Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 219 Breaking Jingzhou Qing King's Self-Cut

"Boom~Boom~"

After the soldiers of the Ming army retreated under the city wall like a tide, the red-clothed cannons in the distance roared again, and smashed the shells hard on the city wall, causing gravel to splash.

The entire western city of Jingzhou has been devastated, with deep bomb craters everywhere, and more than half of the wall on the city has been collapsed. After the Ming army retreated, a large number of Qing soldiers sat against the wall exhaustedly, holding their weapons. All thrown aside.

At this time, a general of the Qing Dynasty walked down the city wall in some embarrassment under the escort of several personal soldiers. The damaged armor and dirty blood on their bodies all told that they had just experienced a hard battle.

At this moment, the general took off his iron helmet as he walked, revealing a bald head, a mouse tail, and a tired and anxious face. He hurriedly walked down the city wall, and after a while, he arrived at a courtyard.

This courtyard is close to the west gate, and it is the center where the Qing army commanded the defense of the city.

The general came to the door, and the doormen rushed to salute, but the general ignored it and walked directly into the courtyard. At the same time, a Qing court official in a four-rank mandarin duck suit came out with a panicked expression on his face. .

Seeing the military general approaching him, the civil servant couldn't help stepping forward, and hurriedly asked: "Zheng Zongbing, how are you doing?"

The general was Zheng Siwei. Hearing the words of the civil servants, his face was full of despair. He said: "I can't hold it anymore. I just came to seek Mr. Li to discuss countermeasures. Let's see what to do!"

"I can't keep it anymore~" Li Sifeng's face turned pale when he heard the words, "Wang Yan won't allow us to surrender, and if we can't keep this city, we will die!"

Zheng Siwei sighed: "Most of Wang Yan's men and horses are rebels. Some people offered Jingzhou, causing the rebels to be chased and killed by the Prince of England. In the end, they were defeated again and again. Not only was the plan to go east to Jinling completely ruined, but the rebels were also killed." The land of mourning. The rest of the trespassers hated XX deeply, and Wang Yan wanted to take XX's head to win the army's morale!"

Ever since Wang Yan rejected the surrender of Zheng Siwei and Li Sifeng, the two of them were very frightened, but since the surrender was over, they wanted to defend the city to the death. After being supported by firearms, the offensive was extremely fast.

Although Zheng Siwei personally went to the city to supervise the battle and barely repelled the attack of the Ming army, he knew very well in his heart that the city would be broken within a few days.

"No~" Li Sifeng was very desperate in his heart. He surrendered to the Qing court in pursuit of prosperity and wealth, not because he wanted to die for the Qing court. How could he die in the city of Jingzhou before he started to enjoy the wealth?

"General Zheng, there is no Ming army surrounding the east gate, how about I abandon the city?"

Zheng Siwei shook his head and said: "This Wang Yan is afraid that I will be united, and the strategy of encircling three and one is certain. There must be an ambush outside the east city."

Li Sifeng said: "Although there is an ambush, if you defend the city, you will die. If you go out of the city, there is still a chance of survival. The general should fight for it!"

Zheng Siwei frowned, hesitated for a while, and finally said: "Okay ~ I will lead the army to break through tonight, but what about King Huaishun? Do you want to inform him?"

The corner of Li Sifeng's mouth showed a hint of sternness, and said coldly: "You must not inform him, if he finds out, neither the general nor I can leave."

It was three o'clock in the night, and Zheng and Li really abandoned the city and ran away. They each led a thousand elite soldiers and horses, left the east city, and fled in different ways.

Zheng Siwei went directly eastward to the main road to Wuchang, while Li Sifeng ran to the small road, intending to go to Xiangyang, but the two of them could not travel more than two miles in the dark. Under the cover of the horse, Li Sifeng was shot to death, Zheng Siwei was captured alive, and the rest of the people were killed and dispersed, fleeing and disappearing into the vast wilderness.

Just as the killings outside the city shook the heavens, the city of Jingzhou was in chaos for an instant. The lord of the green camp abandoned the city and flocked to the east gate one after another. Some of them began to burn, kill and loot everywhere in the city, and the city of Jingzhou suddenly burst into flames.

Geng Zhongming was awakened by the commotion in the city while he was fast asleep, so he got up quickly and asked someone to ask, but the guards didn't know the specific situation, so he had to put on his armor first, but at this moment, a group of soldiers with yellow armor and Eight Banners came Come into the house.

One of the leading Qing generals saw him and worshiped him: "Father, Zheng Siwei has escaped, and the Ming army has already entered through the east gate. My son will escort you out of the city."

Geng Zhongming turned pale with shock when he heard the words, and couldn't help but take two steps back to stabilize his body.

That Qing general was Geng Jimao, the son of Geng Zhongming. Seeing this, he quickly waved his hand, and a soldier in yellow armor brought his horse, and several Qing army Niu Luerzhen rushed forward, and set Geng Zhongming up to help him mount.

At this time, the city was already in flames, and countless shouts of killing had already forced the government, but Geng Zhongming broke away from the people who were helping him to get on the horse, and said dejectedly: "You are not doing this to save the king, but to let the king die. also!"

Seeing this, all the soldiers of the Huangjia Qing Dynasty sank in their hearts, and Geng Jimao had no choice but to persuade him: "Father, the Ming army will arrive soon. If you don't leave, there is no hurry."

After Geng Jimao finished speaking, he asked Huang Jiaqing's soldiers to fight him again, but Geng Zhongming suddenly drew his waist knife and shouted: "You don't want anyone to come here. This king loses his troops and loses his generals. If he loses Jingzhou again today, the court will not tolerate it. If you return together Go, not only the king will be punished, but also the family will be implicated, it is better to die here, and the descendants will be rich and honorable, and they can still be preserved!"

At this time, Geng Zhongming shouted back the Huang Jiaqing soldiers, looked at Geng Jimao again and said, "Jimao, I am ordering now for my father to leave the city immediately and live on for my Geng family. As for the responsibility for the defeat, I will let my father bear it alone."

At such a critical moment, Geng Zhongming's mind was very clear. He almost defeated the Zhenghuang Banner of the Han army. There is no doubt that he must die.

The situation in Huguang has collapsed, and someone has to take the blame. Luck Dehun is Dorgon's confidant, and he is also part of the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty. Naturally, it cannot be him, but Geng Zhongming's official position is high enough, and his status is big enough, so he just happens to be unreliable. For the Han Chinese, it is naturally appropriate to take the blame.

Geng Zhongming knew that once he escaped from Jingzhou, there would be only one outcome, and that would be to bear the cauldron of Huguang's defeat, but he knew very well in his heart that this causality was absolutely unacceptable, so he had to die to save it. Geng Jimao, to protect his family from punishment.

At this time, all the Huangjiaqing soldiers could not help but kneel down after hearing Geng Zhongming's words, but Geng Jimao had already burst into tears, and he cried loudly: "Father, think twice~ If the father doesn't leave, the child is willing to die together!" .”

"I am willing to die together~"

Geng Zhongming glanced at Geng Jimao, and then at these yellow armored soldiers. They were all old men who had followed him for many years, and some of them had been his subordinates since Mao Wenlong's time in Dongjiang Town, so they were still very loyal to him and couldn't bear to stay. He died.

Looking at the people in front of him, Geng Zhongming was also full of tears. He put the knife across his neck, Geng Jimao and others were shocked, and he shouted again: "Jimao, let's go~ This is my father's order!" , the Geng family can't be left behind, do you understand?"

At this time, the Ming army had rushed to the vicinity. Seeing this, Geng Jimao couldn't help crying and praying: "Father, don't worry, the child will definitely inherit the Geng family's business and kill Wang Yan to avenge you."

After Geng Jimao finished speaking, he bowed to Geng Zhongming a few more times, then got up resolutely, got on his horse with a group of Huang Jiaqing soldiers, and rushed out of the city.

Seeing this, Geng Zhongming couldn't help but go limp, and the knife fell to the ground. Hearing the cries of killing getting closer and closer in the city, he couldn't help but retreated into the house with bursts of miserable laughter, and set fire to himself to die.

According to historical records, in the second year of Longwu in the Ming Dynasty and in February in the third year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, Wang Yan, the Duke of Chu in the Ming Dynasty, led [-] soldiers into Jingzhou, and Geng Zhongming, the king of Huaishun in the Qing Dynasty, burned himself to death, and the world shook.

(End of this chapter)