Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 388 Encirclement ([-])

Hong Chengchou is naturally not a fool. He knows that Xiangfu, as the southern gate of Kaifeng City, is related to his strategic plan to successfully advance eastward to Guide and then occupy Fengyang.

Therefore, when Hong Chengchou attacked Kaifeng City, he had Gushan Ezhen Liu Zhiyuan and Guan Ning general Zu Zerun lead 3 people to garrison Xiangfu.

However, Hong Chengchou sent an additional 2 troops from third-class male Li Guohan to Xiangfu one day before the Second Corps of the Third Army of the Guards arrived in Kaifeng.

"Since the main force of the guards is in Huguang and Shandong, the first-class Gongtan Taibu and the Heluo Club may be hard to resist. Now it's time for us to help them. Pass down the order. Two days later, the army will withdraw from the closed city and enter Guide Mansion from Xiangfu , wrote Li Guohan, Liu Zhiyuan, and Zu Zerun to occupy Lanyang, Ningling, and Shangqiu respectively."

Hong Chengchou's sudden order surprised the main generals of the Qing court present.

"Hong Zhongtang, what's going on with you? Didn't you say that Kaifeng City would be bloodbathed for three days? Why did you suddenly withdraw from Kaifeng? Do you want Kaifeng anymore? My brothers are all waiting to enter the city to get rid of the bad breath How about you, why don't you treat us like monkeys?"

Luck Dehun was the first to get angry.

"Lord Baylor, calm down and listen to the officer's explanation. This Lu Zhenfei is certainly hateful, but the walls of Kaifeng City are high and thick. Because we threatened to massacre the city, the soldiers and civilians in the city are determined to fight to the death. If we attack the city in three days, it will be very difficult. It would be better to evacuate suddenly, occupy Guide and then occupy Fengyang, and it will not be too late to slaughter Fengyang. Fengyang is much richer than Kaifeng, the place of the Fourth World War, and it is also the capital of Zhu Ming, and there is Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestral grave. Wouldn’t it frighten the courage of wise people even more?”

When Hong Chengchou said this, Luc Dehun didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement.

However, Admiral Zhou of Henan couldn't help but tense up in his heart, thinking: "This Hong Chengchou suddenly changed his strategy, instead of slaughtering Kaifeng, he changed to slaughter Fengyang. It would be bad if Fengyang fell."

Just as Zhou Ze was secretly thinking about how to find an opportunity to pass on this change, a general of the Qing army had already rushed in: "Zhongtang, a large number of Ming troops appeared outside Xiangfu City, with a scale of no less than [-]!"

……

The [-] Ming army outside Xiangfu City reported by the Qing army is naturally the Second Corps of the Third Army of the Guards.

At this time, the Second Corps of the Guards just ate some dry food hastily, and launched an attack on Xiangfu City after resting for half an hour.

The only heavy artillery that was brought played a role. The twelve-pound iron bullet hit the gate of Xiangfu County heavily, directly blowing down the gate of Xiangfu County.

Liu Fangliang personally led two cavalry battalions to kill them.

At that time, Xiangfu County was already rained down by bows and arrows, and there were also a large number of firearms.

But in order to rush into the city to prevent the Qing army from blocking the city gate, Liu Fangliang and the two cavalry battalions of the Second Corps still rushed in desperately.

Although many cavalry soldiers of the Guards were shot or fell down, because of the rapid maneuverability of the cavalry and the leadership of the commander-in-chief Liu Fangliang, the two cavalry battalions rushed in with more than 8000 cavalrymen of the Guards. .

However, as soon as he rushed in, countless Qing soldiers pointed at Liu Fangliang with firearms.

"put!"

Li Guohan, who was in the Qing army camp, smiled coldly, and then suddenly shouted.

And Liu Fangliang of the Guards shouted "Kill!" and rushed over recklessly, and at the same time threw Zhentianlei into the Qing army's firearms camp.

Most of the firearms of the Qing army were bird guns or matchlock guns mixed with Chongzhen [-]-style flintlock guns, so the range of firepower was a bit poor, but blocking the shooting at the gate of the city also posed a great threat to Liu Fangliang and other guard cavalry .

However, Liu Fangliang skillfully threw the shocking thunder first, and at the same time ordered two cavalry to break through from the side.

The thunder of the thunder exploded in the middle of the Qing army's firearms battalion, causing the Qing army's firearms camp to become a little chaotic. Liu Fangliang took advantage of this and rushed over from the flank of the Qing army's firearms camp, killing three Qing army firearms soldiers on the spot .

The rest of the cavalry also rushed into the Qing army's firearms battalion and began to hack and kill.

However, many firearms soldiers of the Qing army did not have time to light the matchlocks in a hurry, and they couldn't aim properly in a hurry. After a while, the entire Qing army firearms battalion directly exploded the nest and began to run around.

Li Guohan immediately rode his horse and fled.

At the same time, Liu Xiyao also led four infantry battalions from the Second Guards Corps to start shooting at the Qing army defenders on the walls of Xiangfu City, and two infantry battalions rushed into Xiangfu City.

"The first infantry battalion immediately aided the commander, the second battalion occupied the county government office, and the other two artillery battalions followed me to the city wall!"

At the same time Liu Xiyao gave the order, Li Guohan also fled back to the county government office and found Gushan Erzhen Liu Zhiyuan and the commander-in-chief Zu Zerun: "Erzhen, it really is the main force of the Ming army who attacked Xiangfu, and there are no less than ten thousand cavalry. Moreover, the cavalry has already occupied the south city gate, and my men have not blocked it, so we should withdraw quickly!"

"What, it's really the main force of the Ming army. Doesn't it mean that the main force of the army has gone to Shandong and Huguang?"

Gu Shan Ezhen Liu Zhiyuan said.

"How do you know this officer, but there are indeed tens of thousands of Ming troops outside the city, and all the troops are neat and tidy. I am firing such intensive firearms, and these Ming troops dare to charge. They are almost the same as my Manchurian cavalry. They seem to be well-trained The cavalry, this is not the main force, retreat quickly, whether you withdraw or not, I will take my people to withdraw first!"

Li Guohan hurriedly ordered to summon his soldiers and horses to prepare to evacuate.

Seeing that he was about to withdraw, Liu Zhiyuan and Zu Zerun had no choice but to take their soldiers and horses and prepare to leave Xiangfu City.

……

"The Qing army with this auspicious symbol cannot be allowed to return to Kaifeng easily. This will inevitably lead to Kaifeng being breached more easily. All the officers and soldiers of the Second Corps of the Third Army of the Guards immediately chased after it, and the Qing army who bit the auspicious symbol of the city will not die. put!"

Liu Fangliang immediately issued a pursuit order, so the officers and soldiers of the Second Corps of the 5 Guards gritted their teeth and chased after them, and surrounded nearly [-] horses of Li Guohan, Liu Zhiyuan, and Zu Zerun in Baliwan Town.

In addition to leaving two artillery battalions to garrison Xiangfu City, the guards participated in the encirclement of the three Qing armies of Li Guohan, Liu Zhiyuan, and Zu Zerun with a total of 6 guards.

The three Qing armies of Li Guohan, Liu Zhiyuan, and Zu Zerun were trying their best to break through the encirclement of the Second Guards Corps at this time. Each of the three families let their own [-] elite cavalry join forces to attack the Third Guards Army. The Second Corps directly killed them.

When the [-] cavalry of the Qing army rushed to the encirclement of the Guards to the north, they encountered Liu Yuanxi's infantry battalion. The infantry battalion Liu Yuanxi led was actually a second-level battalion, but it was also equipped with the [-]th Chongzhen infantry battalion. Type flintlock guns, but most of the soldiers are recruits who have been in the army for one year. Although these recruits have not experienced actual combat, they can still shoot the [-] Qing cavalry calmly and calmly after long-term training.

Liu Yuanxi's infantry battalion ran like two pincers of a crab and shot at the cavalry of the Qing army who were trying to break through the encirclement of the Guards in a wedge shape. Far.

The dense barrage formed by Chongzhen's [-]-style flintlock guns caused the [-] Qing cavalry to lose more than [-] cavalry, and the remaining [-] cavalry immediately did not dare to rush back.

(End of this chapter)