stubborn thief

At the eastern gate of Yulin, a blood-stained white tiger flag hangs atop the ruins of the collapsed city gate tower.

The suspension bridge crashed down with a deafening roar, slamming heavily onto the moat, which was filled with earth, stones, and timber, sending up clouds of dust.

"General Zuo, our troops have captured the East Gate. The defending troops are firing cannons from inside the city. The inner gate is blocked by wood and stones. General Xu has brought gunpowder and will soon blow the gate open!"

Zuo Liangyu, having received Liu Chengzong's order, walked to the bridge and looked at the city gate with the three characters "Zhenwu Gate" written on it. His former soldiers were leaning on the battlements shattered by cannon fire and waving to him.

The Batu cavalry lined up outside the city, ready to march on Yulin.

Zhang Xianzhong, the Minister of Rites, who was reining in his horse and circling around, was very displeased that the soldiers on the city wall only greeted Zuo Liangyu. He kept shouting to the city wall, "Who is the Ming army commander on the city wall?"

"Wang Shiqin has been killed by General Xu's cannon fire, and his head will be delivered to the city walls shortly!"

Wang Shiqin?
Zuo Liangyu pondered the name and said to Zhang Xianzhong, "Minister, he served as the Deputy General of the Divine Machine Army at the end of the Wanli era, perhaps as the superior of the Governor-General of Gansu. Later, he served as the General Commander of the Northern Shanhaiguan. I was briefly under his command."

After saying that, he explained, "In less than a month, Wang Shiqin was scolded and sent home by the people of the Censorate, who said he was a good-for-nothing playboy."

Zuo Liangyu felt that Zhang Xianzhong, being a bandit leader, might not be very familiar with these Ming generals.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xianzhong snorted irritably, "When I was a soldier, I was under his command, and he almost executed me using military law. If it weren't for Chen Hongfan saving me and pleading for me to only get a hundred lashes, I wouldn't be in this situation today..."

At this point, Zhang Xianzhong raised his hand and brushed off non-existent dust from the collar of his bare-shoulder battle robe: "Hmph, the position of minister."

Seeing Zhang Xianzhong's smug and satisfied expression, Zuo Liangyu opened his mouth, unsure how to respond, and simply looked up at the city wall and said, "Quickly send the head down so that Minister Zhang can present it to the commander-in-chief!"

Hanging out with jerks like that all the time will drive you crazy.

Zuo Liangyu didn't want to pay any attention to Zhang Xianzhong. He gave a dry laugh, then spurred his horse on, urging it to cross the drawbridge and head towards the barbican.

Entering through the outer gate of the barbican, which faces south, one finds that the battle continues inside the round barbican, which is about a hundred paces in diameter, and through the inner gate opening to the east.

The two heavy city gates had collapsed to the ground, trampled underfoot by the surging soldiers. The heavy iron gates were also blocked by a winch after Xu Yong's troops captured the city gate tower. Only the city gate opening, blocked by bricks, stones, earth, and gate-blocking carts, was sealed tightly.

However, in the gaps between the siege engines and the earthen walls, the Ming soldiers defending the city on the other side of the city wall did not retreat. Their spears kept stabbing at the shields of the attacking soldiers, and arquebuses and three-barreled guns were fired from time to time in the gaps.

The city gate, which was originally nearly ten feet wide, was filled with smoke and looked crowded and narrow amidst the shouts of the two armies fighting desperately across the barrier.

Just then, the attacking soldiers outside shouted, and the Changping soldiers retreated from the city gate like a tide.

Zuo Liangyu saw it clearly; it was the gunpowder that had been lowered down from the city wall by rope.

Several fearless and brave soldiers, shielding each other, pushed a medicine barrel to the side of the gate-blocking cart, and the long medicine line was led into the barbican outside the city gate.

The fuse ignited with a hissing sound, and a deafening explosion followed.

boom!
Amidst billowing smoke and dust, Zuo Liangyu angrily slapped his helmet, wishing he could knock off the round bronze earpiece on his neck.

'Damn it, knowing they were going to blow up the door, why the hell did I even come in?'

The gunpowder exploded and folded repeatedly within the stone arch walls, echoing throughout the barbican, making his head buzz.

Upon hearing this sound, Zhang Xianzhong, who had just entered the outer city gate, immediately turned around, spurred his horse, and rode out again.

The gate of the inner city was bombed three times.

The entire barbican was filled with the lingering smell of gunpowder. When the smoke and dust cleared, the bluestone bricks on the arch of the city gate were cracked and on the verge of collapse. The earth and stones blocking the gate were blasted open to form a slope, and the blades of the gate-blocking siege engines were scattered everywhere. There was even a broken blade deeply embedded in the stone of the gate.

But inside the city gate, there was no sign of the defending soldiers, only the corpses of two soldiers who had been killed by flying iron pieces, and deep drag marks on the ground.

When the first barrel of gunpowder exploded, the guards on the other side of the gate already knew that the city gate could not be defended.

Or perhaps they knew it even earlier.

They were all soldiers of the Wang family. Their commander, Wang Shiqin, had been killed in battle on the city gate tower. The gate tower had not given them any further orders, so they continued to hold their ground.

It wasn't until a deafening explosion occurred on the other side of the city gate that the soldiers, led by their commander, retreated into the city with the wounded.

They had no choice but to retreat; after Wang Shiqin's death, the defenders on the barbican had little will to fight left.

Soon after losing the city gate tower, they also lost the ramp leading down to the city. However, the other garrison troops on the east city wall were also retreating steadily, rushing down to the ramp leading down to the city, which prevented Xu Yong's troops from coming down to provide support.

But this is clearly only a matter of time.

"Commander Zuo, three generals' heads, and a lieutenant general!"

Xu Yong descended the city wall and met Zuo Liangyu. Although both of them were now adjutants, Xu Yong still paid homage to Zuo Liangyu as a subordinate general. He gestured to the soldiers behind him who were holding severed heads before excitedly saying, "I thought there was only Wang Shiqin on the city gate tower, but I didn't expect there was also Wang Shiguo. He was killed earlier, and his coffin is in the tower."

"Who is that adjutant general?"

“Wang Chengxun, and his uncle, Wang Shiren, the general of Changping, tried to protect Wang Shiqin’s body from the city, but they were caught up and killed by me.”

Zuo Liangyu was greatly surprised: You think killing people in this battle is a good thing?
Wang Shiguo was the son of Wang Ji, the younger brother of Wang Wei and the general of Baoding. He had served as the general of Xuanfu and also died on the city wall.

The Wang family, such a powerful military clan, you've practically collected all their heads.

Zuo Liangyu stretched out his hand, intending to explain Liu Chengzong's intentions in this battle and tell him the pros and cons, but after thinking about it, he decided not to say anything.

The only feeling was one of utter helplessness, like a dog trying to bite Mount Tai but having nowhere to attack.

No need.

What can you say? Tell him that Liu Chengzong wants you to pledge your loyalty?
Xu Yong wasn't stupid; he was just offering his pledge of loyalty. The Grand Marshal even requested one for each person, but he made three by himself.

What else can I say? That Wang Pu will definitely kill you when he turns around?

It's still uncertain who will kill whom.

Considering that Xu Yong has always been a mad dog in battle, it's pointless to criticize him.

That's a barbarian; it's a waste of his life that he didn't become a soldier.

Previously, they were disguised as government troops, fighting against the Mongols, the Later Jin, and bandits—they were all the same.

The only difference is that now we're fighting the Ming army.

He was like this no matter who he was under or who he was fighting.

Finally, he had no choice but to say, "If I see General You, I will spare his life; he has done me a favor."

Xu Yong, of course, listened to Zuo Liangyu and immediately agreed with a smile.

As for which General You, it doesn't matter; leave all those with the surname You to him.

As long as there's profit to be made, Xu Yong enjoys the power of stripping even the most aloof generals bare and bringing them to the ground, making them live or die at will.

Zuo Liangyu didn't know what to say. He used to think Xu Yong was a brave general, but it turned out that this scoundrel just lacked empathy.

But Zhang Xianzhong, who was riding in, knew that seeing Xu Yong's familiar demeanor made him happy.

Zhang Xianzhong was all too familiar with this kind of person!
There was one of these things in the house; it was because a mentally ill person had entered the house. It was quite frightening. Even he was afraid of Li Zicheng.

But if there are ten, Old Zhang will be very familiar with them: Liu Chengzong takes the stage to discuss matters.

If the number of madmen crammed into a room suddenly surges to thirty, it's practically like entering Zhang Xianzhong's comfort zone: during the New Year, all the generals from the Marshal's Mansion return.

Crazy people? Who hasn't seen one before?

He dismounted, patted Xu Yong on the shoulder, and pointed at him, laughing heartily: "Brother Xu, you rejoice at the prospect of battle and are delighted at the killing of generals! Oh dear, you've come to the right place at the Marshal's Mansion!"

However, when Zuo Liangyu, Xu Yong, and others donned their armor and mounted their horses, leading the Changping soldiers and Batu cavalry to charge into the enemy lines, they found no artillery fortifications or the fierce street battles they had anticipated within the long streets of Yulin City.

There were no guards in the streets; they drew their swords and looked around, completely bewildered.

Wang Shiqin had made an agreement with the garrison of Dongcheng: if he were killed in battle after the city fell, the soldiers would return home and burn their grain to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Therefore, when the east gate was breached, the defending soldiers all went home.

Soon after, the troops of Zhou Qing and Hui Dengxiang also captured the south city wall.

The north and south walls of Yulin were narrow, while the east and west walls were long. Soon, Zhou Qing set fire to the southwest corner tower of the city wall, seized the cannons to bombard the few defenders on the west wall, and then lowered the drawbridge of the west gate, allowing Ren Quan'er's Second Brigade to enter the city.

At this point, the Marshal's army entered the city in force and completely captured Yulin.

The heads of Wang Shiqin, the garrison commander of Dongcheng, and others were sent by Sun Long's men on horseback to Zhenbeitai.

"The heads of Wang Shiqin, the General of Shanhaiguan, Wang Shiguo, the General of Xuanfu, Wang Shiren, the General of Changping, and Wang Chengxun, the Assistant General, have been delivered."

The person who came to report was Kong Youde, a centurion under Sun Long. He was extremely respectful in his military salute, bowing and kowtowing three times before saying, "Grand Marshal, the heads of all the soldiers were captured by Lieutenant General Xu Yong. Among them, Wang Shiguo died in the artillery battle during the siege a few days ago."

Upon hearing this news, Liu Shizi stood up for it.

Although he already knew that there were many generals in Yulin City, he did not expect Xu Yong's combat efficiency to be so high.

"Good, commendable courage. Record Xu's merit. Earlier, Wang Shiguo was killed by cannon fire, so attribute it to Liu Fangming who fired the cannon outside the city."

Liu Chengzong examined the severed head that had been delivered and ordered Zhao Jifang to find a lime and wooden box to store it. He then said to Kong Youde, "Go back and tell Sun Long to urge the generals on the front lines who have not yet achieved any merit to fight. Also, find some wounded soldiers and prisoners who have witnessed the deaths of Ming officers and soldiers and send them to the central army to report."

Just then, Liu Chengzong caught a glimpse of black smoke rising from within Yulin City.

He then instructed: "In addition, reiterate military discipline to the front-line troops. They must not kill surrendered soldiers, burn houses, or humiliate soldiers and civilians. All captured prisoners of war should be handed over to the military commander for unified management after the war. Zhang Yong, lead the two Yulin Divisions into the city to find Zuo Liangyu and supervise the various units. Those who violate the rules should be dealt with by their superiors. Light punishments include chopping off hands, while severe punishments include beheading."

Sun Long's bald men are good at relaying orders and urging battles, but they're not very effective at supervising the army.

On the one hand, Liu Chengzong was afraid that their heads would be borrowed by the old Ming army; on the other hand, Liu Chengzong was also worried that they might have some unique understanding of military discipline that was below the average level of the Ming army.

After Kong Youde returned to relay the order, Liu Chengzong looked at Yulin City and smiled silently before turning around and continuing to say to Zuo Maodi, "Brother Zuo, what were you saying earlier... do you feel it's a pity that the generals and commanders here died?"

From the moment the heads of Wang Shiqin and others were delivered, Zuo Maodi's expression became extremely stiff.

Even though he was a witness to Liu Chengzong's decision to send the younger generation of military families from Yulin to Shanxi, he already knew what fate awaited the veteran generals of Yulin who were determined to defend their position to the death under the siege of tens of thousands of troops.

But when these people's bloody heads were actually placed in front of him, Zuo Maodi still couldn't control his emotions.

But he was unable to speak to Liu Chengzong.

Just moments before, they were chatting about the situation in Hancheng County, as if nothing had happened, amidst the distant, barely audible booming of cannons echoing from Yulin City.

No sooner had Kong Youde left than another messenger cavalryman from Sun Long's camp arrived.

Clearly, after Sun Long dispatched Kong Youde, there were new developments in Yulin City, so he sent more people to report.

"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, Huang Tingzheng, the commander of Yulin Guard, and his brothers Huang Tingbi and Huang Tingyong have gathered their troops at Kaige Tower and are using guns and cannons to defend the crossroads. The tower is very strong and General Zuo is unlikely to be able to take it down. Minister Zhang requests 100 rockets."

"Kaige Tower? Using rockets there would burn down the houses on both sides."

Liu Chengzong picked up his binoculars and looked into Yulin City. In the distance, he could see a three-story building straddling the street with a cross-shaped central structure.

On the main street running north-south through Yulin City, there are a total of six multi-story buildings from north to south.

In order are Zhenyu Tower on the North Gate, Bell Tower next to Guangyou Granary, North Drum Tower, Kaige Tower, South Drum Tower, and Zhenyuan Tower on the South Gate, also known as the Six Towers Riding the Street.

Among these six buildings straddling the long street, Kaige Tower is located almost in the very center of Yulin City, as it used to be the gate tower on the south city wall of the old city of Yulin.

Later, when the southern city was expanded, it was changed into a cross-shaped tower. The expansion of the new city to the south is also the reason why Yulin has two bell and drum towers.

As for why Kaige Tower is the tallest, it is because Emperor Wuzong once stayed on the tower when he inspected the border, and renamed it "Taiyi Divine Palace". Later, it was used to hold ceremonies such as celebrating victory and presenting prisoners. The governor and the general could stand on the tower to review the troops, so it was renamed Kaige Tower.

When Liu Shizi was still a frontline soldier, he once walked under the building with the crossroads in the middle.

He knew very well that if the defenders upstairs were determined, it would indeed be difficult to attack, but directly using rockets was even less reliable. Rockets spread extremely widely, and once the fire spread, from the location of Kaige Tower, it would only turn the entire city of Yulin into a sea of ​​fire.

Liu Shizi set fires quite a bit during this eastern expedition, but Yulin City, a military stronghold that was extremely loyal to the Ming Dynasty, had great political significance for him, and he absolutely could not allow it to be burned like Liaoyang.

Therefore, rockets alone are not enough; we also need warriors who are skilled in overcoming challenges and fighting fiercely.

"It is said that Wang Ziqi is the commander of the Tiger Warrior Camp."

Wang Ziqi was a former subordinate of Zhang Xianzhong. He was extremely fierce in battle. During the Guanzhong Campaign, he challenged Long Zaitian's war elephant with a long sword, cut off the elephant's trunk, and caused it to turn around and trample his own troops.

Although Liu Chengzong never asked him to lead troops, his official rank was promoted for his military achievements, and he is now the captain of the Tiger Warrior Battalion.

A moment later, Wang Ziqi ascended the Zhenbei Tower, bowed, and said, "General!"

“Minister Zhang has encountered a difficult-to-capture city tower. Take a hundred rockets, carrying only the warheads, and enter the city through the south gate to provide support. Minister Zhang knows how to use them. Go and relay my orders to persuade the defending troops to surrender.”

"If they do not consider the consequences and insist on fighting, then light the bullets and throw them onto the city wall. Don't let them fly everywhere. Under no circumstances should the city be burned down."

"I accept my order from my humble position!"

After Wang Ziqi descended from the city wall, Liu Chengzong leaned on the battlements and looked towards Yulin, muttering to himself, "Huang Tingzheng, Huang Tingbi, and Huang Tingyong, hereditary military officers of the garrison, must also be descendants of heroes."

"Rather than dying of old age or illness, if you do not surrender, I would rather die in battle..."

Liu Shizi said expressionlessly, "He died a worthy death." (End of Chapter)