Huang Zongke and others did not expect that the court's artillery would be so powerful. In one fell swoop, the city wall collapsed in several places.
Seeing that the rushing border troops had already set up ladders on the collapsed city wall and quickly climbed up the city wall like ants attached to them, Huang Zongke had to shout immediately: "Fire! Fire! Guard Yangzhou City and don't let the tyrant's hawks and dogs." Enter the city! Kill a border soldier and get a reward of ten taels of silver!
Not long after, a large group of saltmen armed with various weapons rushed towards the collapsed city wall, trying to prevent the border troops from rushing into the city.
Yangzhou has always had many salt merchants.
It can even be said that Yangzhou is controlled by these salt merchants.
There are many large salt merchants who have more domestic slaves than soldiers in Yangzhou government offices.
Moreover, because these salt cubs need to be used to compete for salt profits, the salt cubs raised by salt merchants are often brave and ruthless desperadoes.
At this time, the border troops who were ordered to rush to the city wall had already clashed with the salt traders of these salt merchants. You slashed with a knife, and I stabbed with a spear. Around the collapsed city wall, on the ladder, blood was spattered and body parts were scattered. fly.
Artillery bombardment also began on the city wall, and the artillery in the hands of the Guards Town Artillery fired at each other, making a thunderous sound.
However, the frontier army was obviously more brave and well-trained.
When more and more border army servants boarded the collapsed city by ladders, they immediately formed a tacit understanding to attack. The sword and shield players consciously gathered together to block with their shields and slashed with their swords, while the spearmen Then pierce through the gap between the shields.
The firearmsman behind also began to hold a three-eyed gun and fired lead bullets at these salt cubes.
At this time, these saltmen were about to stab with spears, but they were blocked by shields connected to the wall.
Several tough saltmen were quite brave. They roared and were about to knock away the shields, but they were suddenly stabbed by the frontier army. Several spears penetrated their abdomens. When the frontier army drew out the spears, the bodies of these saltmen were directly hit. After a shake, blood from his intestines fell to the floor.
At the same time, the lead bullets were as dense as rain, and the salt cubes behind them fell in batches, rolling down the city like snowballs.
Yan Ding's momentum was greatly reduced.
At this time, the brave servants of the frontier army, holding three-eyed guns or taking out their bones, rushed into the camp of these salt soldiers, banging and smashing them.
It's like entering a deserted place.
"Charge forward! Kill a border soldier and the reward will be changed to twenty taels!"
Huang Zongke saw that the salt man on his side was a little unable to resist, so he shouted hurriedly and increased the reward.
Many salt soldiers were inspired by this, and they rushed forward with weapons in hand.
The frontier troops who rushed up from behind had already formed a formation. As soon as the salt cubes rushed towards them, they immediately fired their fire cannons, and batches of lead bullets swept the oncoming salt cubes to the ground.
"kill!"
Then, the frontier troops who retreated on both wings and rushed up before this time killed from both wings and chopped down the remaining salt soldiers who were not hit to the ground.
The border troops destroyed as many salt dings as they rushed at once.
Not long after, the entire collapsed city wall was covered with corpses. Later, the border troops climbed up the corpses, causing more and more border troops in the city.
The salt soldiers were completely discouraged and began to flee without their armor. There was no way, they were really no match for the regular border troops.
"Fifty taels! Reward fifty taels of silver!"
Huang Zongke had to increase the reward and shouted loudly.
"One hundred taels!"
But Yanding paid no attention to him, and Yanding fled around the city desperately.
In the end, Huang Zongke and other unscrupulous salt merchants themselves had to flee.
Not long after, the city gate was opened by the border troops who rushed into the city.
Xiong Tingbi hurriedly ordered the generals of the frontier armies to personally lead their own frontier army servants, Jingqi, into the city, kill the remaining enemies in the alleys, and besiege the four city gates.
At this time, Zhu Youxiao also began to sit in the royal chariot, and slowly entered Yangzhou City under the escort of Jinwei Town.
And he had also seen the performance of these frontier troops attacking the city before.
He had to admit that the Nine-Border Frontier Army was really capable of fighting if they were serious about it, and they were worthy of being the elite of the empire.
"It's a pity that such elites cannot be used to open up new territories!"
Zhu Youxiao sighed secretly.
But he was more gratified that in this life, at least these frontier troops followed his emperor to the south of the Yangtze River, instead of going south with the Manchu and Qing Dynasties as in history, acting as vanguards of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, and even massacring Han people with the Eight Banners soldiers.
There were still some salt men in the city who persisted in street fighting despite heavy rewards from some unscrupulous salt merchants, but they were all defeated by the brave frontier army servants.
"The decree is that the guards will be stationed in the new city and the border troops will be stationed in the old city. The troops will be divided to guard the city gates. The people must not be disturbed. Anyone who violates the military regulations I promulgated when I left the capital will be killed without mercy! The generals and generals will lead their respective The inspection team formed by the servants is the same as the Military Law Office of the Guards Battalion, responsible for maintaining military discipline. If anyone who violates discipline is not dealt with, I will blame the commander!"
After Zhu Youxiao entered the city, he first strictly enforced military discipline, and then said: "Lu Xiangsheng, your Chinese army will be left behind to protect you. Ma Xianglin, you are responsible for the maneuver and suppression!"
"yes!"
Lu Xiangsheng and Ma Xianglin both replied.
Xiong Tingbi also conveyed Zhu Youxiao's will to the generals such as Luo Zhijie and Ma Shilong.
Because the emperor was here, and the current emperor had the close followers of the Guards, Ma Shilong and other generals had no choice but to act according to the order. They personally took their servants to strictly enforce military discipline and killed them in person as they had done in other towns along the way. He killed several servants under his command for forgetting military law, and warned his subordinates not to harass the people, and to wait for the silver reward from the court.
Therefore, next, the soldiers and horses brought by Zhu Youxiao maintained strict military discipline in Yangzhou City, and no looting occurred.
"Your Majesty! The captured rebel salt merchants have been interrogated. Their names are Huang Zongke, Xu Shaocheng, Zhan Zigong, Gong Dingbo, and Wang Tingping. They are all related to the gentry reported by Dongchang as having rebelled."
After Yangzhou City was captured, Huang Zongke and others were captured by the border troops and Guards Town troops one after another before they could escape. Zhu Youxiao also hurriedly asked Dongchang to interrogate these people immediately.
Therefore, Wei Zhongxian came to Zhu Youxiao to report at this time, and handed over a stack of confession books: "This is the crime they confessed to!"
After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao said: "All of them will be executed in Ling Chi! The medical soldiers of the Yulin Guard Logistics Battalion will carry out the execution immediately! All the salt merchants in Yangzhou, big and small, will also watch the execution. Those who cannot come will be killed on the grounds of resisting the order and disobeying the order!" "
"According to the order!"
Wei Zhongxian and Lu Jiude, who was in charge of the logistics camp, immediately replied.
Then, Zhu Youxiao ordered Xiong Tingbi: "The rest of the captured criminal saltmen shall be executed immediately! Dispose of them by the new soldiers of Guard Town!"
"According to the order!"
Xiong Tingbi replied.
"Your Majesty, the street ahead where the Salt Road Yamen is located is full of salt merchants and gentry in the city, as well as all Salt Road officials!"
At this time, Han Xu suddenly walked up to Zhu Youxiao and reported.
The fact that Huang Zongke and other unscrupulous salt merchants were able to control the prefect Liu Wanchun, and even brought their own salt men to control the city defense, was not unrelated to the connivance of other salt merchants in the city and the secret support of salt road officials.
After all, all the salt merchants in Yangzhou did not want the emperor to plunder them after entering Yangzhou City, so they hoped that Huang Zongke and others could stop the emperor.
Salt Road officials were also worried that the emperor would send people to his Salt Road Yamen to check the accounts and find out his corruption, so they took chances and hoped that Huang Zongke and others could really stop the emperor.
But now that Zhu Youxiao had entered Yangzhou City, they naturally did not dare to hesitate any longer and hurriedly gathered at the Yandao Yamen to greet the Holy Master.
When Zhu Youxiao learned about this, he just smiled coldly and ordered: "Stop driving at Yandao Yamen!"
So, Zhu Youxiao stopped in front of Yandao Yamen.
Li Qiao, the transport envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Road and the censor of salt patrol, knelt at the front and shouted nervously: "Li Qiao, the salt transport envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Road and the censor of salt patrol, led all the salt merchants and gentry in Yangzhou The people respectfully welcome the Holy Emperor! Long live my emperor!"
Then, the salt merchant Ye Qixian held a book and shouted: "On behalf of the merchants and people of Yangzhou, I would like to donate one hundred thousand taels of silver to you! In recognition of the loyalty of the people of the state, I wish our emperor long live!"
You want to send me away with one hundred thousand taels?
Zhu Youxiao didn't feel angry in his heart. He looked at Li Qiao first and asked: "Li Qiao, Yangzhou Magistrate Liu Wanchun was held hostage by illegal salt merchants, and these illegal salt merchants want to prevent me from entering Yangzhou City. How about you?" What are you doing? Have you already surrendered to these rebels, or do you also intend to prevent me from entering Yangzhou City and sit back and watch the unscrupulous salt merchants steal my Yangzhou City?!"
Li Qiao broke out in a cold sweat: "Your Majesty, I thought that Magistrate Liu was recruiting salt soldiers to defend the city. I really don't know the inside story. I am only responsible for the transportation of salt and have never asked about the city's defense. I It was only then that I learned that Your Majesty’s Holy Emperor had entered Yangzhou, so I hurriedly came out to greet His Majesty. Please be aware of this!”
"Yeah?"
Zhu Youxiao asked coldly.
Li Qiao trembled a little: "I dare not deceive Your Majesty!"
"Then what are you shaking?"
Zhu Youxiao asked.
"I'm cold. I was so anxious to greet you that I forgot to put on more clothes."
Li Qiao's teeth also began to tremble.
"Wei Zhongxian!"
Zhu Youxiao suddenly gave an order.
"The slave is here!"
Wei Zhongxian stood up immediately.
"Check, the confessions of Huang Zunyi and others contain any incriminating evidence about Li Qiao!"
Zhu Youxiao replied.
Wei Zhongxian was well prepared, and he quickly flipped through the pages and said, "In order to report the confession of the emperor, Huang Zunyi and others, Li Qiao accepted bribes totaling 300,000 taels and followed his orders to host a banquet for the prefect Liu Wanchun, which caused Liu Wanchun to be raped by Huang Zunyi and others. In addition, Li Qiao also demanded a total of 500,000 taels of bribes from them in order to conceal their identity as relatives of the rebels!"
"What a huge corruption! I have repeatedly issued orders to strictly prohibit corruption, but you have turned a deaf ear to my orders. Jiangnan has rebelled against thieves. I have already ordered all the people in the world to capture their relatives, but you still don't listen and hide their identities. You are really bold!"
As Zhu Youxiao spoke, he suddenly pointed at Li Qiao and shouted: "Throw him to death in front of me and peel him off! I have ordered you to confiscate his property!"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I am also forced to have no choice. If I were not greedy, they would not let me live! I am willing to hand over all the money I spent on corruption. I beg your Majesty to spare my life. I don't dare to spend any of it!"
Li Qiao kowtowed and shouted. He didn't expect Huang Zongke to fall into the hands of the court and be interrogated so quickly.
"This is not a matter of whether you are willing or not. Even if you are not willing, you have to hand it all in!"
Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly and said: "Execute immediately!"
"yes!"
Zhu Youxiao's subordinate soldiers immediately came over, pressed Li Qiao to the ground, then held his hands and feet and threw him up, causing Li Qiao to fall down and fall firmly to the ground.
Repeat this several times.
The smooth bluestone slabs all turned red.
It didn't take long for Li Qiao to be thrown so hard that he bled to death.
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