While a certain prince was busy working for the foreign aid troops coming from afar, Yan Yingyuan, the governor of Jizhen, was not idle either.
With the prince's decree and the order of Yin Houdong of Shuntian Prefecture, he rushed to the Great Wall defense line with his five thousand troops.
Obviously, this number of people alone is definitely not enough to support the Japanese troops everywhere on the defense line, but it doesn't matter, Yan Yingyuan is already prepared.
The prince knew what was going on and ordered the regiments and armed forces from all over Shuntian Prefecture to rush to the Great Wall defense line. There was no need for them to defend the enemy. The purpose of the mobilization was only one, and that was to work on the project!
A trench was dug twenty or thirty steps away from the north side of the Great Wall. This alone was not enough to delay the Qing army's onslaught.
Yan Yingyuan mobilized tens of thousands of miners to repair the shortcomings of various parts of the Great Wall, and was basically able to restore it to about 70 to 80% of its original state.
Then the slope adjacent to the Great Wall was built to be steeper, making it more difficult for the Qing army to attack from above.
The Japanese troops on top of the city also received greater support. In addition to five thousand mortars, they also received a large amount of oil.
In the first phase of transportation, Yan Yingyuan sent 120,000 barrels of oil to the Japanese army, an average of two barrels per person!
The same quantity was shipped in the second phase, bringing the total to 240,000 barrels, worth 1,200,000 taels of silver.
The important military towns in Jifu area, such as Tongzhou, Yanqing, Huairou, Miyun, Shunyi, Zhuozhou, Pinggu, Zunhua and other places, all received sufficient oil supplies.
Each city has accumulated at least 20,000 barrels, and various types of red barbarian cannons that are no longer needed in the capital have been distributed to various strategic locations, with at least 20 cannons allocated to each location.
With weapons such as oil, mortars, heavy artillery, and grenades, it would be much easier for the defenders to stand still and wait for reinforcements, and it would be much more difficult for the Qing army to capture them in one fell swoop.
This time, we can no longer implement the tactics of fortifying walls, clearing fields, and shrinking defenses. The food from the autumn harvest is stored in various places, and the surrounding people are also hiding in the city.
A certain prince felt that after the emperor's defeat in the capital, if he had not been bombarded by cannons, he would definitely change his tactics and never play siege warfare with him again, otherwise his troops would be worn out sooner or later.
The most advantageous tactic for Braids is to take advantage of the high mobility of their cavalry troops. After entering the pass, they drive straight in and plunder everywhere in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty.
The vast majority of the Ming army did not have the ability to fight in the field, and they did not dare to rush for reinforcements easily. They could only watch the cities in the hinterland being captured one by one.
The situation is exactly the same as the process when the army entered the pass last time. On the contrary, the main force of the Ming army is very likely to be severely injured or even wiped out when rushing for reinforcements in the field.
In view of this, a certain prince decided to go up the defensive line and use Japanese troops to defend the Great Wall defense line. If he couldn't withstand it, he would attack the main force and fight to the death. He would block the braid near the Great Wall defense line to reduce the damage of the braid to the hinterland.
There is a weakness in doing this, that is, the defense line in Shuntian Mansion is relatively stable, but it may be difficult to hold on to Yongping Mansion.
Whether Wang Zaijin can hold such a long line of defense is very questionable. If Braid chooses to attack from the area within Yongping Mansion, and succeeds.
That would mean that all the work on the Shuntian Mansion side was in vain. A certain prince had to withdraw the Japanese army from the Great Wall defense line and rush to the capital side to stop the offensive of the braided army.
A certain prince has already sent someone to deliver 100,000 barrels of oil to Old Man Wang. He has no control over how he uses it. The worst result is that he has to wipe the old guy's butt...
As time went by, a certain prince became more and more worried that this would become a reality.
Theoretically, the terrain of the Great Wall in Shuntian Mansion is relatively steep, which is very conducive to the defense of the defenders. Although the Yongping Mansion side is not flat, it is worse than the west side.
Especially from the east of Qingshan Pass to the Qinglong River, a certain prince believed that this section was very likely to be a breakthrough point for braids, but it was probably too late to remind Lao Wangtou at this time.
In fact, Dorgon's route of advance was from Xifengkou or Qingshankou, first attack Jizhou, then conquer Zunhua, and then go all the way west to capture cities and territories!
There are few military important areas in Yongping Prefecture. If you attack the countryside after the autumn harvest, the harvest will not be enough to cover the cost of sending troops. Only by attacking the city can you gain a lot.
Choosing to launch the attack after the autumn harvest was also a consensus reached by the senior officials of the Qing Dynasty, because they learned from the experience of being cleared by the opponent last year.
Rather than letting all the crops be burned by the barbarians, it would be better to wait for the barbarians to harvest, then send troops to rob them, and just pick the big households.
It would be great if we could grab two million shi of food. It would ensure that the Eight Banners family could safely survive the most difficult three or four months of the year.
Since the army had been stationed in the area from Jinzhou to Ningyuan, the advance was very fast, and it took less than four days to reach the outskirts of Xifengkou.
Matsudaira Nobutsuna arranged the most undesirable troops under Daming's command, namely two armies, about 6,000 people, along the line from Qingshankou to Longjingguan.
Although these people were ostracized, it was only because of the result of defeat, which did not mean that their actual combat effectiveness was far inferior to that of the pro-vassal daimyo.
After being equipped with plate armor, grenades, oil barrels, and mortars, and the prince of the Ming Dynasty providing treatment equal to that of his own soldiers, the combat effectiveness of each department soared.
In order to expand the results of the battle, these people with similar reputations dug pits all over the place within 200 steps of the Great Wall...
Regardless of whether they are men or horses of the enemy, they must slow down when they rush into this area. If they are not careful, they will sprain their feet. This is the valuable experience gained by the predecessors who ambushed the Qing cavalry outside Lushun.
On the Great Wall, there are generals and a small number of warriors riding war horses, patrolling repeatedly. If danger arises, they can rush to the front and repel the enemies who climb the wall.
Prior to this, the Ashigaru would also use iron cannons, spears, oil barrels, and grenades to block attacks, and the samurai would also use Japanese bows to shoot.
When the leading troops of the Qing army appeared, the Japanese troops stationed at Xifengkou could not wait to fight with them.
The Japanese army had an absolute advantage in the terrain and was well prepared, so they wanted to make a lot of money.
Even the sons are imaginary, only the corpses of the enemy soldiers are real.
Do you want to earn that two taels of silver every month, or two hundred taels at a time?
Obviously, the cash-strapped Japanese soldiers were thinking about the latter.
After arriving at the outskirts of Xifengkou, the Qing army forwards did not rush to attack, but waited for the army led by Dorgon to arrive.
Since the Ming army's flag was not found at the top of the city and the Great Wall was crowded with people, the Qing army couldn't help but think that they had encountered that difficult opponent again.
Fighting from the outskirts of Jinzhou to the foot of the Great Wall, these damn Japanese pirates are really lingering!
The flags planted at the top of the city read words such as "Seven Lives to Serve the Country" and "Eight Flags Bodhisattva", which clearly showed the identity of the other party...
After discussing with Daishan, Dorgon decided that even if the Japanese troops were stationed here, they would have to force their way into the pass.
Especially since the Japanese pirates had previously caused the Qing Dynasty to lose more than 20,000 warriors, this bloody feud must be avenged!
This time the red cannon was finally put to use. The opponent seemed to be equipped with very few heavy artillery, and was almost unable to fight back.
This made everyone in the Qing army very happy. The Japanese pirates' attempt to rely on the Great Wall to resist was nothing more than wishful thinking under the fierce bombardment of red cannons.
Forty red-coated cannons, each fired twenty times, fired a total of 800 shells, about 70% of which hit the target, that is, more than 500 shells hit the city wall.
It still caused more or less hundreds of casualties to the Japanese army...
How to avoid artillery shells, a certain prince has already taught Matsudaira Nobutsuna the method, and the entire army has received a pamphlet on using the Great Wall for defense. It combines pictures and texts, is easy to understand, and even illiterate people can get a rough overview.
As long as the Qing army launched a long-range artillery bombardment, the Japanese army would not resist to the death, but they would go to the other side of the city.
If that doesn't work, tie a rope to your body, fall behind the parapet, and then climb back up after the bombardment.
The method is very simple, but it is very effective.
No matter how powerful the red cannon's shells are, due to its limited trajectory, it is impossible to penetrate both the inner and outer parapets at the same time.
Observed from the Qing army's side, the artillery fire had a considerable killing effect, so much so that the Japanese pirates did not dare to fight back.
In the view of the Japanese army, such shelling meant that the thunder was loud and the raindrops were light, causing minimal damage to their own side.
After two days of fierce bombardment, Dorgon ordered four Han infantrymen to attack early on the third day.
A red cannon fires eighty shells, which is almost enough. You must know that the lifespan of this kind of artillery is only a hundred or so rounds.
Dorgon will have to wait until he breaks through the defense line in front of him and attack the important places in the pass before using the remaining part.
If that doesn't work, we can only ask the emperor's brother to send someone to send forty more red cannons. We can't let the whole army stagnate because the cannons are reaching their end of life, right?
In the past, every ten red cannons bombarded one city wall, but this time, four places were severely damaged.
These four places are conveniently the focus of the attack by the four Jia La infantry of the Han army. The first person to attack the city and plant the flag will be promoted to one level, receive one hundred taels of silver, and be given the treatment of carrying the flag.
With a reward of this level, everyone in the Han army's infantry naturally strives to be the first. No matter whether the opponent is a barbarian or a Japanese pirate, they must be the first to win and take the lead.
There were originally less than a thousand Japanese troops stationed at Xifengkou, but after seeing the main force of the Qing army appearing on the periphery, they launched a violent bombardment of the place.
The troops of nearby foreign daimyo, together with the Ming army cavalry, also quickly moved towards Xifengkou. By the time the Qing army officially launched the attack, the situation was already very different.
The number of Japanese troops defending the city has increased to 2,000, and there are 2,000 Ming army cavalry behind them ready at any time.
Although the Ming cavalry did not plan to attack the city for the time being, they could not remain indifferent. Each of them had contributed five grenades.
A total of 10,000 grenades for 2,000 people, which is enough for the braid who came to seek death to drink a pot...
"Ouch! Who dug the hole? It hurts like hell!"
"Dogs and pirates! Bastards! I have to kill you!"
The Han infantry who stepped into the pit instinctively began to curse, these Japanese pirates were more sinister than barbarians.
"ah……"
At the same time, the Japanese troops on the top of the city used mortars and Folangji to fire violently at the Qing troops charging over.
The number of Franco machines is limited, but the situation is just the opposite for mortars. On average, every twelve people can be assigned one.
However, the rate of fire of the mortar is not as high as that of the Folan machine, and it is not convenient for direct firing, so the ballistics needs to be tested in advance.
The armored soldiers of the Han army who ran less than 200 steps away from the city were quickly hit by hundreds of mortars.
Each explosive package was bundled with five hundred small iron beads, which exploded one after another and collapsed in all directions.
The armored soldiers near the explosion point were directly blown into a hornet's nest, and the fate of those nearby was not much better.
The charge of 6,000 men was not something that mortars and Folang machines could stop, and soon the Qing army rushed to the base of the city.
Due to the obstacles of the slope, it was still difficult to climb up, but as long as we could climb to the gap created by the shelling, it would be much easier.
The Japanese Ashigaru soldiers at the top of the city frequently fired iron cannons on one side, while on the other side, under the command of the samurai, they carried oil drums and threw them down.
"boom……"
Hundreds of oil barrels fell directly. Even if it was the same old routine, it still made the Han army unable to guard against it.
If you want to succeed in a strong attack, you must first be smashed by the oil barrel, then fried, and then grilled!
After completing these three steps, the one who can continue fighting is the real Batulu!
The ground beneath Chenggen was suddenly covered by a large amount of black oil that flowed out after the barrel was broken, and then turned into a sea of fire.
Coopers in Shaanxi and Shanxi have made a fortune this year, because many wooden barrels have become disposable weapons due to war preparations.
Due to the crowds below and the unfavorable terrain for attacking from above, it was not easy to escape. No less than two armored soldiers were immediately killed in the sea of fire.
The armored soldiers were rolling all over the ground to no avail. There were oil and fire in all directions, and the Japanese ashigaru were still throwing oil barrels down.
It would be great if we could directly blow up or burn these "two hundred taels", and even the iron cannons and arrows would be saved.
The dead "two hundred taels" are also valuable, as long as they don't become in bulk...
The armored soldiers who had participated in the Battle of Laotieshan saw that the situation was not good and turned around and ran away, while the new soldiers did not know why and were still rushing forward.
The unlucky ones were these inexperienced guys, and the veterans were not much better, being driven back directly by the Eight Banners soldiers supervising the battle behind them.
If you continue to persist in your stubbornness, you will be shot into a hedgehog by the Eight Banners Master as a warning to others!
There were burnt corpses everywhere, as well as unlucky people who didn't look like humans or ghosts.
The Han army's first attack was thwarted and they were forced to retreat across the board. The scene under the city can only be described as tragic.
There were no less than a thousand casualties, but no one successfully climbed onto the city. This made Daishan, who was watching the battle, very angry and wanted to have his two red flags rushed up.
Dorgon said nothing, but he was not very satisfied with the performance of the Han army.
There is no one in the Imperial Army of the Qing Dynasty who is afraid of death. If there were, he would have to use himself to pave the way for the army!
After retreating to the starting position and repairing for an hour, the same group came back.
For Dorgon, even if all four armored Han soldiers died, it would be worthwhile as long as they captured Xifengkou.
What's the use of keeping it if it returns without success?
The 90,000-strong army was blocked by more than a thousand Japanese troops, and they still wanted to plunder the country after Jinzi entered the pass?
This time, the Han army pushed various small artillery pieces to relatively flat terrain to provide fire cover for the siege troops.
Although the power is far inferior to the red cannon, it can achieve certain results after all, which is better than using only infantry to attack.
Shi Tingzhu and others did not believe that a mere Japanese pirate could stop the Qing army, so they offered a reward of ten thousand taels of silver for conquering this place.
There must be a brave man under the heavy reward, and it is completely worth spending 10,000 taels of silver to quickly conquer Xifengkou.
