It was not that Huang Taiji had not received the urgent news from the King's Master in the city, but neither he nor the four advisers and the banner leaders believed in the authenticity of the news.
There were nearly 30,000 Qing soldiers who entered the city one after another. Even if the Ming Ming defenders in the city relied on their superior firearms to charge bravely, they might not be able to withstand the attack of 30,000 royal troops.
Even though some troops were lost before, there should be 20,000 Qing soldiers fighting in the city, right?
The total strength of the defenders is only 100,000, so 20,000 Qing soldiers should be able to withstand 40,000 to 50,000 Ming defenders, right?
If nearly half of the defenders could be contained, wouldn't the Ming Ming defenders have no time to take care of them if Wang Shi made a breakthrough in other directions?
Huang Taiji had this idea, to attack in the east and in the west, so that Man Ming knew the situation and did not have enough troops to come to the rescue.
In addition to the inner city that has already been invaded, if another breakthrough point is chosen, it will be Xu Dingguo's defense area.
Huang Taiji never thought that the battle situation would turn out like this after dawn.
After entering the afternoon, the situation became even more unfavorable for the Qing Dynasty King Division.
Otherwise, a partial division could be sent into Xu Dingguo's defense area last night.
But when Xu Dingguo came with Feng Quan, he showed kindness to the Qing Dynasty. It would be a great thing if he could be recruited to surrender.
After a vanguard force of hundreds of people successfully landed on the city, Du Du believed that Xu Dingguo really wanted to join the Qing Dynasty.
Immediately, a Jia La with a gray flag and a Jia La with a yellow flag successfully boarded the city. Although they did not capture the entire city defense zone, it was still considered a considerable success.
The wall of the middle city was built one foot shorter than both sides. Even if the Qing army broke through here, or even occupied the city head, and wanted to extend to the east and west, they would be hit by fierce artillery fire.
The defenders on both sides of the old city and the new city could be condescending and use various hot and cold weapons to attack the invading Qing army.
On the contrary, the Qing army needed to attack from above and had to pay considerable casualties in order to succeed.
To the east of Xu Dingguo's headquarters was Li Chengdong's defense area, and to the west was the defense area of Ma Wenzhi, commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade of the Donggong Guards.
The son of the former was accepted as an apprentice by the prince, and he had a bright future. Of course, Li Chengdong would not be stupid enough to follow Xu Dingguo and eat dust.
The latter, Ma Wenzhi, was a general from the Yongwei camp. Like Lin Baoguo, Wang Yuncheng, Wang Zhilun and other colleagues, he was loyal to the prince and obeyed Zhou Yuji's command.
These two troops sandwiched Xu Dingguo's troops in the middle, playing the role of supervision and custody. Once the situation changes, you can fire immediately without asking for instructions.
The unexpected situation also forced the two soldiers to act in this way, especially Xu Dingguo's troops openly surrendered to the enemy, and also had the idea of seeking opportunities to infiltrate into their own defense areas.
Marvin's troops first killed and injured dozens of rebel soldiers who tried to attack their side, and then repelled nearly a hundred dog Tatars who rushed along the city wall.
Li Chengdong, who led his troops to defend the northern part of the new city, also made dozens of gains. Although the results were not many, it was considered an "opening" after all, but it was much better than the previous zero.
Both Li Chengdong and Xu Dingguo had served under Gao Jie, and Li Chengdong knew very well the strength of this former colleague.
Li Chengdong may not have the confidence to defeat the Qing army, especially the Eight Banners soldiers. But to deal with Xu Dingguo, he thought he didn't need help from others.
Li Yuanyin said that during training, most of the new officers and soldiers received the education of loyalty to the country, and they would naturally be loyal to the prince and would not rebel easily.
The only people who could rebel against the country and surrender to the enemy at this moment must be Xu Dingguo's old troops, only two thousand at most. The trouble is that there are thousands of Qing troops entering the city, and this enemy force is very troublesome.
The one who defends the west wall of the new city is Meng Ruhu. The new city is close to the middle city, but the control of the city head belongs entirely to Meng Ruhu, which explains the problem.
Meng Ruhu also understood in his heart that the Crown Prince made such an arrangement because he did not trust Xu Dingguo and asked his subordinates to take care of the beast. As expected, he really rebelled.
What is gratifying is that most of the new soldiers added to Xu Dingguo's troops were unwilling to follow their superiors and surrender to the enemy. With the obstruction of these people, the Qing army's advancement was very unsmooth.
The new recruits alone would definitely not be able to deal with the battle-hardened Eight Banners soldiers. Most of the officers who managed the new recruits came from the Yongwei Battalion. With the command of veterans, a group of new recruits would not be killed and defeated.
Although the number of people who opposed the surrender to the Qing was dominant among his own troops, Xu Dingguo's old troops were supported by the Qing army. The two groups working together had actual combat experience, and the new soldiers were far from their opponents and were quickly repulsed.
However, due to the two-way crossfire from the New City and the Old City, as well as the three previously dug trenches, the advancing speed of the rebels and the Qing army was very unsatisfactory.
Under the leadership of Yan Yingyuan, the trench on the north side of the central city was dug to be similar to a miniature moat. Even if there was no water in it, it would be impossible for the Qing army to pass through quickly.
What's more, the three trenches are adjacent to each other, with only an open space about ten feet wide in the middle. There are no bunkers around the trenches to hide from. Once they are hit by artillery fire, they can only save their lives by jumping into the trenches.
The men and horses who were withdrawn from the Great Wall defense line were all under the command of Yan Yingyuan. Their perseverance and determination were not as good as the recruits trained by Zhou Yuji, but they had extremely rich practical experience.
Yan Yingyuan then used their strengths to avoid their weaknesses and asked them to serve as cavalry, while the withdrawn recruits served as infantry and artillery. Together with a large number of strong men, they guarded behind the three trenches and waited for opportunities to counterattack.
And as long as you stick to the center, the left defense zone is within the shooting range of the old city defenders. As long as the friendly forces feel that the artillery shells can reach the target, they will not be stingy with firepower.
On the right is a defense area as fierce as a tiger. The commander-in-chief has sent five hundred cavalry to rush to the rescue, and the artillery fire at the top of the city has also provided considerable help.
Xu Dingguo did not dare to order the stones blocking the city gate to be removed first, because once the stones were removed, everyone would know that he was going to surrender. Wait for the Qing army to come in and let them move it by themselves.
After the Qing army entered the city, they originally wanted to remove the stones blocking the city gate to allow the cavalry to enter, so that they could rush and kill as much as they wanted.
However, when they saw the trenches one after another in front of them, they couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded.
It's just one trench, but there are three consecutive trenches on the opposite side.
There are a large number of horse-rejection piles behind the last trench, and there are houses behind the horse-rejection piles as bunkers.
Behind the bunker, a large number of artillery pieces were deployed by the dog barbarians. No matter how brave our cavalry was, they could not break through this line of defense!
The open space between the trenches can be used, but it is of little value.
Apart from anything else, this open space is not an ordinary open space, it is full of pits.
I don’t know which barbarian who lacked great virtue ordered it to be dug. Once he steps in, both men and horses may sprain their feet.
"You are all useless!"
Seeing that his troops' attack was repelled again, Chuku, who was in charge of supervising the battle at the front line, Jia La Zhang Jing, couldn't help but became furious and began to curse.
It’s okay if you didn’t charge down once. After charging three times in a row and losing nearly a hundred warriors, it’s really embarrassing that you haven’t charged down yet.
The emperor is still waiting for his good news!
If this continues, the fight will not last until tomorrow and the day after tomorrow?
The fighting in the inner city is in full swing, if that side is allowed to attack Man Ming's imperial city first.
In comparison, the results that I have worked so hard to achieve will be nothing more than useless paper by then.
According to what the surrendered general Xu Dingguo said, except for the stubborn men in this unit, the rest of the defenders here were all "Guan soldiers" with little combat power.
The King of the Qing Dynasty fought against him every time, and the result was without exception. Naturally, the King won a complete victory.
But now it's better. After nearly two hours of fighting, almost half a million casualties were lost, and there is no hope of breaking through.
Due to constant artillery attacks from the flanking defenders, the strength of the Xianghuang Banner led by Chu Ku has been reduced by nearly two niulu.
This was the first time he encountered such a violent bombardment. The rate of fire of the Goumanzi artillery was much higher than that of the red cannon, but the range was similar to that of the red cannon. This was too scary.
Even if our own troops use small and medium-power artillery to fight back, they are determined to be unable to defeat the opponent's artillery. The opponent's firearms have a high rate of fire, a long range, and great power.
Not to mention that they are equipped with a large number of fast-firing Folang machines. If you get close to the city wall, you will be greeted by Crouching Tiger Cannons and Baizi Guns. At the moment, you can't even parry.
Within three miles, the barbarians can attack you at will. Apart from a section of the city wall, our soldiers are in a position with no bunkers. How terrifying is this?
If Xu Dingguo, the surrendered general, had not been obedient and cooperated with his troops wholeheartedly, Chu Ku would have felt that this was a set-up arranged by Xu Dingguo, and he deliberately led the Qing army to take the bait.
"After dark, you have to cross the trench!"
Ahanikan led men and horses with gray flags. At this time, the stone blocking the city gate had been removed, and the cavalry could enter the city, but there was no way to exert its power.
After the cavalry entered the city, they had nowhere to hide and were beaten into horse meat by the flying cannonballs...
How ridiculous is this? ? ?
The anxious Ahani couldn't help but laugh. He was even more anxious and angry than Chuku.
The king's division had already attacked the trench before and occupied a large area on the opposite side.
However, due to the lack of artillery fire and lack of cavalry support, the dog barbarians were forced to fight back with cavalry.
Not only did they lose the newly acquired territory, they also killed hundreds of people in the battle, and it didn't help that Ahanikan was so angry that he flew into a rage on the spot.
Although there is a passage between the trenches, it is very narrow, only one foot wide, which is not conducive to attack. It was only used for passing baggage before, and two carriages were enough to block it.
The defenders continued to block every passage with roadblocks and continued to counterattack with artillery fire and cavalry. Only then did they turn defeat into victory in the previous battle.
As the vanguard, if they cannot open up the situation, it will be useless no matter how many Qing warriors enter the city. They will all be blocked at the top of the city and be beaten along with them.
"Quick! Strengthen the defense line and send the injured to the rear for treatment! The rest of the soldiers need some food first, and I'll wait for Donglu!"
As the governor of Ji Town, Yan Yingyuan's first task now is to lead the army in the middle city to defend against the enemy.
After being promoted to the position of governor by His Royal Highness, Yan Yingyuan also felt deeply the great responsibility. He had traveled to almost all the surrounding prefectures and counties to inspect the situation of digging local tunnels.
After mastering the first-hand information, I could return to the capital with confidence. Now I was ordered to command the garrison on the south side of the city. The task was quite arduous.
But no matter how difficult it was, Xu Dingguo openly surrendered to the enemy, and the mutiny among his troops became even more serious.
If it weren't for the fact that most of Xu Dingguo's recruits refused to surrender to the enemy, the city would have been lost by now.
No matter how determined and courageous he was, he could not react in time when faced with sudden changes, and it was even more difficult for reinforcements to stop Donglu's surprise attack.
As the sun sets, the sky gradually darkens, and Yan Yingyuan becomes worried about the defense line that he could barely cope with.
When night falls, it will be more suitable for the Donglu to launch a sneak attack. Once one's own artillery fire weakens or the aim becomes lower, the Donglu's offensive will rise again.
In addition to the ditch as a natural moat, the two major advantages that the defenders had in being able to withstand the Donglu's strong attack were artillery fire and cavalry.
The artillery fire was responsible for delaying the Donglu's advance and slowing down their advance, while the cavalry was used to counterattack the Donglu who rushed through the ditch.
This trick has worked many times before, but I don't know if it will continue to be effective after sunset.
Regardless of whether it works or not, Yan Yingyuan can only command like this because there is no other way.
Fortunately, the commander-in-chief was as fierce as a tiger and sent 500 cavalry to support his troops. Otherwise, Yan Yingyuan would not have the slightest confidence in successfully holding on to the defense line that was several miles wide.
He himself was prepared to sacrifice his life for righteousness, but what about the hundreds of thousands of people behind him?
Once it falls into the hands of Donglu, he will most likely be massacred, and he will definitely fail the prince who supported him.
The reason why three trenches were dug in the first place was to prevent the trenches from being used to slow down the Donglu offensive once the city was lost.
Yan Yingyuan also strongly agrees with this move. The city head is the first line of defense, and the trench is the second line of defense. Only when the second line of defense is also lost will the city be undefendable.
At the moment, we don't know how long Donglu can be blocked by the trench. Yan Yingyuan, who is under great psychological pressure, can only do his best to deal with it, and silently hopes that the prince's reinforcements will arrive as soon as possible.
The houses behind the trench were not built on the edge of the trench, but were set back a certain distance to prevent the defenders from reacting in time to the enemy troops rushing up from the trench.
Yan Yingyuan looked at the situation on the other side with a telescope and saw that there was no sign of attack. Then he felt relieved and drank hot water and ate pork burritos with the soldiers.
If the generals can share joys and sorrows with ordinary soldiers, the morale of the troops will naturally be high. It is not known how much the combat power can be improved, but they are determined to dare to fight against the dog Tatars. This was the case with Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong Army back then.
Especially the defenders who retreated from the Great Wall. They were not all cowards. With no reinforcements behind them and the enemy in front of them focused their attacks, their defeat was inevitable.
They had been seriously short of food and pay before, so the imperial court knew how to let them charge into battle without considering their life or death, which led to a total loss of morale.
Everyone is a person who has fought against the dog Tatars many times, and they are not stragglers. Thousands of people are really well fed and drunk, and there is artillery support. It is really hard to say who will win!
As for the boss who fell from the sky, everyone found out that he was not only a civil servant before, but also a small official with the size of a sesame seed, and they were initially looking down on him.
However, in the battle just now, Governor Yan wore a helmet and led dozens of soldiers to charge on horseback, which really impressed everyone.
Officials are not afraid of death. The court has given them enough food and salary, and the friendly forces on both sides are firing continuously. Why are they afraid of a ball?
If you don't protect yourself, you can still receive a reward if you make meritorious deeds!
In the eyes of the dog Tatars, they may be a bunch of rabble.
But now this ragtag group of cavalry is far more numerous than the dog Tatars, and there are tens of thousands of strong men behind them to help them fight.
A head-on confrontation with thousands of dog Tatars and rebels under Xu Dingguo's command would be a different outcome.
They say that dog Tatars are invincible!
What now?
Wasn't he killed and sent to the other side of the trench?
Although we also lost a lot of people, we did not let the dog Tatars drive straight in after all.
Among the people being protected behind him are many family members of the Great Wall defenders. For these relatives, they will fight to the end.
Yes, the righteousness is to protect the homeland and the country, and the righteousness is to kill the enemy and make money. The two are not contradictory.
In Yan Yingyuan's view, no matter what the purpose is, as long as he does not rebel, beg for surrender, and is not afraid of the enemy, he is a hero!
If all his subordinates were elite soldiers, it would be a different requirement.
But they are all a mob, and it is extremely difficult to fight like this.
