Chapter 305 Nandu Attack and Defense V
There was no one else in the tent, not to mention that Xu Chengqing also called Xu Chengqing by his cousin. Naturally, he was judging based on his childhood relationship.
When Xu Chengqing came back, he originally explained everything about Chen Cao's release. It was also Xu Hongji's protection that Xu Chengqing was not accused by Qi Boyu.
After all, losing nearly 100,000 soldiers and horses is not a small matter.
But now, things seem to have reached an uncontrollable point.
"The general did not get any of the benefits promised by Chen Cao."
Xu Hongji looked at Xu Chengqing's serious face and knew that the man in front of him was not lying.
"When he was about to leave, Chen Cao just said that there would be opportunities to contact him again in the future, but now the situation in Nanjing has developed so badly that the outer city has been lost, and the inner city cannot be held at all;"
Xu Chengqing looked at Xu Hongji with fear as he spoke: "My lord, it only took less than an hour for Danyang City to be destroyed. Their gunpowder was extremely powerful. Destroying the city wall was like cutting tofu to Chen Cao's army." Generally, the most important thing is to break down the defender's will to fight, and this is how the general is defeated."
Xu Hongji listened to Xu Chengqing's explanation of the entire situation of Danyang's fall: "They just now used such powerful gunpowder to blow up the Shuangqiao Gate. Is there any purpose?"
"Tactics of tired troops..."
Xu Chengqing is an old battlefield, and this point is still clear: "If he had done this from the beginning, he would have been fiercely attacked by the defenders, just like Li Wanchang was driven out of Fengtai Gate in the Battle of Jubaoshan. Such high intensity After the offensive and defensive battle, both the defenders and the siege side were already exhausted at this moment;
Even if there are rotating troops, the low morale will easily affect each unit. With a small number of people, the morale can be fierce to fight against the odds. But now the Nanjing garrison has a complicated composition. Guard troops and..."
Xu Chengqing glanced at Xu Hongji as he spoke: "The Nanjing Jingying camp with weak combat effectiveness cannot gather its combat effectiveness. Among the defenders, only the stone pillar soldiers brought by Qin Liangyu are veterans of hundreds of battles. Once the rest are affected, ,The consequences could be disastrous."
Xu Chengqing said that the Beijing camp troops were not strong in combat effectiveness because of Xu Hongji's face. Xu Hongji naturally understood it very well.
"Qin Liangyu repulsed Li Wanchang and left the Fengtai Gate. The defenders were at their limit and needed a rest. However, at this time they blew up the Shuangqiao Gate. Originally, both sides had the same morale, but the attacking side was as energetic as chicken blood. Rejuvenated, looking at the city of Nanjing is like a naked woman in front of an old widower, making anyone drool;
Let’s look at Qin Liangyu’s side, the father-in-law is declining again and again..."
Xu Chengqing's analysis made Xu Hongji completely wake up, and Xu Chengqing seemed to be hinting to Xu Hongji that he could surrender at the appropriate time.
However, his own identity did not allow him to do this at all. Nanjing was too important to Xu Hongji.
Whoa...
The big tent was opened, and the person who came was wearing a drag suit, and when he looked at it, he was dressed like a royal guard.
The Yisha robe is the regular robe worn by the emperor. This kind of robe can be worn by all the princes and ministers except the emperor. The flying fish pattern on it is from the Jin Yiwei. Exclusive.
After Chongzhen abolished the Jinyiwei, Nanzhen Fusi in Nanjing was also banned. All the Jinyiwei returned home, and senior officers served as officers in the Beijing camp.
The level of the Jin Yiwei who can wear the drag uniform is not low.
"Who are you?"
The visitor walked into the tent very respectfully, and held his hand towards Xu Hongji: "Han Shizhong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, who has a humble position, has met the Duke of Wei..."
"Jinyiwei has been banned by the current emperor, isn't it possible?"
Han Shizhong shook his head and said with a smile: "Wei Guogong misunderstood. The one in Beijing did not restore the Jinyiwei. His humble position was that of Prince Fu, who ordered Liang Guogong to reorganize the Jinyiwei and became a member of the Nanzhen Fusi."
"Chen Cao's people..." Xu Chengqing whispered: "How did you get in?"
"The guards will naturally come in after they are bribed."
Hearing Han Shizhong's words, Xu Hongji was immediately shocked. The camp garrisoned by tens of thousands of people was actually entered majestically by a royal guard wearing a flying fish uniform, and he was bribed with money.
"Wei Guogong does not need to be angry," Han Shizhong said with a smile: "Now the three city gates where Wei Guogong is stationed are in danger, and my humble duty is to come here to convey a few words to Wei Guogong on the order of my father-in-law.
My father-in-law said that what he said to Duke Wei in Shanghai still stands, and that no matter what happens in the future, my father-in-law will never forget his support back then;
In addition, my father-in-law said that Mr. Xu is a capable man, but he is a bit pedantic when it comes to standing in line. In addition, my father-in-law also said that the Xu family’s hundreds of years of foundation cannot be destroyed now. If there is a chance, We can also continue to live forever with the Ming Dynasty..."
When Han Shizhong finally said the word "Great Ming Dynasty", it was very important. After saying it, he handed it over again: "This clothes is just for easy entry. You have to take it off when you go out. Wei Guogong, I have three flares here. If Wei Guogong figures it out, , just make a way at Xianhe Gate or Cangbo Gate, and then shoot the signal into the sky. Everything will be arranged by my father-in-law, so I say goodbye..."
.
On the third day of December in the second year of Chongzhen, except for the east city which was still defended by Xu Hongji, the outer city of Nanjing was completely defeated by King Fu's army, and all the defenders retreated into the inner city.
Three hundred thousand King Fu's army surrounded the inner city from all directions, and Nanjing was in panic.
On the tenth day of December, Chongzhen in Beijing vomited blood and fainted after receiving an emergency document from Nanjing. At noon that day, the cabinet issued an edict to mobilize troops from all over the world to go south to rescue Nanjing. Zhu Chunchen, the Duke of Chengguo, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the southward reinforcements and led five troops with the title of Grand Tutor. Wanjing camp and 100,000 troops mobilized from Liaodong and Datong towns went south;
In addition, they recruited troops in Shandong nearby, and ordered the Shandong Dusi to recruit 100,000 horses, prepare all the food and grass, and then go south for rescue.
On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Xianhe Gate of Dongwaijiao City was "broken" by Longwu's army. Wei Guogong Xu Hongji retreated to the Qilin Gate Camp. On the same day, Tang Kainian's troops quickly moved in and occupied the Nanjing Xiaolingwei Camp. King Fu sent people to contact.
On the tenth day of December, Xu Hongji, who had been guarding Qilin Gate for five days, finally could not withstand the attack of Chen Cao's army. In the evening, Chen Cao's troops captured Qilin Gate. Xu Hongji had no way out and was captured alive.
In the Governor's Mansion of the Fifth Army, Qi Boyu was in a daze after receiving the news, because according to the information he received, Xu Hongji had called for military reports several times that the army had run out of food and grass, and the sergeants were demoralized and feared that Qilin Gate would be lost.
Before the inner city could respond specifically, they received news again that Qilin Gate had been lost, that Xu Hongji failed to commit suicide and was detained by his general Li Shouye and surrendered to Chen Cao.
Xu Hongji was captured, and the city of Nanjing was shocked. Although he was just a stayer in Nanjing, the whole world knew what the Duke of Wei represented, and Xu Hongji was very important to Nanjing.
On December 15th, King Fu Zhu Changxun, accompanied by a group of civil and military officials and Chen Cao, personally went to the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu in Zhongshan to worship his ancestors. Under the grand ceremony, the nearest city wall to the northeast of the Chaoyang Gate in the inner city was just a few meters away from the Xiaoling Mausoleum. It was less than fifteen miles away, and Zhu Changxun had less than 30,000 guards around him;
There were hundreds of thousands of people in the inner city, but not a single soldier was dispatched. The main reason was because they were afraid of Chen Cao's troops stationed in the Xiaolingwei camp.
After dozens of salutes were fired, the entire ancestor worship activity came to an end. Subsequently, many civil and military officials under King Fu began to persuade him to ascend the throne and succeed the Ming Emperor.
Although King Fu wanted to be the emperor and was a little impatient, in the end his rationality made him sober up a lot. He thought that Emperor Chengzu Jingnan only ascended the throne after conquering Nanjing.
Although Nanjing is now in the palm of your hand, the inner city is still in the hands of the Northern Army.
Chen Cao, the governor of the Jingnan camp who was enthroned by King Fu, was naturally the leader in promoting the peace incident. He attended the banquet hosted by King Fu outside the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The attendees were all civil and military officials under King Fu, as well as surrendered civil servants from all over the country. .
After drinking for three rounds, King Fu looked at Chen Cao with a smile: "Ai Qing, the inner city is already in the palm of our army. I wonder how Ai Qing plans to capture this last key place?"
"Your Majesty, reinforcements from the Northern Army have arrived in Shandong. I think that while surrounding Nanjing, we should focus on blocking the Northern Army from moving south."
This reminded Zhu Changxun that he also got the news yesterday. More than 200,000 people were not a small number. Plus the number of people in Nanjing City should be more than 500,000.
"I have also received the news, and now I have a solid arrangement. Li Wanchang led 100,000 people to cross the Yangtze River and occupy Liuhe first. When the Northern Army goes south, the fastest way is to take the canal line. Now Zhenjiang is in Ai In Qing's hands, Gu still thought that Aiqing could block the opening of the canal."
Chen Cao stood up and bowed his hands respectfully: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the Yangzhou line is in my hands."
"Haha..." Zhu Changxun originally thought that Chen Cao would decline politely, but he didn't expect that Chen Cao agreed so readily: "Come, let's raise a glass with Gu..."
At the end of the banquet, Zhu Changxun continued to ask about how to breach the inner city, just because only Chen Cao had that powerful explosive.
"Taipingmen..." Chen Cao looked at Zhu Changxun indifferently: "It is not a good thing to blast into the city, but I have prepared a complete strategy. After tomorrow, please ask the prince to order Governor Zhang to attack the Zhengyang Gate, and divide the troops to attack the Chaoyang Gate. Each sect in these two places must go all out and show off the momentum of never giving up until the city is breached."
Zhang Gaoping's current worth has skyrocketed, and his status is already the number one general under King Fu: "The general will definitely be able to handle such a small matter, and maybe he can really break through these two gates in one day."
"Then what should I do about the Taiping Gate that Aiqing mentioned?"
Facing Zhu Changxun's doubts, Chen Cao smiled and said: "After tomorrow, please ask King Fu to lead 30,000 troops and attack Taipingmen together with my ministers."
