On September 22nd, late at night, the Laodaohe battlefield was located in the area west of Yongxing City. The offensive is like a tide, and the bayonets are like a forest.
Thousands of elite officers and soldiers of the Second Model Town, under the moonlight and supported by twenty six-pound bronze cannons, formed five battalion-level columns and once again launched a fierce attack on Wu Yingqi's precarious right flank defense line. Wu Yingqi's army has been fighting fiercely with the Ming army since the early morning of the 22nd. It has been fighting hard for more than eight hours now. Both physical strength and the ability to withstand casualties have reached the limit. The cover of the vast night gave some Huguang soldiers under Wu Yingqi's command who had relatively weak fighting will the opportunity to sneak away.
Unlike the soldiers from Gansu and Shaanxi who came from afar and were famous for their "endurance in fighting", the Hunan soldiers and Hubei soldiers who were born in the land of fish and rice in Huguang neither had a particularly strong will to fight, nor were they familiar with the terrain near the Laodao River. Where to escape. In addition, due to the relationship between Wu Guogui, Wu Shijue and Li Zhongshan, the Hunan soldiers under their command did not have much dislike for the Ming army, and were familiar with the Ming Dynasty's "national policy" - in fact, the people of the Ming Dynasty and the soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty They are all of the same kind, and the two sides are not sworn enemies. Only three or four years ago, the Hunan soldiers under Wu Guogui were all Ming troops!
In fact, these people also expected Wu Guogui and Wu Shijue to defect. One side was their adoptive father and adoptive grandfather, and the other side was their son-in-law and brother-in-law. If they couldn't defeat them, they would change sides!
When the battle progressed into the middle of the night on the 22nd, some Hunan soldiers were temporarily under the command of Wu Shicong. They had suffered heavy casualties and had given up hope of winning. They had already expected to change camps, so they started the Thirty-six Strategies. On.
At first they fled in small groups, but when the Ming army, under the personal command of Li Zhongzheng, launched another large-scale hand-to-hand charge, these Hunan soldiers began to flee the battlefield in whole rows. And the Hubei people on the battlefield found that all the Hunan people had fled, so what were they waiting for? Behind is Changsha, Hunan Changsha! People in Hunan don’t care, so why are they trying so hard?
As soldiers from Hunan and Hubei provinces fled one after another, the front line that Wu Shicong was responsible for finally ushered in the moment of collapse. In the vast darkness, the old Wu family's "little handsome man" could only hear waves of Hunan or Hubei accents. There were panicked shouts of "Loss ga-da! Lose ga-da", and there were also the very harsh "tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick" played by the suona. Wu Shicong, who was also familiar with the military system of the Ming Dynasty, knew that this was the Ming Dynasty. The sound of the army's charge, and then the earth-shattering shouts of killing and the sound of intensive musket fire, made him realize that the situation was over!
Because the shouts of death and gunshots came not from directly in front of him, but from his flanks or even behind him.
This means that the Ming army has broken through his front in multiple directions!
Years of battlefield experience told him that it was impossible to regroup the collapsed front at night.
After understanding his situation, Wu Shicong decisively issued the order to retreat, and then arranged for a few remaining cavalry battalions to act as palace troops, and then led his cavalry guards towards Wu Yingqi's central army. At this time, Wu Yingqi had just repelled an attack organized by Li Fuchen, but the fight was very embarrassing. His horse was killed by the bullets of the Ming army. He himself fell from the horse and broke an arm. Wu Shicong found him. When he was walking, two medical officers were busy bandaging him!
Seeing his son appear in a miserable state, Wu Yingqi didn't even bother to cry out in pain. He just asked with a trembling voice: "Shi Cong, why are you here? Could it be..."
"Defeated, defeated." Wu Shicong shook his head, "The Hunan soldiers and Hubei soldiers could no longer bear it. Although our old Qin soldiers could still hold on, they were ultimately unable to support themselves. So the boy ordered a retreat! Moreover, the Ming army's fusillade The gun is too powerful, and our people have suffered too many casualties, and if we continue to fight, it will be nothing more than a massacre!"
Wu Yingqi almost lost the ability to judge for a moment. This battle for the Daodao River was a battle related to the life and death of the Great Zhou Kingdom! Moreover, Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, is southwest of the Laodao River battlefield behind them. If this decisive battle is defeated, Changsha will no longer be defended. All the territory east of the Xiangjiang River will probably be lost in a short period of time. The next step will probably be the entire Hunan, and even the part south of the Yangtze River in Hubei! Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou will probably fall one after another, and the Jiangbei part of Hubei will probably be difficult to preserve.
What will Wu Zhou have left by then? I'm afraid even the Great Zhou Kingdom itself will no longer exist, right? Is this the end of the old Wu family's dream of being emperor? It's ridiculous that he wanted to compete with his brother Wu Yingxiong for the throne before, why should he fight for it? Should we ask for a subjugated king to do it?
Liu Xuanchu, who served as Wu Yingqi's army officer, was quite calm. He and several staff members compared the map, and finally said to Wu Yingqi: "Your Highness, the King of Qin, Changsha City cannot be defended. We must withdraw across the Xiangjiang River as soon as possible. The only way is to cross the Xiangjiang River. Only by crossing the Xiangjiang River can we regroup and find a way out."
Wu Shicong also quickly said to his father: "Father, we can retreat along the Laodao River now. There is our pontoon bridge on the Xiangjiang River. No matter what, let's cross the Xiangjiang River first!"
"What about your third uncle?" Wu Yingqi had not forgotten his brotherly love at this time.
Liu Xuanchu said: "Your Majesty, King Chu is the father-in-law of General Li after all. General Li will not kill him, and even if we die, we won't be able to hold him for long. Now while King Chu's troops have not collapsed, we can still Get out!”
This is to leave Wu Guogui to carry the thunder and run away first. This Liu Xuanchu is indeed proficient in "Guan Ning's military science"!
Wu Shicong and Wu Yushuai said loudly: "Father, if you keep the green mountains here, you are not afraid of running out of firewood. As long as our old brothers from Gansu and Shaanxi are still there, we can still find a way out even if we return to Shaanxi and Gansu!"
"A way out?" Wu Yingqi glanced at his son, "Shi Cong, do you think the Great Zhou Kingdom will still have a future after we defeat this battle?"
"Father." Wu Shicong winked at Liu Xuanchu first.
Liu Xuanchu immediately called to his staff to pack up and leave. When he saw everyone was gone, Wu Shicong lowered his voice and said to his father: "Father, even if there is no future in Dazhou, it does not mean that we, father and son, have no future!"
"Well, if Dazhou has no future, can we still have a future?"
"Father, you are not the emperor of Zhou Dynasty yet!" Wu Shicong said to his father, "You are just a prince of Zhou Dynasty."
"But your grandpa is already planning to make me the prince."
"Father," Wu Shicong shook his head, "We can't bear this responsibility."
Wu Yingqi wanted to say something else, but the gunshots and shouts of death outside were getting closer and closer!
He also knew that he could no longer hold on, so he could only sigh and said: "God's will, it's all God's will. It seems that as a father, I am not blessed to be the emperor!"
He paused again, and finally stamped his feet and uttered one word: "Withdraw!"
If Wu Yingqi and Wu Lingnington run away, Wu Guogui and Wu Lücher will certainly be in trouble!
Because Li Zhongshan had already interrogated the prisoners at this time and knew that the "Wu Lücher" who took advantage of him and almost turned him into "Li Polun" was his father-in-law Wu Guogui!
This is so inappropriate!
Li Zhongshan was angry at that time. He had to catch this Wu Lu Xieer not only to relieve his hatred, but also for the sake of Hunan! Wu Guogui was Wu Zhou's general manager in Hunan, and all Zhechong captains in Zhechong Mansion in Hunan were his subordinates.
Capturing him will not only determine Hunan's fate, but also create the most favorable conditions for pacifying all parts of Hunan in the future and turning Hunan's soldiers into citizens of the Ming Dynasty.
This Hunan soldier is the Hunan Army!
Therefore, after he was convinced that Wu Yingqi and Wu Shicong's troops began to withdraw from the front line, Li Zhongshan handed over the task of chasing the fleeing enemies to Li Zhongzheng, and then he, Li Fuchen and Li Laishun began to try to surround Wu Guogui.
Wu Guogui realized that something was wrong and decisively organized a breakout. However, his position was very unfavorable for him to withdraw from the battlefield. To his north was the Laodao River, to the east was Li Laishun, and to the west was Li Zhongshan. The only south side for him to evacuate was outflanked by the cavalry led by Li Fuchen.
In order to break out of the tight encirclement, Wu Guogui quickly mobilized tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry to attack south. However, they were blocked by Li Fuchen and Li Zhongshan's cavalry, who dismounted and used flintlocks to fight. Although some people rushed out, the large army mistakenly thought it was blocked by the Ming Army's model town and retreated. By the time Wu Guogui reorganized the second wave of breakout troops, an infantry town under Li Fuchen had already rushed After arriving, a horizontal formation was launched to the south of Wu Guogui's headquarters.
After trying several times to break through without success, Wu Guogui had no choice but to lead his troops to retreat to a bend of the Laodao River, rely on the river to protect the rear, and then use pikemen and musketeers to form a defensive line due south, and establish a solid defense. Awaiting assistance.
At this point in the battle, the Ming army commanded by Li Zhongshan, Li Fuchen, and Li Laishun was exhausted and unable to launch a strong attack on Wu Guogui, who had become a trapped beast.
So, Li Zhongshan asked people to dig trenches and besiege the south of the river bend where Wu Guogui was guarding - first surrounding Wu Guogui. Anyway, he only had a few days of food on hand, and he surrendered after eating most of it.
On the other side, after Li Zhongshan learned (by asking the prisoners pleasantly) that Wu Yingqi had already built a pontoon bridge on the Xiangjiang River in case of emergency, he immediately ordered Li Zhongzheng, who was chasing Wu Yingqi, to seize the Langli City left by Wu Yingqi. camp, and asked him to try to attack Changsha again after he succeeded. See if he could take advantage of the remaining power of the victory at Laodaohe to capture Changsha in one fell swoop?
In this way, after a whole night of scheduling and re-deployment, in the early morning of the next day, the gunfire, artillery, and shouts of death on the Laodao River battlefield finally came to an end.
The whole world suddenly became quiet. People who have been working hard for almost a whole day need to take a breath and take a good rest.
Li Zhongshan, on the other hand, took his "good nephew" and the loyal king of the Ming Dynasty, Li Laishun, back to the camp in Yong'an City. He still had important matters to discuss with Li Zicheng's grandnephew!
"Prince Zhong, it's all thanks to you this time! If you hadn't come in time, I would have been defeated miserably!" Li Zhongshan looked at Li Laishun this time, and it seemed more and more pleasing to his eyes. If it weren't for his father and Li Zicheng After joining the sect, he was one generation older than Li Laishun, and he wanted to be with King Li Zhong of the Ming Dynasty.
Li Laishun also hit it off with Li Zhongshan. Although it was the first time for the two to meet, they were like uncles and nephews!
"Uncle, what are you talking about? You can't write two characters in one stroke. You are my uncle. If I help you, I am helping myself." As he spoke, he lowered his voice and said, "Uncle, this Eighteenth Prince Master It seems that the world is going to answer for you!"
Li Zhongshan laughed: "Lai Shun. Now the world is the master and the guest is the guest! Where is the master of the world?"
Li Laishun said with a smile: "Uncle, your general is in charge of the world, right? He is just presiding over the world, not the master of the world."
"Well, I am just the big brother who takes the lead," Li Zhongshan said modestly. "Besides, the position of general or prime minister is not hereditary, nor is it even lifelong. In the future, when the four parties are pacified, I will not do it. I will find someone else. Live in seclusion in a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters!”
"This is not possible," Li Laishun quickly shook his head, "Even if the world is pacified, everything will be in ruins. We need you, the leader of the original ministers who are dedicated to the public good, to lead us to create a peaceful and prosperous age!"
I have to say that Li Laishun, the loyal king, has very reliable knowledge! Li Zhongshan certainly agreed with his point of view!
This loyal king is indeed very loyal!
After confirming that Li Laishun was Zhongliang, Li Zhongshan changed the topic and went straight to the topic, "The nephew of King Zhongliang, is it Wu Yingxiong who is besieged in Jiujiang now?"
"It's probably this person!" Li Laishun said with a smile, "General, do you want to capture him alive?"
"No need," Li Zhongshan quickly shook his head, "My loyal nephew, can you let him go?"
"Let him go?" Li Laishun was stunned, "Uncle, do you want to..."
"Two Wus are fighting!" Li Zhongshan said with a smile, "Wu Sangui has passed away not long ago. When he dies, the Wu family will either be Wu Yingxiong or Wu Yingqi. Why don't they let them have a dog-eat-dog fight first? No matter who wins, the Wu family will be seriously injured. .If Wu Yingxiong becomes emperor, with his ability, the Wu family's great Zhou Dynasty will probably end in two generations."
"This." Li Laishun thought about it for a while, "Uncle, my nephew will naturally follow your lead, but my grandfather..."
Li Zhongshan frowned and asked, "King Chuang, he only wants Wu Yingxiong's life?"
Li Laishun looked at Li Zhongshan's face and said quickly: "Uncle, if this is not the case, I will let Liu Yihu lead the troops at your disposal, and I will rush back to Jiujiang myself to see if I can persuade the old man?"
"That's great!" Li Zhongshan smiled and nodded, "I'll write a personal letter to King Lao Chuang, explain my interests to him, and ask him to show his respect."
"That's good. With your handwritten letter, my grandfather should change his mind."
Jiujiang, Nengren Temple, Dasheng Pagoda.
Wu Yingxiong's prince residence in Jiujiang is located in Nengren Temple, and what he likes to do most these days is to climb the Dasheng Pagoda and look out at the free world outside the city. But he himself can no longer get out!
Because outside Jiujiang City, except for the side next to the Yangtze River, the rest of the city was surrounded by triple trenches. Even on the Yangtze River outside the north gate of Jiujiang, there are densely packed Ming army warships parked.
Wu Yingxiong can be said to have no way to heaven and no way to earth. What is even more frightening is that the man who is overseeing the siege of him is named Li Zicheng!
If it were Li Fuchen or Li Zhongshan who besieged the city, he would still have a way to survive. At worst, he would be a rich man from Jinling. But Li Zicheng was not so polite. The hatred between Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng was simply higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.
Li Zicheng killed more than thirty members of Wu Sangui's family, and Wu Sangui also stabbed Li Zicheng in the back, causing him to lose the world. Li Zicheng's closest relatives and friends were also killed by the Qing Dynasty in the following ten years. In the final analysis, these People still died because Wu Sangui led Qing troops into the pass!
So Li Zicheng will never spare Wu Sangui no matter what. Now that he can't catch Wu Sangui, he can only vent his anger on Wu Yingxiong!
Therefore, Li Zicheng's army has been tightly besieging Jiujiang, and the siege is so airtight!
In addition to the siege, Li Zicheng also launched several rounds of fierce attacks. After the final fierce attack failed, he started a psychological battle again!
Dozens of ancient counterweight trebuchets are now set up outside several city gates in Jiujiang, and they are constantly ejecting earthen and porcelain jars with letters of persuasion for surrender into Jiujiang City.
The surrender letters in these earthen jars and porcelain jars have only one meaning, that is, as long as Wu Yingxiong is alone, everyone else can live after the city is broken! If someone is willing to open the city to welcome the Ming Dynasty, then King Li Zhong of the Ming Dynasty will definitely reward him heavily!
Therefore, Wu Yingxiong is now unable to escape, and the fall of Jiujiang is imminent!
(End of chapter)
