With the cover of night, the Qing warriors who have penetrated deep into the hinterland may be able to fight with tens of thousands of dog barbarians, making it impossible for the barbarians to easily take advantage of their artillery fire advantage.
However, the situation faced by the Eight Banners soldiers at the top of the city and Xu Dingguo's troops was much worse. Since all the walls on the north side of the central city were lost, the defenders could shell as they pleased.
The city walls on both sides are taller than the middle city. Moreover, the inner city is equipped with new copper cannons, and the new city is equipped with Hongyi cannons. They are all heavy artillery and have an absolute firepower advantage.
The Qing troops and rebels on the walls of the middle city were in an unfavorable terrain, with nowhere to hide, and their firepower was completely at a disadvantage. They could only be beaten in vain. Once they fought back, their positions would be exposed, and they would be bombarded by more artillery shells.
Fortunately, a fairly large urn city was built in the middle of this city wall, where the six Niulu cavalry who came in before were hiding.
Chu Ku took the rest of his troops and hid in Wengcheng, thinking that he could still resist for a while with this place, but the barbarians on both sides fired at him, and it was very unpleasant to be beaten passively all the time.
What's more, Ahanikan and thousands of warriors fighting in the front have no idea what's going on behind them. If they realize that the barbarian is about to cut off their retreat, the army will definitely be upset or even collapse.
Chu Ku was unwilling to just watch the barbarians succeed in their counterattack, but he had too few troops at hand to thwart the opponent's attack.
Gou Manzi's attack was very methodical. He advanced on and off the city side by side, covered by cannons and artillery, and frequently threw explosive clubs. The Qing army had no choice but to fight and retreat.
After losing half of Niulu's troops in the counterattack, in order to prevent Xu Dingguo from rebelling again, Chu Ku had no choice but to swallow his anger and keep the remaining more than a hundred warriors to suppress this new surrender.
Chu Ku would not believe the surrendered general Xu Dingguo at all. Only after completely occupying the central city would he report what he had done to the emperor. How to reward him would have to be decided by the Holy Spirit.
But now, maybe it won't be necessary for a long time. The war is developing rapidly, far beyond Chu Ku's expectations.
The number of dog barbarians who appeared in the Dongzhimen area alone was no less than four to five thousand, or even more.
Chu Ku transferred half of the Niulu cavalry who stayed on the north side of the trench back to fight on the city, but they could not withstand the opponent's fierce attack.
The King's Division of the Qing Dynasty had cavalry, as well as dog barbarians, and there were more of them, no less than three or four Niulu.
This half-Niulu cavalry didn't even last for half a cup of tea before they were chopped up by the opponent.
The hundreds of cavalrymen fighting on the ground seemed to have been swept by a stormy wave. After the fight, not a single one of them was alive.
Dozens of horsemen who boarded the city to block the attack died even more miserably, being blasted into horse meat by Xiao Fo Langji...
Many Qing soldiers who were fighting heard the sound of horns and were very puzzled by this. They finally rushed through the trench and began to enter the hinterland of Goumanzi's defense area. It was unreasonable to return troops now!
However, when they heard the deafening shouts coming from behind, everyone realized that the situation was not good. Their reinforcements should not react like this and were most likely barbarians.
Immediately under the greetings of Niu Lu and the soldiers, who were relatively smart, the Qing cavalry that had reached the south side of the trench began to retreat, and the infantry naturally gave up the attack on their own initiative.
No matter what happens, the military orders are like a mountain, and you have to follow them. Go back and figure it out first. Don't really be cut off by the barbarians. That is the only way out.
"What happened?"
Ahanikan, who was directing the battle at the front, seemed to have heard the sound of the horn, but he was not sure yet. After listening for a while and asking the soldiers around him for confirmation, he was roughly sure.
Only he and Chu Ku had the authority to order the entire army to retreat here. Was Chu Ku frightened by the gunfire from Gou Manzi, or there was another reason.
"All troops withdraw immediately!"
If Chu Ku deliberately prevented him from making contributions, when he saw the emperor, he would have to explain the ins and outs of this battle.
Ahanikan ordered the withdrawal of the troops very reluctantly. The good situation was ruined in this way, and he felt extremely annoyed.
But just as they were withdrawing their troops, hundreds of black shadows came over from the opposite side. They were the cavalry of the Ming Army.
First order to retreat, and then order to turn around and block the enemy. In such a situation, even the elite Eight Banners soldiers would be confused.
A thousand Ming army cavalry only used one confrontation to overwhelm Ahanikan's troops, who didn't know whether to fight or retreat.
There were not many Qing cavalry near Chaoyang Gate, only about a hundred cavalry.
Facing an enemy force that was nearly ten times their own, they didn't even have a chance to struggle, and they all died in the chaos.
Ahanikan's location is far away, but due to the higher terrain, he can still get a general view.
It seems that the enemy not only has cavalry, but also a large number of infantry to cooperate. In this case, it is launching a counterattack.
The Qing Dynasty's division that entered the city had no less than 5,000 troops, which could be scattered over a wide assault area, making it impossible to concentrate its forces in a short period of time.
With the strength of nearly three Niulu troops on hand, they are completely unable to withstand the surprise attack of thousands or even tens of thousands of barbarians.
Ahanikan thought quickly, no longer hesitated, and immediately ordered an accelerated retreat.
If the barbarian were to force him to the vicinity of the trench and fight with his back to the trench, it would really be a dead end.
While there is still room to shrink towards the city, you must run as fast as you can!
Ahanikan even thought that this might be Xu Dingguo's trick, right?
First lead the king's troops into the city, and then rebel against the Qing Dynasty!
In this case, isn't Chu Ku's place extremely critical?
I hope such a shameless thing will not happen, otherwise Xu Dingguo will be caught and chopped into pieces!
"Dad, before the Ming army can attack, it's better to run away first!"
Xu Er'an could no longer bear it any longer. They had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and were captured by their old masters again. The consequences could be imagined.
Whether it was cramps and skinning, or Ling Chi and his head, these were consequences he was unwilling to accept.
The glory and wealth that I had hoped for before may not be available in a short time.
"The family members are still in the city..."
Of course Xu Dingguo would not sit still and wait for death, but he really couldn't bear to have several beautiful concubines fall into the hands of the dog prince.
"The prince has always boasted that he has a kindhearted heart. If he goes on a killing spree like this, his true colors will be exposed. I don't think he dares to do anything to his family. The most he can do is distribute them to mines for mining. When my father reorganizes his troops and makes a comeback, he can send troops there. That’s the rescue.”
Xu Er'an knew that the person his father was thinking about was very consoling. Even if he couldn't be saved in the end, the worst he could do was to marry a few more concubines outside the customs to make up for the vacancy.
This time, it was not that the father and son cooperated improperly, but that the Qing army was in a disadvantageous position in the battle. The city was unable to defend against the Ming army's counterattack, and they retreated from the street fighting. The father and son had tried their best, and they could still seek benefits from Huang Taiji.
"Yes, father, what my brother said is absolutely true. If we keep the green hills, we won't be afraid of running out of firewood. If we are captured in the city, there will be no way for us to survive!"
The second son, Xu Erji, couldn't help but speak. This was already imminent, and his father actually became indecisive. How could the commander of the army be so procrastinating in making important decisions?
"...Oh~! That's all we have to do!"
Xu Dingguo sighed and fled from the city gate with his eldest son Xu Er'an, second son Xu Erji, grandson Xu Shiwen, and about three to four hundred of his old troops.
The family members who were still settled in the inner city must all be abandoned, because according to the generals who stick to the capital, the female family members must be settled in the inner city.
The prince sent troops to protect him, which directly became a hostage. The purpose was to prevent anyone from rebelling against the Ming Dynasty and surrendering to the Qing Dynasty after the Donglu army besieged the city.
Only the imperial wives such as Zhou Yuji's wife Liu and Gao Jie's wife Xing can be exceptions. The other female family members do not receive special treatment and must all live in centralized residences.
"Stop! Do you want to run away?"
When Chu Ku saw Xu Dingguo gathering men and horses, he realized that this guy might run away. Thinking that a surrendered general like him had only one purpose in gathering men and horses, he would definitely not be able to charge into the battle for the Qing Dynasty.
"Zhang Jing, why don't you wait with me?"
The war situation took a turn for the worse, and Xu Dingguo no longer denied it. Excusing himself at this time was meaningless except for a waste of time.
"How outrageous! There are still thousands of our Qing warriors fighting bloody battles in the city. How can you abandon the barrier and escape?"
Being cowardly and resisting the enemy is the most shameless behavior, but Xu Dingguo didn't care at all. Instead, he let himself run with him. Chu Ku really even wanted to kill him as a warning to others.
However, considering the large number of people on the other side, if the Xu family were angered and were attacked by this group of soldiers, Ahanikan's troops would definitely not be able to leave the city.
"Zhang Jing calm down, we naturally don't want to withdraw from the city, but the situation is like this, we can't reverse it on our own."
Xu Dingguo could no longer estimate how long his troops and the Qing army could last, so the plan for now was to run out immediately.
The only way to be safe is to leave the city. Otherwise, whether he is captured or killed in battle, it will be a result he is unwilling to accept.
"Ahanikan's troops have not arrived yet, your troops must continue to hold on until the two groups of men and horses meet up before retreating!"
In order to stabilize Xu Dingguo and buy some time for Ahanikan, Chu Ku could only come up with a compromise plan.
"Zhang Jing can take a look at the surrounding situation. If we can't retreat quickly, I'm afraid the entire army will be annihilated here!"
Xu Dingguo had no intention of accepting Chu Ku's proposal.
The cannons roared near the city gate, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. The dog barbarians on top of the city had already advanced to within half a mile.
The situation has become clearer. Either we will be surrounded together with Ahanikan, or we can escape first.
"... I will think twice!"
Of course Chu Ku knew that what Xu Dingguo said was reasonable, but he couldn't bear to abandon Ahanikan's troops like this.
Ahanikan also brought his three Niulu warriors with yellow flags. Giving up Ahanikan was equivalent to giving up one's own warriors.
Abandoning the brave and capable Eight Banners soldiers in front of him, this matter was reported to the emperor, and he could not escape the fate of being punished.
But the situation at hand has really deteriorated as Xu Dingguo said. If it continues to be delayed, I don't know what the consequences will be.
Chuku could only silently hope that Ahanikan could lead his troops to retreat to the city gate as soon as possible. If it was too late, he would not be able to save him.
"Master, there are Zhangjing troops ahead!"
Just when Chu Ku didn't know what words to use to appease Xu Dingguo, Ya Jiang hurriedly reported what he saw to Chu Ku.
"Oh? Wait for me to see!"
It is best if there are Ahanikan in this group. Even if we fail to save all the warriors, it is still worthwhile to rescue one Ahanikan, so that the whole army will not be completely annihilated by the barbarians.
Ahanikan quickly retreated with four Niulu men and horses. The Tianyou Army and the Tianyou Army cavalry carried a large number of infantry Eight Banners soldiers, which became two people and one horse.
Even if the load is doubled, it will not consume too much horsepower in a short period of time. As long as it is not a long-distance attack, even if you ride like this, you can get away safely.
However, after approaching the trench, they were frantically intercepted by thousands of Ming troops. The disadvantage of the two men and one horse's poor mobility was immediately reflected.
Ma Wenzhi's unit of the 7th Brigade of the East Palace Guards, which attacked from Dongzhimen, was not in a hurry to pursue the dog Tatars southward after fighting out of the city gate.
Instead, they rearranged the roadblocks near the trenches and blocked the main intersections. The purpose was to close the door and beat the dog and catch the turtle in the jar.
Roadblocks combined with a large number of tanks and cavalry can quickly reduce the impact of the Qing cavalry. As long as they are coordinated properly, neither humans nor horses can get past the defense line.
The retreating Qing army was counterattacked by the Ming army. This surprised Ahanikan and made him feel particularly angry. He ordered his men to break out of the encirclement at all costs.
The sound of Chu Ku's horn was a warning to him, and the dog barbarian really came out from behind. This was determined to be a pre-arranged trick.
Xu Dingguo may have known it for a long time, but he definitely can't escape the relationship this time!
The artillery at the top of the city was almost destroyed by the Ming army, and the gunners had long since lost interest in fighting and disappeared. It was impossible to count on artillery support, and Ahanikan's troops immediately fell into a bitter battle.
Meng Ruhu and Li Chengdong from the New City side also sent out four thousand reinforcements. Invisibly, they formed a pincer attack with the East Palace Guards from the Old City side.
The surrounding dog barbarians fought more and more, and the siege became tighter and tighter. They retreated one level and then came up one level. This made Ahanikan and his soldiers quickly fall into despair.
"General Xu, if you lead the attack at this time, you can definitely rescue Ahanikan. It will be a great achievement!"
Chu Ku saw this and was anxious. Thinking that Xu Dingguo still had many troops, he planned to send him out to rescue Ahanikan.
"Zhang Jing, our troops are mostly infantry and lack war horses. We have exhausted our combat power to protect ourselves!"
Xu Dingguo mentioned many difficulties and did not say he refused rescue, but that was essentially what he meant.
If Ahanika can run over by himself, then he is lucky, otherwise he will be helpless.
"you……"
Chu Ku was really disappointed with this surrendered general who was greedy for life and afraid of death.
Just sit back and enjoy the success, but in critical moments, you have to turn around and run away.
This was true for all those who took refuge in the Qing Dynasty, so why did they still need to surrender their generals?
"Master! The barbarians on both sides are approaching along the top of the city!"
"..."
"master?"
"Withdraw! Get out of the city!"
This meant giving up Ahanikan's troops who were in a bitter fight. Chuku didn't know how to explain to the emperor and Ahanikan's master Dudu when he went back.
But he couldn't stop himself anymore, so he couldn't care about him anymore.
In the end, he had to give up the idea of rescuing Ahanikan and lead his troops to escape first.
The Ming army who was fighting at the top of the city saw a group of people fleeing on horseback, and fired more than ten cannons to stop them.
Unfortunately, the aim was too low and missed the target. However, being able to quickly regain the city and complete the prerequisite of closing the door and beating the dog is half the battle.
The Ming troops who rushed from both sides of the new city and the old city finally converged together and quickly screened the prisoners and collected the corpses.
"Whoosh...pop~!"
As three green flares soared into the sky, Ma Wenzhi was greatly relieved when he saw them.
As long as his troops capture the entire city wall, the dog Tatars in the city will never be able to escape.
"Our people have taken back the city!"
"Very good!"
"Kill all the dog-Tatars in the city!"
"Fuck me!"
The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty who saw the signal flare were immediately boosted in morale, while the Qing cavalry who heard their conversation were ashen-faced and extremely frightened.
Both the Tianyou Army and the Tianyou Army soldiers had the idea of surrendering, but they had to be careful when they thought that there was an Eight Banners master behind them.
Facing the almost impenetrable Ming army's defense line and the increasing number of warrior corpses, Ahanikan also began to panic.
He was just one step away from rushing over, but that one step was the difference between life and death!
