Chapter 19 siege

Because of Hong Chengchou's categorical restraint, the fierce battle that was already on the verge of breaking out was just like the ferocious sunset in the western sky. Although it bared its teeth and claws for a while, in the end, it still had to temporarily restrain its aggressive flame. The dome-like sky gradually darkened, first the nearby grass and trees, and then the distant hills, all melted into the boundless twilight one by one.With the gusts of autumn wind deepening the chill on Zhengren's body, the day full of tension and hostility was finally replaced by the tired, silent and boundless night.However, it is now August 18th—the Mid-Autumn Festival has only passed three days, so after a while, a slightly clearer, but still bright and clear moon rises slowly from the sea and from the eastern ridge , began to sprinkle the soft silver light on the river that was flowing eastward, and sprinkled on the vast countryside that became empty; naturally, it also sprinkled on Jiangyin City, which was under heavy siege, and sprinkled dense layers of light on the outside of the city. The Qing army camp with lights...

Now, Hong Chengchou, who returned to the big tent of the Chinese army, freshened up a bit, and changed into casual clothes, has already had a simple dinner under the service of his servants.He turned his head, glanced outside the tent door, and found that the main road leading to the gate was covered with melting moonlight, but Liu Liangzuo, who had made an appointment to come over after dinner to discuss matters, had not shown up yet, so he put down his hands. teacup, left the table, and went to the door of the big tent. Although it was decided to appease Jiangyin for the last time before attacking the city, Hong Chengchou also knew that this was by no means an easy task.Because before this, Liu Liangzuo had tried more than once, but all of them failed.However, perhaps because he entered the army as a civil servant, Hong Chengchou often had to weigh and weigh before taking action because of the sage's teachings that had been deeply rooted in his mind since childhood.If it is said that he tried his best to fight against the peasant army and suppressed them ruthlessly and even cruelly out of his firm belief that if he did not do so, the country would not be able to regain stability and the entire Li people would be plunged into deeper disasters, But right now, facing the "disorderly people" in Jiangyin City, his mood is more complicated.Yes, from the standpoint of the ministers of the Qing Dynasty, these people were destined to be wiped out as rebel forces who resisted the "Mandate of Heaven". Otherwise, the country would not be unified and society would not be able to achieve stability.However, after all, Hong Chengchou was an old minister of the Ming Dynasty. The late Emperor Chongzhen loved him very much, and he was kind to Longwo.After being captured in the battle of Songshan, Hong Chengchou finally surrendered to the Qing Dynasty out of pity for his life and talents; later, he actively advised the new master to enter China, but it can also be interpreted as "crusade against thieves". , to avenge the old master", so that I feel at ease.But the situation in front of him is different: those who stick to Jiangyin and refuse to surrender are the "survivors" of the previous dynasty who share the same "old master" with him.And compared to the Manchus, they are compatriots who are closer in blood.Facing these two "mirrors" of morality, Hong Chengchou, who has always regarded himself as a saint, even though he can stand upright calmly on the surface, he still feels a little ashamed in private, and feels that he cannot be justified.Because of such psychological distress, relying on the "bloodless" appeasement method to achieve the goal, in Hong Chengchou's consideration, has become a choice that seems to be more accountable to the new dynasty or the old country. "Yes, since we can't find a good way to break the city right now, instead of blindly attacking and hurting both sides, it's better to appease first and see how the other party reacts!" , a reed flute whimpered and played in the distance, Hong Chengchou thought decisively.Immediately, he saw a tall figure walking towards this side under the moonlight. He guessed it was Liu Liangzuo, so he turned around and walked back to the big tent, and sat down on the grand teacher's chair covered with a tiger skin in the middle.

Sure enough, a moment later, Liu Liangzuo's thin face with half of his hair shaved appeared at the door of the big tent.Perhaps because he still remembered Master Zhongtang's stern admonition this afternoon, the commander-in-chief was wearing a public uniform, neatly dressed, and there was a look of sincerity and fear in his expression.On the contrary, Hong Chengchou has completely put away his official airs during the day and has become kind and easy-going.He first asked his subordinate Kuan to remove his coat, and then ordered his subordinates to "watch the seat".After Liu Liangzuo was overwhelmed by this unexpected courtesy and sat down hesitantly, he narrowed his eyes and said with a smile:

"Students invited the general to come here, just to talk casually - naturally, they are not far away from the Jiangyin City. The general and his generation have been together for a long time, and they must know a lot and in detail. How can we learn from it?" "Ah, my lord's words are serious, I don't dare to take a lowly position!" Liu Liangzuo hurriedly said, "Just ask me, my lord, I will definitely report to the best of my knowledge!" "Then, the general might as well start from the beginning!" "Yes!" After answering this, Liu Liangzuo lowered his head and was silent for a while, probably to calm down his mind, before speaking in detail.According to him, three months ago, Jiangyin City had already been occupied by the Qing army, and the situation was relatively stable. It was only because Fang Shiheng, the new county magistrate, strongly enforced the hair-shaving order, that aroused the anger of the people, and they rebelled in unison. .They arrested and killed Fang Shiheng, and publicly recommended Dian Shi Chen Mingyu as the city lord and Yan Yingyuan as his deputy, vowing that "the head can be broken, and the hair can't be shaved!" Bi, took out more than 170,000 taels of his money for payment, and big businessmen and wealthy households also donated generously. As a result, more than 100,000 people were gathered within a few days, which shocked far and near.At first, the prefect of Changzhou in the Qing Dynasty sent 300 soldiers to suppress it, but they were attacked and killed by the rebels just halfway there; the elite horse infantry they sent were also attacked and suffered heavy losses, so they had to report to Nanjing to request more troops.Unexpectedly, the sergeant and the people in the city had made up their minds that they would rather die than surrender, and they tried their best to hold on, despite the Qing soldiers besieging on all sides, increasing their troops again and again, and launching a strong attack in every possible way, but they were still unable to succeed.As a result, the war dragged on for a month, two months, and three months...

Hong Chengchou stroked his beard and listened with half-closed eyes.When he was still in Nanjing, he already knew roughly from the Tang newspaper that the reason why he asked the other party to repeat it himself was to get some new things from it that the Tang newspaper had ignored.Therefore, when he found that Liu Liangzuo's recounting was simpler than Tang Bao's, he interrupted him and asked: "Well, the enemy has been able to reject me to this day. What's so special about this technique of defending the city?" "This——According to the low-level investigation, there are four gates in this city. Since the rebellion, they have been guarded by divisions. For example, the people of Dongbao guard the east gate, and the people of Nanbao guard the south gate—each gate is made of big wooden gates. The inside is blocked and no entry is allowed. Even if the people in the city are in a hurry, they can't open it, so they save their worries inside and focus on the outside. As for the city, one person guards one battlement; People, day and night rotation. In addition, there are groups of ten people, with a small flag and a firecracker; a team of a hundred people, with a big flag and a red cannon. When Ding Ding was used as a military preparation envoy, in order to prevent bandits, he built large-scale military weapons. Therefore, there are many cannons, gunpowder, and blood-sealed throat crossbows hidden in the city. When he advances under cover, he will use artillery stones and fire crossbow rockets to resist; if he uses ladders and watch chariots to attack the city, he will guard the battlements and wait for our soldiers to approach. Because of his powerful firearms, he failed to succeed, and instead lost several generals, and the soldiers also suffered a lot of casualties; during the period, he also tried to dig holes from the bottom of the city and set off explosives to blow up the city, and he used long steps to escape from the city. Throwing down the flagpole, or cutting the flagpole into several sections, nailing it with iron nails and throwing it down, made it difficult for our soldiers to stay and return without success. Moreover, there are people in the city who are good at making weapons, and they come up with new styles from time to time. There is a kind of fire arrow and crossbow arrow, which is very powerful. There is another kind of wooden blunderbuss, shaped like a silver pin, with an iron black water chest hidden inside, thrown from the city, the blunderbuss will crack and kill people instantly, especially powerful!"

Liu Liangzuo lowered his head slightly, speaking truthfully.Under the shadow of the flickering candle, his expression looked a little depressed.Although Hong Chengchou did not personally experience the previous battle, but with his long experience in the battlefield, he can fully imagine the hardship and tragedy of that kind of vicious battle.He couldn't help but fell silent for a moment before asking again: "Well, these—that's all! However, since the first month of June, within seventy days, the enemy always relaxes. Why don't they take advantage of the gap and advance, so that the master has no success?"

"Ah, my lord doesn't know something. He uses ten battlements as a factory, divides troops on duty, and cooks, cooks, and lodging under the city, day and night. Whenever the battlements are bombed and collapsed, they are repaired immediately. I heard that Chen Mingyu He lived in the city for a long time, sharing joys and sorrows with the soldiers; Yan Yingyuan even stayed up day and night, patrolling the city every night, and when he saw someone sleeping, he immediately drank it and pierced his ears with sharp arrows to show the public, so this military order is awe-inspiring. Urgently, the hearts of the people in the city were quite shaken, and he even ordered that anyone who was ambiguous or ineffective in fighting should be killed immediately and throw their bodies into the fire-hundreds of people have been killed so far, so everyone is afraid, so they have to stick together ..."

While listening, Hong Chengchou silently stroked his beard.The situation that the other party mentioned last made his heart move slightly, and he raised his eyes instinctively.However, when he was about to express his opinion, out of old and prudent habits, he temporarily held back. "Okay." After asking a few more details, he finally stood up and said, "Let's talk about this for now. Taking advantage of the bright moonlight tonight, why don't you take a walk outside to see what's going on in the city? Make a plan!" Since the boss said so, Liu Liangzuo would naturally have no objection.So, after making some simple preparations—including putting on the protective armor again and putting on a cloak—Hong Chengchou stepped on his horse, accompanied by the commander-in-chief, and surrounded by fully armed soldiers, passed by one after another. The Qing army tents lined up on the ground came out of the gate and came to the front of the position.He first stared at the dark east gate of Jiangyin City for a while, then turned his horse's head and headed south.

It is already the time of the first watch, and the full moon that has risen to the mid-heaven has become brighter and clearer.Looking from the back of the horse, the empty battlefield is shrouded in a faint silver light; the stones and weeds by the roadside, as well as the antlers and fences along the camp are clearly discernible.In the slightly cold air, there was a faint smell of burnt wood.In the distance, on the other side of the hilly countryside, the rising mist is like a white, winding stream, slowly undulating and drifting.Whether it was above or below the city, there were no lights, and the voices of people were silent; only the horseshoes of their group made a chaotic sound under their feet.

"Well, I heard that you wrote to the city a few days ago to persuade him to surrender, is there such a thing?" Hong Chengchou asked Liu Liangzuo behind him while staring at the city wall in the distance.Now, their group has come to the southeast corner of Jiangyin City.Compared with the north side, the length of the city wall on the east side seems to be much shorter, which attracted Hong Chengchou's attention. "Yes, since the siege of the city in June, I have sent letters to Shucheng again and again, urging him to surrender. Until August 13th, he wrote a long letter in accordance with the order issued by the lord, Shoot into the city, proclaim the mighty virtue of the Qing Dynasty, and promise that if he is afraid of shaving his head, he doesn't have to shave all the city for a while, but just put up the obedient people's flag, shave dozens of his heads, and patrol the city for a week, ordering people outside the city to shave his head. When you see it, retreat immediately..."

When Liu Liangzuo said this, he paused.However, Hong Chengchou did not ask immediately, because at this moment, he was attracted by a scene presented in front of him: against the black sky, the Jiangyin city illuminated by the moonlight, due to the north and south Long and narrow from east to west, it looks like a huge white sailing ship.The east is the bow, the west is the stern, the south and the north are the two sides of the ship... "Well, what are you talking about, as long as they shave more than a dozen heads—they will retreat?" He finally turned around and asked with a little doubt. "My lord, this is nothing more than a trick to lure him to surrender. As long as he submits to our dynasty, it will only be a matter of time before he shaves his head!" "Well, then, did he hear back?" "My lord, in the past few times, although he refused to surrender, he still replied; this time, there was no reply." "What? No reply!" "Yes. But three days later, on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, they held a banquet at the top of the city. When setting up an altar to summon souls, shoot our soldiers to death with cannonballs. Look at that frantic and upside-down appearance, as if there is no intention of survival!" Hong Chengchou was slightly taken aback, this latest situation surprised him, and then he was a little annoyed.Because the conditions put forward by Liu Liangzuo in the letter of persuasion to capitulate can be said to be a bit too lenient - as long as the opponent shaves a dozen heads and puts on a show, the Qing army will retreat!Although it is an expedient measure to induce surrender, if the imperial court finds out, I am afraid that it will also be charged with perverting the law for personal gain and shaving hair in order to obey the law and violate the law!Even if he, Hong, personally persuaded him to surrender, he would not dare to relax the conditions to such an extent.However, these rebellious people in Jiangyin still refused to accept it. It seems that their stubbornness has indeed reached the point of no cure. "Since that's the case, why don't you take advantage of his drunkenness and negligence to guard against it, and rush forward to catch him by surprise?" After pondering for a moment, he asked coldly. "This—" Liu Liangzuo blinked, and answered cautiously, "Firstly, I came to see that his morale is high, and secondly, it coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival..." Hong Chengchou took a sharp look at his subordinates. Now, he finally understood that Jiangyin City could not be attacked for a long time because Liu Liangzuo was indecisive and incompetent in command. "What Mid-Autumn Festival? It's nonsense!" He thought, but he didn't show his dissatisfaction. He just pointed at the city with his whip and said, "This city is narrow from east to west and wide from north to south. It's shaped like a boat. The east of the city is the bow. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. In the past, it has been difficult to attack for a long time. According to the students, it is because the direction of the attack is wrong. For the current plan, the troops should be moved to the north and south sides, and the attack can be successful. Because the north city is close to the river, the defense is relatively difficult. Shu, when you attack the city, you should pretend to attack the south of the city, and put all your strength in the north of the city, so that within three days, the city will definitely be broken!" After a pause, he saw the chief soldier's bearded face upturned, in a daze, and he said lightly: "Well, if the student's words are true, then ask the general to move his army overnight and catch him by surprise. ,how?" "Ah!" As if waking up from a dream, Liu Liangzuo moved his body and stammered and asked, "Didn't your lord just, just say, you want, you need to be pampered first?" Hong Chengchou stroked his beard, chuckled, then sank his face again, and said, "Peace, it's for breaking the city; war is also for breaking the city. Just now, it's not a strategy to break the city; now it's done." The strategy of breaking the city has the principle of sticking to the agreement and delaying the opportunity of the battle!" After finishing speaking, he pointed his whip back and ordered decisively: "Go back to the camp immediately, fire the artillery to the south of the city first, and cover the brigade to move to the north of the city!"