency of launches.

However, the shelling of the Runing Battalion caused great panic to Kong Youde's rebels.It should be said that the shelling of the Runing Battalion did not have much effect, and finally damaged the bottoms of the two ships.However, because the damaged ships are all in the water city, although the repair is a bit troublesome, it is not completely impossible to repair.

But such a steady stream of shells from the air made it impossible for the rebels to determine how long such shelling would last.You know, after shooting like this for a long time, all the ships in the water city will be smashed and sunk one day.

The rebels originally thought that in case Dengzhou City was broken, there was still a way to escape by boat, but now they felt a sense of suffocation that they had been cut off.

For the rebels, this shelling also brought a kind of anxiety, that is, they have to guard against death from overhead at all times.In the Ming Dynasty, no one had the awareness and training of air defense, and the rebels did not know how to defend against these shells falling from the sky.

This is also like the United Kingdom during World War II. The V1 and V2 missiles of the German army did not cause much damage to British personnel and materials, but these missiles brought heavy psychological panic to the British government and the public.As a result, the primary target of the Allied Air Force has become the same as those missile launch bases of the German army.

During the days of defending the city, unlike Wu Shigong's quietness, Kong Youde had arranged for the rebels to break out from the west of Dengzhou City four times, and these four times they were all defeated by the Ming army. , but also caused huge casualties on both sides.

But Wu Shigong came with such an unexpected air strike, as if it broke the backbone of the rebel army at once.They didn't dare to go out of the city anymore, and immediately huddled in the city, and mobilized their artillery and heavy troops to the south wall of Dengzhou City.This is the way to combat the biggest threat at present.

But what made the rebels extremely uncomfortable was that they had no way to stop the artillery firing of the Runing Battalion.Because the artillery of the Runing Battalion was fired in a curved line, there was no need to expose it at all, and the positions were all set on the back of the mountain.Therefore, the artillery erected by the rebels at the head of the city, in addition to firing a shot to embolden themselves.It did not cause any harm to the Runing camp.

Now it is only possible to go out of the city and unplug the artillery position of the Runing Battalion.First came the night attack.On the night of the third day, a group of 500 rebels left Nancheng in the dark.When they touched the foot of the mountain.The Runing Camp, who had already prepared for it, was beaten up.After dropping more than eighty corpses.It is not even clear where the attack from the Runing Battalion came from, and the rebel night attack army fled back to Dengzhou City in such a desperate manner.

The rebels' night attack army did not know that they had just left the city when they were discovered by the secret sentry arranged by the Runing camp outside the city.Night raids and anti-night raids are also key training subjects for the Runing Battalion.The night attack of the rebels was completely axing at the gate of the class.

Then came the assault.But the rebel attack was even worse.On the morning of the fifth day, 3000 rebels drove out of Nancheng.They just walked a hundred steps forward, then stopped to look at the hill where the artillery was positioned, and then returned home without firing a single shot.

Such a steep mountain is facing the prepared Runing Camp.How to attack?Not necessarily to die.

However, the Runing Battalion was also angered by the night raids and storms of the rebels.If a tiger doesn't show off its power, do you think I'm a sick cat?When firing again after a three-day pause, a dozen of the shells of the two-pound artillery made in these days and collected from other battalions of the Ming army were all emptied.

Without shells, what should the Runing Battalion do next?Wu Shigong came up with an idea - playing propaganda bombs.On the artillery position, in addition to the four two-pound cannons, the Runing Battalion also transported several one-pound cannons for the defense of the artillery position.And now, these one-pound guns are going to be used.

The craftsmen of the Runing Battalion attached a rope to the one-pound artillery shell, and tied the rope to a closed wooden basket.The wooden basket is not big, and the wooden boards on the walls of the basket are very thin.In wooden basket full of leaflets.

In such a short period of time, it is not easy to write so many leaflets.Wu Shigong came up with another idea, to engrave propaganda patterns and slogans on a piece of wood, and then use this piece of wood as a template, dip it in ink and quickly print it on paper.

Strangely enough, printmaking was invented in this way.It seems that war can really promote the development of technology and the progress of society!Even art is no exception.

The launch of the propaganda bomb was not so smooth, mainly because the correction of the launch was not easy to do.But there are always a few propaganda bombs hitting the city of Dengzhou.The shattering of the wooden basket caused the leaflets to fly around, but the effect of the propaganda was almost zero, and it was not confiscated by Kong Youde's rebel military officers.Those rebels are also at a loss for this novel method of psychological warfare. The main reason is that those rebels are illiterate!Wu Shigong's leaflet was just for the blind to look at.

However, with proficiency in operation, the success rate of Runing Battalion's propaganda bombs has increased from ten rounds into the city, two or three rounds, to ten rounds into the city, five or six rounds.But the launching of propaganda bombs had to stop again.

It's not that the Runing Camp is in Dengzhou City, and arranging spies to report the leaflets to the Runing Camp has little effect.The reason for the stop is: Runing Camp ran out of paper.Paper in the Ming Dynasty was not cheap. Even in the Runing Camp, not every soldier was equipped with toilet paper.And in this wilderness, there is nowhere to find paper.Therefore, there is no raw material for propaganda bombs.

But don't be afraid, the gang of bad boys in Runing Camp have a lot of crooked ideas.Since there is no need to put leaflets in the wooden baskets, it can be filled with soil, bricks, snakes, scorpions, bugs, carrion animals... In the end, the rice fields produced by the Henan Army each person worked overtime these days were used.Anyway, no matter how disgusting it was, the Runing Camp used Dengzhou City as their toilet.

The rebels in Dengzhou City were devastated by the endless disgusting methods of the Runing Battalion.After several times of sending troops out of the city to attack the artillery positions and being frustrated, Kong Youde called together the generals of the rebel army at all levels to discuss again how to deal with this situation.

But relying on this kind of negotiation, what good solution can be negotiated?The most important thing is: Now it is the offensive and defensive transition. If the rebels want to pull out the nail of the Runing Camp artillery, they must attack.And as long as they attack, the artillery and the Dengzhou city wall, which the rebels rely on most, will not be able to rely on them.Not to mention the terrain here at Runing Camp.

So after talking a lot of nonsense, Kong Youde winked at a confidant.The confidant immediately understood, and said: "Marshal Kong, Marshal Geng, brothers, I have a question. The brothers who went out to attack the city a few days ago, do you know which army the official army is?"

A general of the rebel army who led troops out of the city a few days ago immediately replied, "I heard that it is a guest army from Henan."

The confidant of Kong Youde nodded, and immediately continued according to Kong Youde's instructions: "Then I have an idea. Since it is a guest army from Henan, and it is not the Guanning iron cavalry who has enmity with our old Liao army. If it’s not Shandong’s local officers and soldiers, then there’s no blood feud between us at all.”

"May the two commanders arrange to send a lobbyist to talk. It is difficult for us to fight out of the mountainous area outside the southern city wall where this guest army is currently staying, but it is also difficult for them to fight in. It is obvious that the official The army commander does not allow them to make meritorious service. It can also be seen that this guest army is usually in the army, and it is a role that is excluded."

"Since we have no enmity, we have something to talk about. Tell them to stop temporarily, and we will live in peace with them. There is not much in Dengzhou City, but there are many things that have been robbed. The money on the brothers must not be enough. But there are quite a lot of calligraphy, paintings, porcelain and embroidery that are useless now. Picking some exquisite ones and sending them to the commander of the Henan army can be regarded as our friendship with money."

"Your idea is not bad. But who will go out of the city to talk?" an impatient rebel general interrupted.

There was an immediate silence at his interruption.A few days ago, the rebels had sent people out of the city three times to discuss with Zhu Dadian and Gao Qiqian about surrendering.But all the people who negotiated in the past were killed, leaving only a few soldiers whose ears had been cut off, and returned to Dengzhou City to report.This also made the generals of the surrendering faction of the rebel army completely silent in Dengzhou City.And this time, if someone is sent out of the city to negotiate, it will be a death trip.

After waiting for a while, Kong Youde immediately made a final decision: "What Xiao Mao said is a good idea. But you guys know the danger of going out of the city. The old way! Draw lots! One of you here counts as one."

"Just do it like this!" Geng Jingzhong also reconsidered from the side.

Now that the two giants in Dengzhou City have spoken, the method of drawing lots has been decided.After some fuss, a rebel general named Huang Qifa with a pale face was selected.

Kong Youde and Geng Jingzhong left Huang Qifa alone.Kong Youde finally confessed: "Go to the storeroom later and pick out some valuable things to take with you. Nothing else is important, as long as the army outside the south city stops firing. We also promise not to leave the city with them Fight war. As long as they agree to this point, tell them that the property you bring this time will be given ten times more in the future. Anyway, these things can't be exchanged for gold and silver now, nor can they be exchanged for food. They are worthless Money. It doesn’t hurt to send it out.”

"No! Commander!" (to be continued...)