Since joining the army, Shi Pu has experienced countless battles, and has never seen an insurgent army with such combat effectiveness. The Ming army continuously attacked Zhangzhou City for two hours, but still failed to advance an inch. Every time they were about to attack Zhangzhou City, they always failed.
Although he is leading the Fujian Navy, the combat effectiveness of the navy on land cannot be compared to the officers and soldiers who fight on horseback all year round. However, this navy recently defeated the Franco fleet, and he also captured the commander of the Franco fleet alive. Alvarez, if he can't deal with some rebels now, then his previous military exploits on Penghu Island will inevitably be covered with a layer of humiliation. Thinking of this, Shi Pu couldn't help but become a little angry, and ordered around:
"Our Fujian Navy just defeated the Fo Lang fleet a few days ago. The morale of the army is at its peak. How could we not capture the city guarded by a group of ragtag men? Japan will personally supervise the battle today. If we cannot capture the city of Zhangzhou before nightfall, everyone must be careful. Abandon your weapons and go home!"
Among thousands of troops, Shi Pu was seen holding a big sword and standing next to a red cannon, directing more than a dozen cannons to fire at the rebels on the city wall.
"Hit me hard, suppress these rebel gunmen????????????????, and protect our soldiers from entering the city!"
Shi Pu personally came to the front line to command. The morale of the whole army was greatly boosted, and another fierce attack began. During this period, some soldiers were timid and wanted to escape to the rear. When Shi Pu found out, he immediately jumped on his horse and raised his sword to kill him. After seeing the generals, they never stopped. If they dared to retreat even half a step, they all rushed towards the head of Zhangzhou City.
Under Shi Pu's personal command, a large number of engineers stepped forward to build the pier. Then four to five thousand Ming army crossbowmen boarded the pier and fired arrows at each other with the rebels on the city wall. They were about the same height as each other, and both sides suffered casualties. However, suppressed by the firepower of more than a dozen Ming army cannons, the insurgents in Zhangzhou City were greatly reduced in threat to the Ming army charging below the city wall. A Ming army general took the opportunity to carry a waist knife and led the five or six soldiers. Hundreds of brave men carried ladders across the moat and launched a fierce attack on the city wall.
Shi Pu ordered a dozen artillery pieces and tornado cannons to be fired at the same time. More than a hundred tornado cannons were suddenly fired with a terrifying momentum. Pieces of rocks fell on the top of the city, and stone debris flew everywhere. From time to time, the rebels were hit by the whizzing stones. They fell to the ground before they even had time to groan, and fell to the bottom of the city.
Suddenly, an incendiary bomb flew directly over Liu Tong's head at the top of the city with a whistling wind. Liu Tong, who was directing the battle, was completely unaware of this. He was waving his sword and roaring hysterically: "Hold it, I'm here!" withstand!"
"General, get out of the way!"
A rebel soldier who had followed Liu Tong for many years shouted, rushed forward desperately, and knocked Liu Tong away with his body. However, the rocks falling from the sky knocked him to the ground on the spot, and his flesh and blood suddenly became mangled and his brains burst out.
"Lao Quan? Lao Quan? Are you awake?"
Liu Tong got up and turned around when he heard the sound, only to realize that the person who sacrificed his life to save him was Lao Quan, his own soldier who had followed him for many years. Lao Quan was the first to follow Chen Fu and himself. He was considered a veteran. He was also in Zhejiang at the time. After receiving the official salary, Chen Fu and himself later fled Zhejiang, and Lao Quan resolutely gave up his official position and went to sea with him. Because he usually took good care of him, but he didn't expect that at the critical moment, he risked his own life to save his life. Liu Tong wiped away the tears and immediately bent down to check on Lao Quan's injury, only to find that Lao Quan was already beyond saving.
Now that death is everywhere on the battlefield, Liu Tong has no time to feel sad. He can only wipe his eyes, bend down to pick up a rolling stone, and throw it at the bottom of the city wall: "I'll smash you bastards of officers and soldiers to death!"
The round boulders hit the ladder, bouncing and erratically, hitting two officers and soldiers of the Ming Army and the Fujian Navy in succession. They fell from the ladder with a wailing sound, their bones were broken, and they died on the spot.
Liu Tong let out a sigh of relief and bent down to look for the rolling stones, only to find that the top of the city was empty, with only a few gravels the size of pebbles left. When he raised his head and looked down at the city, he saw charging Ming troops all over the mountains and plains, charging forward one after another. Liu Tong knew that if this continued, Zhangzhou City would not be able to hold on for less than half an hour!
A rebel general next to him, whose face was covered with soot and was seriously injured, forced a smile: "...report to the general, the cannonballs are almost used up, the rolling stones are gone, the hammers are gone, and there are not many crossbow arrows left!"
At this time, a military general with a long beard held a shield to block Liu Tong's arrows from the Ming army from the pier. He panted and said: "General, the officers and soldiers are attacking too fiercely. All the firearms in our city are being used." It's almost done, but their cannonballs seem to be endless. The rolling stones and hammers have all been smashed, and the crossbows are starting to run out. Zhangzhou I'm afraid the city can't be defended, why don't we abandon the city and break out to fight guerrillas?"
Before Liu Tong could answer, there was another loud "bang". The Ming army's red cannon flew past a shell and hit the wall stack behind Liu Tong. Suddenly, gravel flew and dust filled the air. The general who had been talking just now was also knocked off the city by the remaining force of the shell, and fell to pieces.
Liu Tong gritted his teeth and bent down, using all his strength to lift the huge stone and smash it down from the city wall, knocking an officer who had just rushed under the ladder to the ground. Liu Tong roared in a low voice:
"When King Wu left, he left a death order for me. The people in Zhangzhou City are still there, and the people in Zhangzhou City are dead. No one is allowed to mention retreat! If you don't have crossbows, pick up the Ming army's and shoot them back to me. If you don't have firearms, give them to me. I will pull out your sword and fight them hand to hand!"
】
The city is still there but the people are there, but the city is destroyed and people are dead! "
The rebel troops on the city wall were covered with dust and their faces were covered with soot, roaring at the top of their lungs. Judu carefully bent his bow and arrow, aiming as much as possible at the Ming army below the city to avoid wasting the arrows. Since there are fewer and fewer arrows, the hit rate can only be improved, otherwise it will be impossible to stop the Ming army from attacking like a tide.
Among the soldiers of the Ming army who attacked the city, there were many veterans who had been in the army for half their lives. From guarding the border to resist the Mongols in the early years, to going south to Fujian to wipe out the local rebels, then to becoming the Fujian Navy and practicing water warfare, and finally to the great defeat of Folang in recent days. There are many people who have been in the army for nearly twenty years, but no one has ever experienced such a cruel siege.
Since the Ming army's desperate attack on the city in the early hours of yesterday morning, it has lasted for sixteen or seven hours by noon today. There are corpses everywhere under Zhangzhou City, and the ground is full of corpses. It is visually estimated that the Ming army has killed at least more than 10,000 soldiers.
In this unprecedentedly brutal siege, the elite Fujian navy led by Shi Pu came out with all their strength. While the Ming army suffered 25,000 casualties, the casualties of the rebels in Zhangzhou City also exceeded 10,000. At this moment, the city was full of people inside and outside Zhangzhou Blood stains, not a single clean inch to be found.
Seeing that the city was about to run out of ammunition and food, Liu Tong drew his sword and roared at the general next to him: "Go, capture the people in the city and defend the city, let them support us!"
The general next to him said helplessly: "General, no, King Wu told you before he left that we should treat the people well and not lose the support of the people. Since we entered the city, we have not done anything wrong to the people in the city, that's why we can guard like this." For a long time, if we forcefully conquer the people now, we may suffer sudden changes in the city!"
In fact, Liu Tong was not ignorant of this truth, but at this time it was imminent and he couldn't care so much. In a hurry, he had already forgotten what Chen Fu warned him repeatedly before leaving.
"Why are you still standing there? If you don't conquer the people, I will kill you!"
"As you command!"
The general reluctantly agreed, looked up to the sky and sighed, turned around and led two thousand soldiers to conquer the civilians again.
In Liu Tong's view, relying solely on the strength of the rebels to defend the city was not enough. It was necessary to rely on the strength of the people as much as possible to stop the tide of Ming troops.
Without the cannonballs, the rebels began to pick up the arrows shot by the Ming army and reflected them back. Crossbow arrows rained down on the city top, overwhelmingly. Countless officers and soldiers fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. Within a moment, they were lying dead. Heap, almost every step of the foot will step on the fallen companion.
"The crossbowmen move forward in formation to suppress the enemy troops and cover the advance of the artillery battalion. Those who dare to die are preparing to attack the city in a wave!"
Shi Pu raised his sword and rode his horse across the moat, loudly commanding the Ming army to attack.
"The Ming army is mighty, the Ming army is mighty!"
Five thousand crossbowmen marched forward in an orderly manner. They stopped advancing only when they reached the edge of the moat, and fired back at the city wall with an overwhelming rain of arrows.
Although the crossbowmen of the rebel army could temporarily take advantage of the tall city wall and have huge lethality, at this time the Ming army's crossbowmen were superior in numbers, and the rain of arrows they fired exceeded the rebel army several times, suppressing the rebel army on the top of the city wall. He could barely lift his head, greatly reducing his own casualties.
There was a "rumbling" sound behind the archers, and nearly a hundred cyclone cannons came in formation. Amidst the "squeaking" sound, they threw huge rocks at the Zhangzhou city wall, knocking the defenders off their backs and causing chaos.
"My sons, follow me to attack the city!"
Taking advantage of the chaos of the defenders, many generals under Shipu's tent dismounted one after another, picked up their weapons, carried the ladders, and charged forward, dodging the showers of arrows, until they reached the foot of the city wall and moved the ladders. Stand on the top of the city and climb bravely.
"Boom, boom, boom..." sounds came one after another. One ladder after another leaned against the city wall. Countless first climbers held up their shields and climbed bravely, getting closer and closer to the top of the city.
Finally, on the southeast wall, the Ming army successfully boarded Zhangzhou City. For a time, everyone was besieging the Ming army on the southeast wall, but neglected other positions. More and more Ming troops began to climb up the city wall.
When Shi Pu saw the Ming army ascending to the top of the city, he was overjoyed. He raised his sword and stood up, shouting loudly: "The cavalry camp is ready, follow my general to kill the thieves and make meritorious service!" "
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