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Li Zheng was both happy and angry. What he was happy about was that there would be no need to kill or injure soldiers, and the Tartars would be finished if they escaped like this.What made him angry was that the Tartars would rather risk starvation to death than fight a decisive battle with the Datong Army, and some Tartars would definitely escape.
But Wang Tingchen became excited: "Captain, the general will immediately lead his troops to chase after him!"
Li Zheng said, "Together with the dragoons."
Man Dahai abandoned his luggage and fled northward through the mountains. Where could he escape?After digging out of the mountain, he must reach the bank of the Hun River, which is the closest and most convenient escape route.
In other words, Wang Tingchen's cavalry division can just return along the same route as the attack route, and there is a certain chance of bumping into the remnants of the Tartars who came out of the mountain.
Immediately, Wang Tingchen took the rest of the dragoons and rushed back to Jiefan City, gathered his own cavalry division, and chased along the banks of the Hun River.
Lu Xiangsheng rode over to ask Li Zheng, "What's the military situation?"
"I was about to notify General Lu," Li Zheng said with a smile, "The Tartars burned their luggage and fled north over the mountains. I have ordered the cavalry to pursue them along the Hun River."
Lu Xiangsheng said with emotion: "The Tartars were really gutted. Tens of thousands of troops even burned their luggage and fled. They didn't even dare to resist stubbornly."
Li Zheng said: "I plan to lead my troops to Sarhu, and together with General Xiao there, concentrate our forces to take Sarhu City."
"That's exactly the reason." Lu Xiangsheng agreed.
Two days later, a Sinicized Jurchen soldier came to the city of Sarhu empty-handed.
The lord of the city, Murima, told the soldiers not to shoot arrows, and said: "Hang him up in a hanging basket for questioning."
Murima backed away from the left and right, and only let the deputy general Tu Hai stay, and asked the soldier, "Are you here to persuade them to surrender?"
The soldier handed over a letter.
Murima did not understand Chinese, so she handed the letter to Tuhai.
Tu Hai quickly read the letter, his face changed suddenly, and he read it again, and then said in a low voice: "Hetuala, Jiefan City, Gule City, and Mardun have all fallen. Meihei City in Mandahai It also fell, and the infantry was wiped out. Man Dahai took tens of thousands of the main force of the Qing Dynasty, burned the luggage and fled northward."
"How is this possible?" Murima expressed doubts. "The Meihei City in Mandahai was captured. I can understand this. The southern barbarians sent troops from the north and ran along the edge of the grassland. But how did Hetuala disappear? ? The two of us defended Sarhu, and we didn’t even lose Sarhu, why did Hetuala lose it when he was far behind?"
To use an analogy, it is as if Zu Dashou was defending Jinzhou to death, and was suddenly told that Beijing was gone, Shanhaiguan was also captured by the Tartars, and Chongzhen had run away without a trace.
Tuhai said: "The enemy general wrote in the letter. If the general doesn't believe it, you can send people out to inquire. You can send people all the way to Hetuala to see whose flag is planted on the top of the city. As long as the sentry is within ten people Within a short time, the Nanmanzi side will not stop us. After we find out the situation, we will decide whether to open the city and surrender."
Murima asked, "Do you think Hetuala is still alive?"
Tu Hai said: "The enemy army is so generous, most of the capital is gone. This news, only you and I know now. If it spreads in the city, I am afraid that the whole army will be discouraged, and few are willing to stick to it to the end."
Murima said dejectedly: "How could Hetuala disappear? There is also Jiefan City, although it is smaller than Sarhu, but the terrain there is more dangerous. How could that bastard Man Dahai lose Jiefan City? "
Tuhai analyzed: "The fall of Meihei City in Mandahai means that the retreat route of the Qing Dynasty to the northeast was blocked. The fall of Hetuala means that the retreat route of the Qing Dynasty to the southeast was blocked. Our side was surrounded again. It means that the whole army is surrounded. If I were Man Dahai, I would also lead the army to break through. If I don’t break through, I will either go out of the city for a decisive battle, or be surrounded until I die, and there will be no more soldiers and supplies.”
"Anyway, send someone to look at it first." Murima felt very tired.
He was extremely loyal to the Qing Dynasty. He lost two acropolises, lost all the piers, and still firmly guarded the Saerhu City, firmly controlling the most important city on the front line.
The front line is not broken, and the rear is all lost. How the hell can we fight?
Ten Manchu guards were sent out to inquire about the news, and the Datong Army kept their promise and let them go.
They didn't go too far, only checked Jiefan City and Gule City, and immediately returned to Sarhu to report the news.
"Er Zhen, Jiefan City and Gule City both have the banner of the Southern Manzi on the top of the city."
Murima felt powerless after hearing this, and said dejectedly: "It's really gone, it's really gone, it's really gone."
"Or, let's surrender." Tu Hai said.
Tu Hai has no objection to surrender, he is not Jianzhou Jurchen, he is just a wild Jurchen.Seriously, the Jianzhou Jurchen still had a grudge against him, and his tribe was conquered by Nurhachi and Huang Taiji many times.Many of his people were killed, and even he himself was taken as a captive, and he joined the Qing Dynasty with his father.
What's more, Tuhai is familiar with poetry and books, and the degree of Sinicization is very high.
Murima is unwilling to surrender, he is Oboi's younger brother.A lot of his uncles, brothers, and clansmen died at the hands of the Datong army, and he himself was stained with the blood of the Han people.This kind of bloody enmity does not intend to surrender, and even if he surrenders, he probably will not end well.
"Let me think about it," Murima said.
Tuhai had already found out Murima's thoughts, so he bowed and resigned, and went to contact the non-Jianzhou Jurchen officers in the city.
The news gradually spread.
After the ten sentries came back, they quietly told their relatives and friends about the fall of Jiefan City and Gule City.Their relatives and friends told their relatives and friends again, and it spread throughout the army within a day or two.
Thousands of defenders are in panic all day long.
"Er Zhen, Tu Hai is tandemly surrendering!" In the evening, a close aide came to make a small report.
Murima was furious immediately: "The wild Jurchens are just untrustworthy. After reading a few Han books, he thought he was also a Han. He didn't even think about it. They are all Jurchens. Surrender will survive?"
But Tuhai felt that he would definitely be able to save his life, because he did not have Han blood on his hands.
This guy is very young, he was born as a civil official, and he has never fought a war.He is familiar with the poems and books of the Han family, but he can curry favor with Da Yuer, who hates Sinology. With Da Yuer's promotion all the way to the top, he was thrown to Saerhu to assist Murima in defending the city.
Moreover, Tuhai is in charge of Sarhu's logistics, and is Da Yuer's eyeliner to keep an eye on Murima!
"You take someone to chop Tuhai!" Murima said to her confidant.
Tu Hai has been very cautious, aware of the change, and immediately said: "Dedicate the city in advance, set fire to the house, and open the city gate!"
Setting fire was a signal, and the non-Jianzhou military officers who secretly connected with each other would turn back immediately when they saw the fire, and those near the city gate would even open the gate.
In this way, before Li Zheng, Lu Xiangsheng and others really started to attack, the Tartars in Saerhu City started fighting by themselves.
Savage Jurchen, against Jianzhou Jurchen!
The savage Jurchen's territory is too far away. Those who can become the Eight Banners Army have already moved south with their families. It is impossible for them to rebel against the Qing Dynasty like the Haixi Jurchen.Because the Haixi Jurchen can easily escape back to their ancestral land, the savage Jurchen can't run that far.
They did not dare to rebel against the Qing Dynasty before, because the price of rebelling against the Qing Dynasty was too high.
Now turning against the water, not only is there no price, but it can also save one's life, and even avenge one's ancestors.
"Kill the dog!"
The savage Jurchen held a weapon and rushed towards the nearby Jianzhou Jurchen with a roar.The Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers did not expect this encounter at all, and were caught off guard for a while.
"Siege!"
With the appearance of the Datong Army, there is no suspense in the battle.
Tuhai, who was born as a civil official, was wearing cotton armor and carrying a waist knife, and led his subordinates to occupy the east gate.
Hearing the footsteps of the Datong army, Tu Hai shouted excitedly: "Stay here for a while, the heavenly soldiers of the Han family are about to enter the city!"
Chapter 693 [The Grenadier Carrying the Hammer]
early morning.
Murima, covered in blood, stood on the wall of the inner city of Sarhu, and angrily scolded Tuhai outside: "You traitor, the goddess will punish you and kill you!"
Tu Hai smiled and said, "The goddess only cares about Changbai Mountain, and I come from Beishan (outer Xing'an Mountains)."
In the Jurchen mythology, the three sisters from heaven and earth descended to the earth to take a bath in Lake Buer.The youngest fairy,
After eating the vermilion fruit sent by the sparrow, she became pregnant and gave birth to Bucuri, the ancestor of the Jurchens.
In fact, this legend comes from the Heilongjiang River Basin and has a certain influence throughout the Northeast.
Huang Taiji's contribution to the Manchu Qing Dynasty was not only a comprehensive reform, which brought the Manchu Qing regime back to life.He even forcibly shaped the "Manchu". He ordered people to forcibly merge with the ancestors of Aixinjueluo according to the myth.The full name of Kuburi, the son of the goddess, the ancestor of Jurchen, and the mythical hero, has also become "Aixinjueluo Kuburi".
Whether it is the Jianzhou Jurchen, the Haixi Jurchen, or some savage Jurchen, they are all descendants of Kubri, the son of the goddess.
The Aixinjueluo family is the direct descendant of Kubri.Other Jueluo families, such as Irgenjueluo and Shushujueluo, are offshoots of Kubri.The Jurchen, whose surname is not Jueluo, is a descendant of Kubri who has a distant blood relationship.
Since they all have the same ancestor, they belong to the same race, called "Manchu"!
The concept of Manchu, under Huang Taiji's deliberate propaganda, has gradually become the consensus of more and more Jurchens.If they keep winning in the military, then the fake Manchus will also become real Manchus, and finally become a real nation.
Murima was so angry at this time that she even cursed Tuhai in the name of the goddess.
Last night, Tu Hai led his troops to dedicate the city. In the chaos, Murima abandoned the outer city and hurriedly fled to the inner city to defend.
Now the sky is bright, and the Datong army has already occupied the outer city.
In the inner city guarded by Murima, there are only more than 1000 Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers left, and there are also many soldiers' families.
The inner city of Sarhu is in the shape of a diamond. The west wall is directly on the river bank cliff, and the east wall is made of rammed earth along the ridge. The inner city covers an area of about 1200 mu.
Hu Dinggui's troops have dispersed to take over and occupy Hetuala, Mardun, Jiefan City and Gule City.At this moment, Li Zheng, Lu Xiangsheng, and Xiao Zongxian each led their troops to besiege three city walls, only the west city wall next to the cliff did not invest any troops.
"All those who can move in the inner city, come and defend the city!"
Murima also called the old, weak, women and children, and said to them, "The Han people are very cruel. These southern barbarians will kill us all when they break through the city wall. If you don't want to die, you should try your best to defend the city!"
What happened last night has scared the Tartars out of their wits.If it weren't for the fear of being killed if they surrendered, it is estimated that even the officers and soldiers would surrender.
After being intimidated by Murima, the remaining Tartars mustered up their courage and refused to listen to the Datong Army's persuasion to surrender.
Standing on the inner city wall, ready to risk his life to defend.
"Stubborn!"
Among the generals from Huangjia Town, Li Zheng is the one who loves to learn the most.Over the years, he has mastered the Four Books. He likes Guan Yu to read "Spring and Autumn", and he specially asks his husband to give him lectures.
The outer city wall is not easy to bombard, but it is easier to assume a fort if you want to bombard the inner city wall.
The artillery of several divisions was lifted to the south and fired at the south wall
"Boom boom boom!"
Murima transferred the only few cannons in the inner city, all of which were set up on the south wall, and they fought against the artillery of the Datong Army. After a day, the Datong Army lost four artillery pieces and nine artillerymen were killed or injured.
Continue the next day.
The bombardment continued until the fifth day, and the Datong Army lost a total of 30 artillery pieces, and more than [-] artillerymen were killed or injured, and finally the southern city wall was bombed down.
"Siege!"
Li Zheng ordered.
This broken place, the ladder with hooks and baffles, it is difficult to move forward normally.Datong soldiers held large wooden shields to block arrows in the front row, while the soldiers in the back row carried ladders to cover them.
The attacking troops at the gap were all melee infantry wearing three layers of armor.
Attack on three sides.
Some of the women and children of the Tartars went up to the city wall, and some stayed in the city to carry supplies.
Gold juice, hot oil, etc., were originally stored in the outer city, but they are no longer needed at this time.Only in the past few days of shelling, the freshly pulled out excrement and urine were boiled into golden juice and poured down. Tartar archers shot arrows down, Tartar spearmen overturned ladders vigorously, and Tartar women and children lifted the golden juice and poured it down.
"what!"
The hot golden juice was poured on the Datong army who was attacking the city. Even if they were not scalded to death, the subsequent bacterial infection would be fatal.
The non-Jianzhou Jurchens who surrendered with Tuhai were also asked to attack the city together.They bit the bullet and climbed the city wall, and the casualty rate was no less than that of the Datong Army, which can be regarded as a real desperation.
The gap in the southern city wall.
The melee soldiers in three-layer armor held a large temporary wooden shield and pushed forward bit by bit.
Arrived at the gap, did not take the wooden ladder immediately.It was the grenadiers behind the shields, throwing tens of thousands of enemies towards the gap. The bombs fell over the wooden pier and fell on the gap, blowing up the Tartar defenders there for a while.
"Take the ladder!
Outside the gap is a slope, and the gap is nearly two meters high.
The wooden ladder cannot be fixed, and has to be held down by someone.Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the bomb, the ladder was quickly put up, and the grenadier quickly climbed with a warhammer.
The melee weapons of the grenadiers were also changed. Like the emperor's plate armor personal guards, they all used the standard warhammers in the Ming army.
This kind of warhammer has been tested for a long time, and it can survive forever. Naturally, it has its own reasons. It is not heavy, and it can also break armor!
If cavalry divisions attacked cities before, if they were equipped with such weapons in large quantities, they would definitely save many lives.It's a pity that this kind of warhammer is not suitable for horse warfare, and it is impossible for cavalry to equip it in large quantities.
The Grenadier, which has been replaced with a Warhammer weapon, obviously has new functions.
In close combat, throw the bomb first, and then charge with the hammer.They are all powerful and strong men, and they are covered with heavy armor. With the help of the chaos caused by the bombs, they smashed randomly with their warhammers, and it is easy to tear apart the enemy's formation.
The tactics of the Datong Army have been learning from experience to improve!
With this tactic, the Ministry of War is already considering whether to increase the number of grenadiers in each division.
I saw hundreds of burly individual soldiers swarming towards the gap.The first few people who went up rushed into the pile of tartars with their war hammers, regardless of whether the friendly troops could keep up.
Forty, forty, forty...all hammers.
Before the Tazi soldiers recovered from the chaos of the explosion, they saw these fierce men rushing forward, raising their weapons subconsciously to fight.
The grenadier in heavy armor raised his left arm to protect his neck, allowing the spear to stab his body and the waist knife to slash his body.They don't care, and smash the hammer at every opportunity.
Being hit by a warhammer on the body, even if he was wearing armor, he would at least have bruises.If the strength is right and the location is right, the internal organs will be damaged, or the bones will be broken, or the brain will simply explode.
More and more grenadiers rushed up with their warhammers, and the spearmen also threw away their big wooden shields, followed up with their weapons, and stabbed them vigorously with their guns from the one-handed air strikes in front of them.
SFS