New Shun 1730

Since the emperor wanted to show off in front of his own people and outsiders, Liu Yu certainly would not be stupid enough to continue to show his presence.

He hid as far as he could. He felt that he could no longer hide on the ground, so he ran to the sky.

With a telescope in hand, the hot air balloon flew high, and the Russian artillery configuration in the bastion was clearly visible.

There were a total of seven cannons with a slightly larger caliber, which were still hidden at this time and had not been fired. It was probably because they wanted to hide and use them in close combat sieges to cause more casualties.

But after seeing the hot air balloon flying, the Russian artillery began to load gunpowder in a hurry.

They knew that hiding at this time was useless and they would definitely be destroyed. It was better to take down a siege cannon before it was destroyed.

The artillery position chosen by Liu Yu for siege cover was generally in the shape of a concave moon. The best gunners in the Beijing camp were manning the cannons, waiting for the Russian artillery deployment after Liu Yu's observation.

Taking advantage of the observation of the hot air balloon, the Russian artillery was destroyed first, which was the first step in the siege.

Under the hot air balloon, Du Feng, Mantou and other "night riders" selected by the emperor pretended to obey the emperor's orders according to the previous reconnaissance deployment. In fact, they were following Liu Yu's advance deployment and preparing to plant the landmark flag for digging tunnels in the specified position.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp, who changed into French military uniforms, pretended to be making a big show and "pointing at the mountains and rivers" under the noses of the Russians, and from time to time they took out telescopes to observe and point at things.

The gypsy musicians recruited by Liu Yu were not idle either. They were playing the "New Dynasty Elegant Music" that gave the Russians a headache and tears - the military song of the Ottoman Turkey, the classic song of Mehter: CEDDIN DEDEN.

For a while, the Russians in the city saw the most bizarre scene they could imagine.

The hot air balloon was floating in the sky, and all their actions were seen clearly by the enemy.

The French royal family's blue iris flag, the French royal military flag with three irises and a crown on a white background, and a group of French officers were pointing in the distance.

The band dressed in gypsy costumes was playing the military song of the Turkish Guards. Some Cossacks who had participated in the Third Russo-Turkish War were trembling with fear when they heard the military song, and dared not recall the nightmare of the year. In the war more than ten years ago, Russia was beaten and lost the mouth of the Don River in Crimea. The Turkish Guards launched charges again and again accompanied by such military music.

The commander in the city was even more stunned.

A great blasphemous alliance across Europe and Asia?

France, Turkey, and China, the three biggest enemies of Russia in three strategic directions, have formed an alliance?

Devout Catholics, believers who broke through Constantinople, Confucian emperors who believed in everything and nothing... In order to oppose the last glory of Orthodoxy, they concluded an unbreakable alliance?

Many Cossacks have begun to cross themselves, and some are pointing at the hot air balloons floating in the sky like crazy and shouting: "This is the apocalypse! The apocalypse! The apocalypse of the end of the world!"

While they were shouting, the first wave of artillery fire under the city began.

While bombarding, Du Feng Mantou and others held flags and galloped on horseback, planting flags at the bends of the Z-shaped trench according to the predetermined position, dividing the entire battle line to be dug into dozens of parts.

The heavy earth carts used to block stray lead bullets began to take position, and the veterans who followed Liu Yu to dig pits in the east were dispersed into various digging teams.

Dozens of boxes of blinding silver were thrown in front of the battle: His Majesty has ordered that one zhang of digging will be paid one tael of silver, and the settlement will be made on the same day, and no credit will be allowed! The one who digs the most every day will be rewarded with ten taels.

The honor guards who do not care about the thousand taels of silver at all, or dare not embezzle the thousand taels of silver under the emperor's nose, are standing next to the silver in brocade uniforms.

After Liu Yu confirmed that there were only seven cannons in the city and that the hot air balloon observation was enough to defeat the Russian artillery within two days, the first trench he chose was only 250 meters away from the bastion wall.

The more than 80 four-man teams, under the cover of earth carts and the encouragement of silver, burst into an amazing digging speed.

One tael of silver was earned for digging one zhang. The four-man team calculated that they could dig at least one zhang a day, and a full-pay soldier would only earn two and a half taels of silver a month. This opportunity to make a fortune under the emperor's nose would certainly not be missed.

The woven wicker baskets were filled with soil, and a defensive position was piled up in front of the trench. The mobilized musketeers were already in place to prevent the Russian army from going out of the city to counterattack.

Looking at the orderly siege below, Liu Yu signaled the people below to pull the rope, and he was going to go down.

He replaced others and continued to observe the deployment of the Rakshasa artillery in the city.

Liu Yu squatted in a dug pit on the front line, bored.

Siege warfare is so boring.

The key is that he can't talk nonsense at this time, and it's best not to fart.

This battle was commanded by the emperor himself, not Liu Yu. Liu Yu was just a staff officer as a meritorious guard. After the emperor's judgment, he thought it was useful and revised a few "key points" with his imperial pen before the whole army was ordered.

Liu Yu thought the key point very clearly.

As a result, he was very embarrassed in front of the battle.

He couldn't go to the front line for fear of being "unreasonably associated" by those with ulterior motives.

He was not qualified to accompany the emperor and the Khalkha Mongolian nobles to drink later.

The emperor was reluctant to charge at the front line.

He ate and watched by himself, standing guard on both sides of the emperor like other honorary guards. The emperor was particularly grateful that Liu Yu didn't have to go.

Hiding and sleeping is no good. People have to watch Liu Yu not commanding him, instead of hiding behind the emperor's back as an aide to prevent others from gossiping.

Liu Yu was bored to a certain extent and could only catch grasshoppers everywhere on the grassland. After squeezing them to death, he would look for ant nests and watch the ants eat the grasshoppers.

The only advantage is that he can "use power for personal gain" and arrange some good jobs for some of his acquaintances, enough to get a promotion after the war when merit is rewarded.

The groundhog-like tactics don't look intense at all.

The cannons were fired for five days, but no one in Dashun was killed or even injured.

With the help of hot air balloons, the artillery in the city has been completely suppressed; the first trench has been deployed; the close-range artillery positions close to the first trench have also been dug; the digging team under the contract responsibility system under the silver reward worked overnight The Z-shaped trenches have been dug to a close enough distance, and a second trench has even begun to be dug as a gathering point for the attack.

On the high platform, the emperor also drank wine with the Mongolian nobles for five days, watched dramas, songs and dances, and Shaanxi shadow puppet shows for five days.

At this time, the Mongolian nobles didn't quite understand the benefits of this siege tactic. They didn't have any respect for the emperor's command. They just thought that they could dig out the Rakshasa people to death like rats digging holes? These Han people just have a lot of cannons and guns, and they seem to lack some bloodiness in fighting.

The emperor, who knew what kind of grand finale Liu Yu had prepared for the Rakshasa Castle, was not in a hurry and continued to drink with nobles and Mongolian nobles every day.

In the evening, things really started to get busy. Constantly sending people to urge and inquire.

When will the elephants and lions transported from the capital arrive?

The Rakshasa prisoners escorted by Handoliwei were taught to kneel down and shout the slogan "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor". Have they learned it?

According to Hannibal's dictation, has the tailoring of the Russian brigadier general's dress been finished?

Liu Yu was bored, and so was the emperor.

He had never seen a battle fought like this.

Liu Yu wrote tens of thousands of words of emergency response plans, but none of them had a chance to be used.

The Rakshasa people just stayed in the castle. After one attack, they were beaten back by the musketeers and the elite hand-to-hand combatants of the child army deployed in front. They have been squatting quietly since then.

The number of casualties was reported every day. The emperor wanted to show his benevolence and go visit him. No one was killed or injured for several days.

Looking at this posture, Liu Yu's previous military order was for twenty-five days, but now it seems that he can win it in fifteen or sixteen days at most.

After the second trench was dug, the Rakshasas finally sent people to stand guard on the protective slope outside the bastion, preparing to use the huge casualties in this section to win a decent surrender that would preserve personal property.

However, even this section is a boring battle.

The artillery deployed at the first trench emplacement adjusted the inclination of the muzzle, reduced the charge, and fired fiercely towards the slope.

The bouncing iron ball hit the slope and flew around, all in Brownian motion.

Thanks to some direct-fire cannons that produced the effect of curved fire, the Rakshasa people who guarded the protective slope only guarded for one day before they all ran back.

The slope was unguarded, and the artillery began to routinely bombard the bulges of the bastion every day to cover the infantry.

The infantry carried branches, soil, and earthen baskets on their backs. Under the cover of artillery, it took only one day to fill in the moat, and the entire bastion was within easy reach.

On the tenth day, the elite melee soldiers prepared for the final siege had already assembled at the attack point of the second trench.

Diziying has also finished digging the tunnels for burying the gunpowder. In order to prevent the power of the gunpowder from being dispersed, the tunnels are shaped like a "匚". As early as when Liu Yu came to investigate, he had dug pits and knew that the underground water was very deep.

In order to let the Mongolian tribes see the shocking effect and to give this bastion a gorgeous curtain call, a full four thousand kilograms of gunpowder were buried in the tunnel, and the final sealing was completed.

Now, we are just waiting for the emperor's final order.

On the night of the thirteenth day, the emperor finally got the good news he wanted.

The elephants and lions will arrive tomorrow.

The Rakshasa captives in Handoliwei have also learned to shout long live, and the Russian brigadier general's uniform has been cut according to Hannibal's dictation, and they are waiting to perform a "Beidi surrender" drama in front of the emperor.

The next day, the emperor changed from normal and put on a military uniform.

The Mongolian nobles, who thought they were going to watch the lively Shaanxi shadow puppets and women dancing as usual, noticed something unusual and didn't know what it meant.

The emperor said something in Mongolian.

"There is no singing and dancing today. However, it can still be served with wine. What is more suitable for drinking on the grassland than the blood and fear of the enemy?"

After calmly pretending to beep, he waved his hand gently, and the Xunwei beside him waved the big flag in his hand.

front.

The officer who checked the fuse one last time lit it.

The elite melee infantrymen who had been waiting in the attack position for several days were all squatting on the ground. They were strictly prohibited from leaning on the walls of the pit. They pressed their hands firmly on their ears and opened their mouths slightly.

rear.

The captive sacrifice team counting the time was undergoing its final "rehearsal", and the elephants and lions, which have a strong symbolic meaning in Buddhism, were also fed. The silks, porcelains, brocades and even sugar cane and grapefruits that were to be rewarded to the Mongolian nobles were also loaded into carts. The leader, Xungui, took out his Western pocket watch and stared at the time, preparing to finish the last leg of the journey at the scheduled time.