Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 251 Fierce Battle in Wuchang

Two large meat buns, one egg, enough boiled sweet potatoes, and a jar of seasoned vegetables with sauce are the lunch specifications approved by Zhu Youjian for the grassroots officers and soldiers of the Annihilation Army.

In the eyes of later generations, it was a very simple lunch, but at that time, it was like a new year for the exterminating army of refugees.

Meat buns not only supplement animal protein and fat, but also starch and essential amino acids (wheat), while sweet potatoes are for officers and soldiers who worry about eating a lot. , and seasonal vegetables are mostly cabbage, which supplements dietary fiber.

Although it is simple, it also guarantees the basic nutritional needs of people. Sweet potatoes or potatoes have been cultivated by Huangzhuang in the mountainous areas of western Zhejiang and southern Jiangxi, specializing in supplying military supplies. The rarest thing is eggs. In this era where artificial eggs are not yet available.

For the court, ensuring that soldiers can eat eggs is not a small expense.

For this reason, now Huangzhuang and big households have widely opened chicken farms, and the same is true for meat. The water system along the Yangtze River is well developed. Stimulated by the huge demand, the raising of poultry and livestock has gradually changed from family farming to workshop scale. The first is the state-owned breeding workshop run by Huangzhuang employing refugees from the north.

The officers and soldiers of the Extermination Army eat with relish. For them, being able to become an officer and eat the imperial food has satisfied them, and the Tartars outside the city wall are just robbers who want to destroy their stable life.

So most of them just want to drive these people away, so that they can eat meat buns and eggs in peace, without doing anything.

Chadley, the general of the Western Battalion, asked Du Yinxi incomprehensibly: "Your Excellency, may I ask why so many officers and soldiers didn't go out to fight, why did they dig ditches and set up fences in the city?"

"From now on, you and your Portuguese soldiers will all be dispatched by Governor Li Futai, and obey Futai's orders. If you continue to have nothing to say, don't blame me for being rude to you! How to fight wars is not up to you. Forget it, His Majesty gave you the position of a general, not a governor!"

People in the Ming Dynasty did not treat Westerners like many people in the later generations, who kneeled and licked Westerners like that. Rao Du Yinxi, a person with a milder temper, would not treat Chadley just because he was a Frangji. He wants to be polite, especially when this kind of big battle is coming, naturally he should be reprimanded first, so that this Frangji can understand some rules.

It’s hard for Chadley to say anything more. At this time, he doesn’t have the arrogance of the Westerners of later generations in front of the people of the country. As a mercenary, he only wants to complete the agreement in his contract and try his best to gain the favor of the Ming court. Trade is off to a good start.

Li Yan really didn't know how to deploy the three hundred Portuguese soldiers. Except for some of them left to operate the artillery, he sent the others directly to the outer city wall. Since they were not Han Chinese and knew how to use firearms, they naturally had to go to the front. As cannon fodder, at least not let His Majesty's money for hiring Portuguese soldiers go to waste.

Li Yan may have thought so at the time, so Chadley and others were sent by Li Yan to the bunker at the gate of the outer city to form the first line of defense against the Qing army's cavalry.

At this time, outside the city of Wuchang, the infantry of Shang Kexi and Wu Sangui had begun to assemble, and the Manchurian cavalry had also begun to line up in front. , the outer city was directly blown down, and the infantry of Shang Kexi and Wu Sangui rushed across the river immediately. These Han soldiers from outside the customs have fought against the Tartars for many years. Quickly crossed the moat and put the wooden planks on the moat. At this time, Wu Sangui led Guan Ning's cavalry and rushed in first, followed by Manchurian heroes such as Oboi and Ashan with the Eight Banners' cavalry.

The artillery fire from the Azig Department of the Qing Army continued to explode in the city, bombarding the inner city and clearing the way for the cavalry. At this moment, most of the extermination troops in the city were using bunkers and could not show their heads.

Chadley and other Portuguese soldiers fired first, and watched the roaring iron cavalry. As old pirates, these Portuguese soldiers could shoot calmly. At a distance of more than 100 steps, Wu Sangui's Guanning iron cavalry was hit immediately. The camp was in chaos, but the three-eyed blunderbuss of Guan Ning's iron cavalry still had a way of causing effective damage within this range, and the same was true for bows and arrows.

As soon as Wu Sangui gritted his teeth, he led the rest of the iron cavalry to turn around from the flanks, then jumped over the repelling horse formation, and rushed towards the inner city bravely. Several armored soldiers were wounded.

But at this time, Oboi shot two arrows with one bow, one arrow hit Chadley's arm, and the other pierced through the throat of a Western fan.

The first class, Angbang Zhangjing Ashan, led a team of Manchurian iron cavalry to kill Chadri. Chadri and other [-] Portuguese soldiers had to retreat and fight at the same time, but five or six people were shot and killed on the spot.

Chadley and others finally withdrew into a private house and continued to shoot using the earth wall as a cover, but Ah Shan stopped chasing, continued to return to the main street, and continued to fight towards the inner city.

At this time, the inner city was full of killing noises. The five hundred cavalrymen of the Extermination Army came first, directly fighting with the Guanning iron cavalry, the Manchurian iron cavalry Oboi, and the Ali tribe. The extermination army immediately came out of various bunkers to fight.

Twenty field cannons in the city also started to play, and directly bombarded the fiercely offensive Qing cavalry. More than [-] cavalry were killed on the spot, and they had to withdraw immediately. Chadley was deeply afraid that he would be punished if he hid in a private house. They also hurriedly chased them out, and coupled with the counterattack of the rest of the firearms, the Qing army was forced to withdraw and prepare for the next attack.

Next, the Qing army charged twice, but they were repulsed by the tenacious resistance of the Annihilation Army. However, the casualties of Azig's troops were not large. Proficient in archery and heavy casualties, Gao Yigong and other main generals have the idea of ​​evacuation again.

Li Yan also looked at Du Yinxi with a serious expression. He didn't know whether he should ask Du Yinxi whether the imperial court would send reinforcements. Yet?"

"If Li Futai is not at ease, he can take the brothers of the extermination army and retreat to Changde and Changsha. I can give you the governor's order. Wuchang will be guarded by me. Since I have promised the court, I can't break the promise. He If the Japanese court blames you for withdrawing troops, it can be blamed on me.” Du Yinxi knew what Li Yan was worried about, but he couldn’t say anything now, so he could only propose to defend Wuchang by himself, and let Li Yan lead the extermination of the captives. Suggestions for withdrawal of troops.

"Blocking Taiwan understands righteousness, Li admires it, how can you fall into such a dangerous situation, if you want to withdraw, you will withdraw together", Li Yan said, looking at Gao Zongbing: "After sunset, if the imperial reinforcements have not arrived, you Forcibly evacuate with the blocking platform first, and I will come later."

However, at this moment, Yuan Zongdi ran over: "Commander Wu is here, and he has remanded a tartar!"

(End of this chapter)