Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 12 The flames of war, the bloody battle against the Green Camp

At dawn, only a ray of morning glow appeared in the sky, and the quiet Qingzhou City began to move.

In the city, many generals of the Zhao army commanded teams of new soldiers to climb up the city wall. Wang Yan also put on a light armor and came to the tower with guards.

Whether Qingzhou can be held depends on today's battle.

After the discussion last night, under the pressure of Zhao Yingyuan, the Qingzhou clan agreed to send their children to fight in the city. With their participation, the army guarding the city reached more than [-] people.

It’s just that with the increase of people and horses, the equipment in the city seems to be somewhat insufficient. The military system of the Ming Dynasty, two points for learning swords and spears, six points for learning bows and crossbows, and two points for learning firearms, but now there are only 150 bows and crossbows in Qingzhou City, which does not occupy Forty percent of the army had even less anger, with only [-] Niaotong shots, and a shortage of gunpowder, which was very detrimental to the Zhao army defending the city.

Fortunately, the Qing army came in a hurry, most of them traveled lightly, and yesterday did not see artillery and a large number of firearms entering the camp. As long as they withstood the Qing army's onslaught today, and let the new soldiers see blood, Zhao Yingyuan will have one With the battle-hardened soldiers who have gone through the flames of war, plus the tens of thousands of young and strong in the city, the outcome will not be known yet.

Outside the city, the camp of the Qing army also became active with the first twilight of the morning glow. A large number of green camp soldiers poured out of the camp, knocked down the giant trees in the nearby woods one by one, and then made them into a ladder to attack the city. , Both the offensive and defensive sides are making final preparations for the upcoming war.

Time passed slowly, and a ladder and a crashing car were built by the artisans accompanying the army, and the Zhao army guarding Qingzhou finally ushered in the last moment it was about to face.

At this time, the sun has moved into the sky, bringing infinite warmth to the land of Shandong in October, but the soldiers guarding the city have no time to experience its beauty, and they are sweating nervously.

"Woooo~"

The lingering sound of the horn sounded, and bursts of murderous air spread from the Qing army camp, making the world awe-inspiring.

Accompanied by horns and rhythmic drumbeats, groups of green battalion soldiers with green flags came out one after another, carrying ladders and crashing cars. There were a total of 500 people.Followed by Li Shutai's [-] men and horses in the Zhenglan Banner of the Han Army, and the last one to appear was Hetuo's [-] Manchurian elites inlaid with yellow.

"Coax~ coax~ coax~"

The sound of orderly footsteps and horseshoes was deafening. The Qing army under the city came out of the camp and pressed towards Qingzhou step by step, like overwhelming mountains and seas.

Wang Yan, Zhao Yingyuan and others stood at the top of the city, watching the actions of the Qing army. The war drums of the Zhao army on the tower also followed the movement of the Qing army, and sounded rhythmically, encouraging the morale of the soldiers on the city.

These drumbeats seemed to beat Wang Yan's heart every time, making him unable to restrain himself from clenching the saber hanging around his waist.

As the Qing army slowly approached, the huge pressure continued to impact the hearts of the defenders. General Zhao Jun had to run back and forth on the city, shouting Zhao Yingyuan's military orders.

"The Qing army is about to attack the city, all the troops must not panic!"

"Look around, those who abandon their weapons before the battle, beheaded!"

"Soldiers return to their respective positions. Those who run away and those who do not obey orders will be killed without mercy!"

Waves of tension quickly spread across the city amidst the screams of the generals, and the Qing army finally stopped [-] paces away from the city.

The [-] Qing troops set up a formation under Qingzhou City, with the green battalion at the front and the two flags at the back. The armor was bright, there were many knives and guns, and the flags covered the sun, exuding bursts of murderous aura.

Most of the new recruits in the city turned pale when they saw this, and some even trembled uncontrollably.

Yue Wumu once said that those who can fight well, hold guns in their hands, and still spit in their mouths are good soldiers, but there are not a few new recruits in the city who are afraid of fighting.

This is the difference between a battle-tested veteran and ordinary people!

Looking at the momentum of the Qing army, Wang Yan couldn't help but feel dark. Although he didn't want to admit it, compared with it, the Zhao army in the city was undoubtedly too weak.Facing the murderous aura emanating from the tens of thousands of Qing troops below the city, the entire Qingzhou City seemed like a small boat in a raging sea, in danger.

The black cloud overwhelmed the city and was about to destroy it. When Hetuo gave an order, the cavalry who delivered the order carried the order flag and galloped back and forth in front of the army, startling waves of dust.

Wang Guodong, the commander-in-chief of Linqing, was the main force attacking the city. He drew out his saber from his waist, pointed at Qingzhou City and shouted loudly. "The general has an order to break through Qingzhou and send troops for three days."

"Dang~dang~dang~"

Following an order, the green battalion soldiers in front of the formation moved with a voice, and the sword and shield hands in the front row pushed forward while knocking on the shield in their hands, making a series of neat sounds.

Followed by spearmen carrying ladders and pushing chariots, and finally a large number of archers, they stepped on neat steps, stepped on the dusty sky, and shouted in unison: "Break Qingzhou, Execute the bandits Zhao and send troops for three days!"

The shouts shook the sky and the earth, making the defenders on the city feel sad.

Seeing this, Wang Yan hurriedly ordered the warriors behind him to beat the drums. Amidst the sound of the drums, Zhao Yingyuan pulled out the long knife at his waist and roared angrily: "Slay Jiannu, make meritorious deeds, and fight again!"

The military academy in the city is also constantly encouraging the new recruits around them.

"Brothers, seal your wife and son, the time has come to make contributions!"

"Jiannu is just like us with two shoulders and one head, and you will die if you cut it down. Brothers, there is nothing to be afraid of!"

"The time has come to be loyal to the country, brothers follow me to kill the captives!"

The shouts finally boosted the morale of the defenders on the city. The archers and bird commanders had already taken their positions on the edge of the city wall, and the iron pots and vats were filled with hot water and boiling oil.

At this time, the Qing army finally walked three hundred steps away from the city. Following the shouts of "Come on!" Usually, rushing towards Qingzhou in a turbulent manner.

"Whoosh~"

The archers in the city, at the moment when the Qing soldiers were running wildly, immediately bent their bows and drew their arrows, and shot a row of positioning arrows.

Hundreds of feathered arrows were inserted in the open space a hundred steps away from the city, and the tails of the arrows vibrated and made a buzzing sound.

"Two hundred steps!"

"150 steps!"

"Archers get ready, the first team shoots!"

"The second team shoots! The third team shoots!"

The military academy on the city, with a knife in one hand, pointed at the Qing army rushing down the city, kept loudly reporting the distance from the city, commanded the archers on the city, and shot waves of arrows.

"Puff ~ puff ~ puff ~"

Two thousand strong bows shot out the rain of arrows all over the sky, and a burst of feathered arrows entered the body, and more than [-] people of the Qing army fell down in an instant, making the advance speed stagnant.

"Raise the shield! Don't panic! Let me continue to charge."

Under the order of the officer, the sword and shield fighters in the front row raised their shields one after another, braving the rain of arrows above their heads and the incoming birds, they rushed to the edge of the moat.

Time was running out and the Qing army was not fully prepared. In order to make a quick decision, the river was not filled in. A part of the long ladder fell sideways and rested on the river, and the sword and shield fighters and spearmen rushed over.

"Archers free to shoot and kill!"

"The pikemen stepped forward to prevent the Qing soldiers from entering the city!"

After several rounds of arrow rain, the Qing army rushed to the bottom of the city, erected a cloud ladder, cut off the ropes of the suspension bridge by the brave Qing soldiers, pushed the ramming cart over, and immediately adjusted the defenders on the city.

Rolling stones and wood were thrown down by the defenders continuously, and the brains of the Qing soldiers who were hit by the hit immediately burst, and blood was scattered all over the ground. Accompanied by heart-piercing screams, vats of boiling water fell against the Qing troops who ascended the city. , immediately scalded a large number of people.

A disgusting smell of meat and burnt smell wafted in the wind, and it was fire oil pouring down. It burned the ladder and ignited the climbing Qing army, making them fall down screaming one by one. He rammed around the city with his whole body in flames, and was finally burned to death.

The tragic scene did not stop the besieging Qing army, but ushered in a more violent attack. However, the new soldiers on the city turned pale with fright at the bloody scene.

At this time, the archers of the Qing army had already rushed to the river. Instead of crossing the river, they bent their bows and drew arrows, and shot at Zhao Jun in the city.

As the two sides shot at each other, the Zhao army on the city suddenly suffered casualties, and countless arrows fell down the city, and the screams were endless.

At this time, the gap between the Zhao army and the Qing army suddenly appeared. With the appearance of casualties, the originally orderly defense immediately became chaotic.

The bloody scene and desperate screams made the new recruits' minds go blank, and they instinctively wanted to escape from this hellish battlefield. As the fear spread, the city defenses suddenly loosened and became chaotic.

For a while, the Qing army made breakthroughs in several sections of the city wall at the same time, and dozens of Qing soldiers boarded the city.

Seeing this at the city tower, Zhao Yingyuan couldn't help but turn cold. Although the Qing army had suffered nearly a thousand casualties, they climbed up the city wall within half an hour of the battle. It was already very difficult for Zhao Jun to defend Qingzhou for a day.

As the Qing soldiers ascended the city, the new recruits on the city became more chaotic. If it weren't for the restraint of the generals and the desperate resistance of the old soldiers, they might collapse immediately.

In a blink of an eye, there were nearly a hundred Qing soldiers who climbed the city wall, and the gap widened instantly. If the Qing troops who climbed the city were not quickly beaten down, the city would only be broken overnight.

"Brothers are with this general, throw them into the city!" The development of the situation made Zhao Yingyuan have to use the cards in his hand not long after the battle started. He drew his waist knife, roared, and brought fifty guards behind him, Pounce on the Qing army on the city.

Wang Yan also raised his long sword and followed him to join the battle group.

"Kill!"

Amidst bursts of roaring, they collided with the Qing army occupying the gap, blood and flesh splattered immediately.

The generals of the Ming Dynasty all had servants, and their treatment was far better than that of ordinary soldiers. They were all rare and brave men, and they were the main force of an army.

The same is true for the fifty personal guards behind Zhao Yingyuan. They are all elite soldiers who have followed him for many years, wearing good armor and wielding good knives. Let Zhao Jun, who was on the verge of collapse, stabilize his position.

However, on the city wall that is several kilometers long, there are breakthroughs for Qing soldiers everywhere. Just as Zhao Yingyuan threw a small group of Qing soldiers off the tower, dozens of people boarded another place. If there is no countermeasure, the fall of Qingzhou will only happen sooner or later.

(End of this chapter)