On the tenth day of the siege, the battle heated up.
Zhang Chun organized the largest attack since Jingnan. Thirty thousand rebels coerced the refugees and launched a violent attack on Yongding Gate. Under the coercion of the rebels, the refugees continued to build pontoons and pushed carts across the moat.
There was no winner or loser on that day, with corpses piled up more than ten feet high under the city. The defenders suffered 500 casualties and the rebels suffered more than 2,000 casualties. At dusk, the rebels took advantage of the darkness and fled towards the camp.
That night, Kaiyuan's army went out of the city for a night attack and captured a thousand heads. The next day, the rebels came back to retaliate against Kaiyuan's army.
The rebels drove more refugees to fill the trenches and attack the city. The pontoon bridge on the moat was burned by the defenders. The river was filled with the corpses of soldiers killed on both sides. The river water turned dark red and all the fish and shrimp were dead.
The refugees carried wooden planks to erect the pontoon bridge again. At the same time, hundreds of red-coat guns and Fran cannons were set up on the other side of the moat. The artillerymen pushed the cannons close to bombard the city wall to cover the erection of the pontoon bridge.
The artillery on both sides regarded the other's artillery as a target.
Kaiyuan's artillery was more powerful but outnumbered by its opponents. Zhang Chun sent servants to guard behind the artillery and ordered the artillery not to retreat. Anyone who retreated would be shot dead by his servants with bows and arrows.
The rebel artillerymen, who had no choice but to retreat, had to fight on the same spot with Kaiyuan, enduring the fear of the iron ball whizzing past and smashing their companions into pulp.
Both sides have become red-eyed and have no way out. They can only exchange death endlessly.
Suddenly, there was a dull explosion from the top of the city, and screams came from all around. Liu Zhaosun's heart skipped a beat, and he knew it was the cannon that had exploded.
A large general cannon weighing a thousand kilograms was pulled from the Shenji Camp, like a frog that had ended its hibernation. He squatted and jumped up suddenly. The cannonball had long since disappeared without a trace. The barrel hit a wooden frame next to it. The gun mount was completed and then it stopped.
There were sawdust flying around, and two people were immediately scratched by the wood chips. Fortunately, they were not critical parts.
Seeing that Yongding Gate was about to be at a disadvantage, the Protector ordered the dispatch of gunners and artillery from other city gates to come for reinforcements.
"Lord Protector, what if you transfer all the gunners and the rebels attack other city gates?"
Qiao Yiqi asked worriedly.
Liu Zhaosun waved his hand, signaling Qiao Yiqi not to speak yet.
~~~~~
Zhang Chun knew that he had no way to retreat, so he also brought in more Hongyi cannons and fired at the city's artillery. The artillerymen on both sides suffered heavy casualties, so they simply no longer cared about the other side and pointed their muzzles at the enemy's infantry again. .
Floating bridges were erected, and the refugees were driven by the rebels. Like a rolling wave, they rushed toward the city wall one after another. Following closely behind the refugees were huge carts and ladders. The city was on fire. The sound of gunfire gradually became less frequent, more and more ladders were set up on the city wall, and the rebels swarmed up to the Yongding Gate.
Shen Lian was killed in battle, Lin Yu was seriously injured, nearly half of the Chinese Guards were killed, Yongding Gate was in danger, and the walls of Wengcheng were about to fall. Liu Zhaosun led the last reserve team to rush to the top of the city and started a hand-to-hand battle with the rebels who climbed up to protect the country. One was equal to ten, and he was hit by several knives. After cutting off the third Yanling Saber, his body was already exhausted, and the rebels who had rushed to the city began to retreat.
After this battle, Zhang Chun's family members suffered all casualties, and all the troops were calm and unwilling to fight again. More importantly, Wang Erhu led reinforcements to approach the capital and would soon cut off the rebels' retreat.
Zhang Zongbing finally realized that his end was coming, "God damn Wu Xiang, he has traveled thirty days on a ten-day journey, but he hasn't arrived yet. I was killed by him."
"You must capture him alive. I will chop him up alive."
Liu Zhaosun held the incomplete Yan Fei Dao and looked around. There was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood under the city. On the other side of the moat, Zhang Chun's banner fell to the ground. Countless soldiers stepped on it, and bursts of smoke and dust rose from the ground.
"Reinforcements are coming and the rebels are retreating."
A line of black dots appeared on the horizon in the distance. There were more and more black dots and they became bigger and bigger. The Protector raised his telescope and looked eastward. A ferocious black tiger flag appeared in Liu Zhaosun's field of vision.
"Okay, the third army has arrived. Those who can fight will follow me out of the city to pursue them. Don't let the rebels go!"
Liu Zhaosun got on his horse, raised his lance, and shouted at his subordinates.
On the same day, Wang Erhu led his army to the capital. On the second day of December, the half-month-long battle to defend the capital finally came to an end. With the arrival of reinforcements, the Kaiyuan Army immediately launched a counterattack, with troops inside and outside the city attacking from both inside and outside, and at the same time attacking the rebels.
The remaining troops under Zhang Chun's command were already frightened and did not dare to fight against Kaiyuan's army in the field.
The rebels collapsed at the first touch of the field battle, and then fled westward. Zhang Chun could not suppress it, so he had to follow the rebels and fled towards Shanxi. The bandits were making trouble there now. There might have been a way to survive in the past. If he had stayed in the capital, I'm afraid it's going to be bad.
Wang Erhu and Qi Jin led their troops to pursue westward along the post road. The army caught up with the retreating rebels ten miles west of Baoding Prefecture, beheading five thousand and killing countless others. In the end, the remaining rebels of less than three thousand dispersed and fled in all directions.
More than 5,000 rebel heads were transported back to the capital in carriages. After the Lord Protector sent people to examine them, he announced to the people of the capital that these were all the heads of slaves. The 5,000 heads triggered a frenzy among the people of the capital.
The heads of the rebels were built into a Jingguan and piled up in front of Yongding Gate, which greatly shocked the people. Many people did not even dare to look at the ferocious-looking Japanese pirates.
The officials from the Ministry of War who inspected the merits came for a formality and then returned to the Yamen to report that all the heads were undoubtedly rebels.
Since Emperor Tianqi had been killed by Liu Zhaosun, fortunately Emperor Chongzhen rarely summoned ministers alone, and many people did not even know the existence of the new emperor.
But now it's better. The Battle of the Capital is finally over, and the city of Beijing is back in the hands of Liu Zhaosun. The Protector will continue to implement his iron-blooded policy, starting with the liquidation of the rebels.
~~~~~~
On the third day after Shen Lian died in battle, Liu Zhaosun finally repelled the rebels and began to prepare a high-quality coffin. He chose a geomantic treasure place and escorted the old subordinate to his burial.
He knows that everyone will leave him, and in the end he may be the only one left. That's what it means to be alone.
Four days later, on the seventh day of Shen Bai's household, the Protector of the State ordered that Shen Lian's body be sent to the imperial mausoleum for burial. This did sound like nonsense.
Zhu Youjian is dead, and Pei Dahu began to spread the news a few days ago, saying that Emperor Tianqi was shot by a rebel arrow and died unfortunately.
Pei Dahu sent someone to hide the body of Emperor Tianqi, and then found a eunuch who looked similar to Zhu Youjian, killed him with a knife, and burned him beyond recognition. He told the outside world that the emperor had died, but what he meant was that he was killed by Zhang Chun. private matters,
Liu Zhaosun was rewarded and personally presided over Shen Lian's funeral. He looked at an ancient book full of handwriting.
At the funeral, Zuo Miaoqing took advantage of everyone's unpreparedness, raised a knife to kill herself, and fell in front of Shen Lian.
Due to the sudden incident, no one could react. When the medical officer arrived, he checked Zuo Miaoqing's pulse, raised his head and shook his head at the Protector.
Liu Zhaosun was moved by Zuo Miaoqing's steadfastness and loyalty, and ordered that she and Shen Lian be buried together. To be precise, they should be buried in the imperial mausoleum on the outskirts of Beijing.
"Brother Shen, Miss Zuo, madam, I have killed the rebels and I will give you a grand burial today. Your heroic souls are not far away. You will go to see the heads of the rebels that I chopped off later."
Three days later.
All three were buried in the unfinished mausoleum. The minister of the Ministry of Industry refuted it as "violating the ancestral system." Liu Zhaosun raised the Yanling sword and almost killed the man. No one dared to touch it easily again.
One hundred and twenty human heads were piled in front of the imperial mausoleum, forming a hill-like pile.
Zhang Yan was buried in the imperial mausoleum. Liu Zhaosun filled the soil himself. Shen Lian and Zuo Miaoqing were buried in the side room of the imperial mausoleum to protect Mrs. Zhang's spirit in heaven.
Liu Zhaosun knelt in front of Zhang Yan's tomb. After an unknown amount of time, his eyes were still bloodshot, like a crazy beast.
Qiao Yiqi and others stood in the distance, looking at the Protector with sad faces.
"You were killed as soon as I regarded you as family. Your spirits in heaven protected me and asked me to avenge you!"
Liu Zhaosun spoke in a very low voice, so low that only he could hear it.
He lit the carriage building made of paper and watched the fire grow bigger and bigger, illuminating the entire tomb. He took a pile of Xingchunzhai skirts and coats from Qiao Yiqi's hand, all of them were of the latest style, and threw them on the fire, where the skirts and coats crackled and burned. , giving off a light fragrance.
The dresses and coats were Zhang Yan's favorite styles during her lifetime, and Mrs. Zhang was reluctant to buy them.
Liu Zhaosun ordered Pei Dahu to go to West Street and buy five items, and burn them all for his wife.
The surrounding walls were dyed blood red by the firelight, and the expression on Liu Zhaosun's face gradually became distorted, and finally turned into a terrifying smile.
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