!--The beginning of the chapter-- The red cannon fired first to suppress it. Although it was not accurate enough and it was not a bomb, it was better because of its powerful momentum. It boosted the morale of the own army as much as a war drum.
Once the cannon fires, the archers and gunmen will begin to press on. Although they will be hit by firepower from the defenders on the city wall, after all, they have the advantage in numbers, and the team is spread out and the small number of casualties is still tolerable.
Not to mention the backwardness of weapons like bows and arrows, bows and arrows are actually more useful than muskets in siege operations, because skilled archers can change their own trajectory and shoot the bow and arrow into the sky in a curved direction, and then fall directly from the enemy's head.
This kind of curved attack is more effective than the straight-line trajectory of a rifle. After all, there are crenelations on the city wall to provide cover for the defenders. Most of the firepower of direct shooting is wasted on the wall bricks, while the curved trajectory directly attacks the enemy's head.
There are as many as two thousand archers and gunmen, who can completely suppress the enemy's firepower on the city top. While they dodge, the grease-soaked carts can attack the city gate.
Of course, Jin Zuoling knew that using gunpowder to blow open the city gate was the most efficient. Unfortunately, the largest gunpowder depot in Qiqihar City was inside the city. The explosives Jin Zuoling had now were enough to fry some fish.
Artillery opened the way, bows and arrows suppressed the city gates, and fire attacked the city gate... Finally, the cavalry rushed forward and faced the enemy's bullets, crushing the rebels alive.
The plan was perfect, but it was a pity that it was implemented a little late. If the cavalry had been used two or three hours earlier, the outcome of this coup would have been difficult to predict.
Just when Jin Zuoling was riding on horseback to boost the morale of his men and promising rewards afterwards, Vice Admiral Lin arrived at the city. He held up a large iron trumpet common to the volunteers and shouted down below.
"Jin Zuoling! Do you still remember me, Old Lin? Five years ago, I went to the capital to report on my work. You and I traveled more than 200 miles together! Have you forgotten this friendship?"
When Jin Zuoling heard this, he set up a pergola and looked up, he became very angry and said, "Wow! The surname is Lin! I didn't expect it to be you... We in Heilongjiang have any enmity with you in any way. How dare you rebel! Aren't you afraid of killing the nine tribes!"
"Bullshit Zhujiu Clan! Let me tell you the truth, we are on the side of the Qing Dynasty! Tepu Xinli has connections with foreign countries, colludes with the Rakshasa ghosts, privately releases the Heilongjiang border defense, and lets those Cossacks go to fight the Far East Volunteer Army! This is traitorous..."
"Kill the traitors! General Hunchun will leave his name in history... You should wake up as soon as possible and there is still a chance. If the road goes dark, just wait for death!"
There was a buzz under the city, and the soldiers began to whisper, "So the rumors are true? Is Ninggu Pagoda really haunted by Rakshasa ghosts? Or was it our general who let him in? This is a shame..."
"Shh... keep your voice down, we're at war! We don't care what happens above, and we don't know whether it's true or not. What do you care about when you're a soldier and have to eat food?"
"It's not a matter of eating food or not, this is a fucking national war! It's one thing to close the door and fight alone, but what's the point of letting Rakshasa ghosts in?"
Of course, Tepuxin's release of the Rakshasa ghosts into the country would not be publicized with much fanfare, and the route the Rakshasa ghosts took to enter the country was on the ice of the Songhua River, which was the dividing line between the Hunchun and Tepuxin defense zones.
Conceal it if you can. This is the motto of officials in the late Qing Dynasty. If the superiors want to conceal something, they must also conceal it from the bottom. The defenders of Qiqihar actually did not know the truth about the Cossacks crossing the border.
But rumors spread very quickly. There are indeed some people in the army who are spreading this matter. Although there is no way to confirm it, people are still willing to inquire about such gossip driven by curiosity.
When someone proved to them that this matter was true, everyone felt their inner shock was self-evident. The officers who had known the news for a long time looked embarrassed, while the soldiers who did not know the truth looked at each other.
When Jin Zuoling saw that this was okay, the morale he had just boosted began to waver.
"False accusation! Lin, you are a frame-up! Don't believe his words... prepare to attack the city!"
"Hahaha..." Lao Lin laughed wildly, "I am making a false accusation? I broke into Tepu Xin's general's mansion, and I have already confiscated the entire study. The evidence is in my hand. Do you dare to say that I am making a false accusation..."
After speaking, he opened a letter directly, "The clerk in the general's palace has a record of Tepuxin's order. I have a box full of such records!"
"I've checked all the orders he gave to the pass defenders everywhere... You can try to frame me by saying one more thing! These are the orders issued by Tepuxin himself, and they mentioned countless times about letting go of the pass. Order for the entry of the Cossacks!”
"You keep making excuses! If you make any more excuses, I'll listen..."
Across the far city wall, of course the soldiers below could not see the words on it, but after hearing his decisive tone, everyone softened. It seemed that this matter was probably true, otherwise it would be useless to use Hunchun's picture as a leopard's courage. There may be a rebellion!
Jin Zuoling was so excited that he blushed and became silent for a moment, but with the arrow on the string, he had to be cruel and said, "Damn it! The order came from the Forbidden City! What can we do with the order from the imperial court?"
"Brothers, the general had no choice but to accept the imperial court's order to open the port... Don't think about this now, let's take back our own home first! If not for anything else, we must fight for our own home!"
We have no choice but to rely on individual soldiers to benefit. Qiqihar City is everyone's rice bowl. The taxes here and the money and food given by the court every year are the daily food and clothing of the army.
If Heilongjiang ends up in Hunchun's hands, the money will be cheaper for outsiders! The reason is very simple and closest to people's hearts. Countless soldiers nodded.
Old Lin on the city wall did not expect that the man named Jin was quite difficult to deal with. At this time, the dog-headed military advisor next to him, Bastard, came out and whispered a few words in his ear.
Lao Lin's eyes lit up and he laughed and said, "Who are you trying to deceive, Jin? Do you think the soldiers and civilians in Heilongjiang are all fools?"
"When the Holy Ancestor Kangxi was here, he was working with Rakshasa ghosts. How was the Treaty of Nerchinsk signed? It was paid for by the lives of countless Heilongjiang soldiers and civilians!"
"Ten years ago, the shameless Rakshasa ghosts took advantage of the turmoil in the south and sent troops to attack Aihui City at the critical moment when the capital encountered foreign invaders! They forced Yishan to sign a treaty, and then forced Prince Gong to sign a Sino-Russian treaty. Only then did I The Qing Dynasty lost millions of kilometers of land!”
"This is the life-and-death enemy of the country! How could the court issue such a decree? Are you fooling the soldiers and civilians of Heilongjiang that they are all stupid roe deers!"
Lao Lin shouted so loudly that his vocal cords were about to tear, "There is no imperial decree at all! It's just Tepuxin who is greedy for life and afraid of death! He is the second Yishan! He is just a shameless traitor!"
A shrill roar shook all the officers and soldiers in the city dumbfounded!
