1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3908

After completely occupying the city wall between Deshengmen in the north and Zhangjiangmen in the west, the Haihan Army strengthened its control over the northwest corner of Nanchang. The roadblocks and barricades at the base of the city wall were quickly cleared away one by one from the high ground, and Ha Jianyi was able to walk along the city wall to Zhangjiangmen to meet up with Shi Chengwu.

The temporary command post, which was set up at Zhangjiang Gate, was moved this morning from outside the city to a private residence inside the city near the gate. This location is only about 100 feet away from the battle line, and the sounds of gunfire from the battlefield can be clearly heard.

However, at this time, the Haihan Army stationed inside Zhangjiang Gate numbered at least two thousand, making it difficult for the Ming army inside the city to launch a large-scale counterattack.

"How's it going on your side? How's the battle progressing?"

Hearing Ha Jianyi's voice, Shi Chengwu gestured for him to sit down and talk, then got up to pour him a glass of water and handed it to him: "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Ha Jianyi took the cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then replied, "Then tell me the good news first!"

Shi Chengwu said, "The good news is that Yonghe Gate in the east of the city and Jinxian Gate in the south of the city have been captured, and two friendly forces are advancing into the city."

Ha Jianyi slapped his thigh and said, "Then we'll surround them from all sides, completely blocking the Ming army's escape route... What's the bad news?"

Shi Chengwu said, "The bad news is that, according to the prisoners' confessions and the intelligence we have, there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 Ming troops in Nanchang City, and they are mixed with civilians in many areas, so it will not be easy to carry out a cleanup."

Ha Jianyi frowned and said, "This is indeed a problem... We need to be more cautious about using artillery to attack the city."

The total number of soldiers and civilians in Nanchang City is now close to 100,000. If the Ming army accounts for 20-30% of that, it will indeed make it very difficult for the Haihan army to clear the city. If too many civilians are killed or injured in the process, it will also leave many problems for post-war governance.

Shi Chengwu said, "Therefore, I plan to launch a propaganda offensive during the clearing of the city, to persuade as many Ming soldiers as possible to surrender and reduce unnecessary battles."

The propaganda offensive that Shi Chengwu mentioned included not only distributing leaflets from hot air balloons to persuade people to surrender, but also other methods.

For example, they could set up loudspeakers at high places and broadcast messages urging surrender to the city. Or they could use Ming soldiers who had already surrendered to the Haihan Army to return to the Ming-controlled areas within the city, secretly persuade them to surrender, and reward them for their contributions.

Of course, the number of loudspeakers and surrendering personnel that can be immediately deployed is extremely limited. Persuading surrender is ultimately difficult to use as the main means of suppression, and the situation still has to be controlled by the military force of the Haihan Army.

The corresponding measures were quickly implemented. The Haihan Army set up surrender points at the four city gates that had already been occupied. Both ordinary people and Ming soldiers could go to the area to surrender on their own, guided by various propaganda methods.

After their identities were verified, civilians were given the opportunity to evacuate the city and temporarily avoid the war. Surrendered Ming soldiers or officials were temporarily detained as prisoners of war and dealt with separately after the Battle of Nanchang ended.

Regardless of their status, surrendering at least guarantees survival, preventing them from dying a senseless death in the chaos of war. This is indeed a considerable temptation for the side already mired in the quagmire of war.

As the propaganda campaign unfolded, more and more people in the city went to the surrender points set up by Haihan to surrender voluntarily. Many Ming soldiers and government officials even changed into civilian clothes and disguised themselves as ordinary people in an attempt to slip through the cracks.

Given the current limited means of verifying identity and the need for rapid evacuation of people at the drop-off point, it is inevitable that some people will succeed.

In just half a day, the surrender points at the four city gates had accepted several thousand people. Of course, there were some who managed to slip away by taking advantage of the chaos, but there were also many Ming soldiers who hadn't even had time to change their identities.

Haihan Army selected some officers from among the surrendered Ming soldiers and questioned them about the city's defenses, thus obtaining a considerable amount of valuable intelligence.

While the Ming army in Nanchang appears to have a considerable number of remaining troops, its weaknesses are also apparent. A significant portion of them are remnants of defeated soldiers who withdrew from various prefectures in Jiangxi, and many have lost their organizational structure. The current command system within the city is incapable of effectively directing all these Ming troops. The fighting spirit of many has crumbled since the city gates fell; some simply haven't yet made up their minds to give up resistance.

Of course, there were also some die-hards with unwavering resolve. These people were mostly composed of the personal guards and private armies of officials at all levels. Although their numbers were small, their equipment was excellent, and their individual military skills were outstanding. Therefore, they were able to control a portion of the Ming army and continue to resist within the city.

The defenders inside the city clearly realized that holding out was not a solution, and the relatively easier escape routes to the south and east of the city became their options for breaking out. Shortly after the Haihan army entered the city, the defenders organized several counter-breakout attempts in an effort to escape Nanchang.

However, such attempts did not go smoothly. The Haihan army was well prepared for this, not only sealing off several main city gates but also setting up an encirclement outside the city. Even if someone managed to escape, they would not get very far before being stopped by the Haihan cavalry.

By evening that day, due to the rapid increase in the number of surrenders, the Haihan army set up four more surrender points in the city.

More than 10,000 people have been released from the city by the Haihan Army, while more than 1,000 people have been temporarily detained as prisoners of war.

Although high-ranking officials such as Ding Baoguo and Zhao Mingyu were still organizing resistance in the city, they were aware that the Haihan Army's surrender persuasion measures had triggered a wave of surrenders within the city.

If the city's defenses hadn't fallen, they would have had ways to win over the people and deter those who were wavering. But now that the city's defenses on all sides have been breached, it's only a matter of time before Nanchang falls completely. At this point, everyone is focused on survival, and their orders are no longer as effective.

Ding Baoguo was determined to lead his troops in a breakout, but several attempts failed. He planned to try again after dark. Although the situation might not be much better than during the day, the Haihan army's visibility would still be limited, and the accuracy of their firearms would be significantly reduced.

Ding Baoguo found Zhao Mingyu and tried to persuade him to break out with him. He said that if they could capture a city gate, they could ride out of the city on horseback and escape to the south, and there might be a chance to get out of the predicament. However, Zhao Mingyu refused his request.

“Lord Ding, I am already halfway to my grave and cannot withstand any more exertion. I am afraid I will fall off my horse before we even leave the city. Taking me with you would only be a huge burden. After you lead your troops to break through the siege, I will stay in the city to negotiate with the Haihan people and try my best to save as many lives as possible for the Ming soldiers and government officials.”

"If Lord Ding manages to escape, he must submit a memorial to the court explaining the process of Jiangxi's fall, so that the court can understand the current tactics of the Haihan Army and be better prepared for the next confrontation. Although the Ming Dynasty is outmatched, we cannot allow them to succeed too easily."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Ding Baoguo knew that further persuasion would be useless, so he could only agree. The two bowed and parted, both knowing that after this farewell, they would probably never have the chance to meet again in this life.