I want to be emperor

Chapter 213

After the rural protection army broke through the north city wall, the Ming army in the city was completely messed up.

Except for a few generals such as Lin Nianyao who once led their troops to resist, many other generals ran towards the south city wall with their direct troops when they saw that something was wrong.

It's just that there are too many Ming troops in the city, and so many people crowded around the south gate at once, which directly caused traffic jams.

There were quite a few Ming soldiers in Zhongxiang City. There were 3000 or 2 guards in the city. Later, Tang Hui retreated to Zhongxiang with nearly [-] people. Over the past period of time, the city officials continued to recruit the young and strong in the city to help defend the city.

The total number of troops participating in the defense of the city is at least 5000, of which there are more than 1 in the north city wall for defense.

However, during the siege of the township protection army, 800 people were killed and injured on the first day, and many of them were estimated to be easy.

When the city was besieged this morning, hundreds of people were killed and injured by shelling first. After the infantry led by the assault battalion entered the city, hundreds of people were also killed and injured one after another during the battle for the top of the city.

In other words, before the entire Ming army collapsed and retreated, the combined casualties of the Ming army were estimated to be around a thousand, less than 2000.

The rest of the people all want to run away...

These 2 people ran towards the south city gate, and the city gate was only so big that it was impossible for so many people to pass through in a short period of time.

In order to get out of the city first, many soldiers of the Ming army fought with fists and kicks and even faced each other with swords and guns, staged a scene of seizing the way from the friendly army.

As a result, a large-scale fratricide occurred among the Ming army in the area of ​​the South City Gate, and at least hundreds of Ming troops were killed or injured by their own swords and guns.

The escape route was small, and without any organization, the scene was extremely chaotic. Therefore, there were not many Ming troops who could actually escape from the city. When the rural protection army reached the south gate, they began to surrender on a large scale. During the time of the Ming army, there were only about 8000 to [-] Ming troops who actually escaped, most of whom were still the Ming army who had been stationed along the southern city wall.

These Ming troops who escaped from the city continued southward under the leadership of the generals.

At this time, Wang Xiazi's First Cavalry Brigade led the First Cavalry Regiment to kill again.

Although the Rural Protection Army is obviously engaging in siege, it has adopted the method of attacking the north city gate, blocking the east city gate, and letting the south city gate and west city gate go.

But in fact, a thousand-strong cavalry was ambushed a few miles away from the south gate, between Jingyue Lake and Mochou Lake.

Once the Ming army broke through the south gate and fled, they could escape to heaven in a short time, but in fact it would not take long for them to be intercepted by the cavalry of the rebel army.

So when Luo Zhixue learned that a large number of Ming troops broke out from the city, at least seven or eight thousand people ran away, he just laughed: "There are blind people, they can't escape, but those who escaped from the west gate and took a boat to stop them." Can't stop!"

The facts were indeed as Luo Zhixue expected, the seven or eight thousand Ming troops who fled from the south gate first were intercepted by the cavalry under Wang Xiazi's troops not long after.

The Ming army, which had already discarded its helmets and armor, and its morale fell to the bottom, saw thousands of cavalry appearing in front of it, and didn't even have the courage to resist.

After discussing with the leading generals of the Ming Army, they decisively sent people to negotiate with the Township Protection Army and prepared to surrender...

Well, not surrender, but surrender.

At this point in the battle, they are powerless, it's time to think for themselves.

Over the past period of time, they have heard more or less that the Xiangbao Army treats surrendered soldiers well, and the treatment is even better if they voluntarily surrender.

There is no need to worry about personal safety after surrendering, let alone losing everything directly after surrendering.

If they vote well in the past, they will have a bright future in the future. Huang Guangmao and Fei Bingqing in the Bandit Protection Army are typical examples.

These two are generals!
But now Huang Guangmao has become the commander of the West Route Army in the rural protection army, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to attack the city in the Yunyang area. The Ming army in the Hanzhong and Kuizhou mansion areas has no temper and can only rely on the city to resist .

And Huang Guangmao's reputation was also known by civil and military officials of the Ming court as the West Route Army continued to attack the city.

As for Fei Bingqing, he is quite well-known. He was the first to conquer Yuzhou together with Er Yongduo, another bandit leader, and later participated in the battle against Zuo Liangyu in the eastern suburbs of Yuzhou.

Now, I heard that he is already some kind of brigade commander in the bandit army.

Even Chen Yongfu, who has not led the army for the time being, has gradually spread his reputation. Under the deliberate publicity of the Township Protection Army, Chen Yongfu, Chen De and his son have become typical surrender generals.

They first served as military advisers, and later Chen Yongfu served as the deputy director of the logistics department of the bandit army. Even his son Chen De served in the center of the bandit army, and his position was not weak.

Some time ago, in fact, some people in the city received a letter of persuasion written by Chen Yongfu, saying that Lao Chen, I am doing well in the rural protection army. If you are willing to vote, then Lao Chen, I will definitely recommend them, and they will become the founding project It's also a matter of minutes.

This is still referring to the high-ranking generals who surrendered in the past, not to mention ordinary mid-level and low-level officers and ordinary soldiers. There is a real shortage here, even for middle and low-level officers.

Even Tang Hui knew that there were two types of troops in the Township Protection Army, one was the bandit army with guns, and the other was the bandit army with cold weapons.

And the bandit army with cold weapons, that is, the garrison troops, used to be all officers and soldiers.

Anyway, they are all fighting for their lives. It is selling to fight for the Ming Dynasty, and it is also selling to fight for the Township Protection Army, not to mention that the Township Protection Army can still have enough food.

Therefore, many Ming soldiers had no psychological burden on surrendering, and many even had vague expectations.

If you pass this, you will be able to have a full meal...

The strategy of being kind to surrender troops also played a huge role for the rural protection army in persuading the Ming army to surrender.

They also lost the battle, but these generals of the Ming army had no psychological pressure to surrender to the rural protection army. However, if they were facing thieves like Gao Yingxiang, most of them would not choose to surrender.

When fighting against the bandits, many generals of the Ming army died in battle, but not many surrendered, especially senior generals.

But when fighting against the Township Protection Army, not many generals of the Ming army died in battle, but many surrendered and surrendered.

The difference here is actually very simple!
They surrendered to the Rural Protection Army because these generals of the Ming army believed that the Rural Protection Army had a future and followed the rules. Although its strength is still weak now, it has a very strong combat effectiveness. More importantly, the Rural Protection Army has been established and stable. The rule of the country has a large area of ​​its own.

Even if the territory is smaller and the number of troops is smaller, it is still a feudal town or even an independent kingdom that has been divided into one side.

And Gao Yingxiang's thieves?They can only flee from east to west, without even a territory, which really makes people unable to see the future.

Based on these circumstances, the seven or eight thousand Ming troops who broke out of the city simply surrendered after being intercepted by the cavalry of Wang Xiazi's troops.

Blind Wang accepted another seven or eight thousand soldiers with a smile.

Speaking of which, since Wang Xiazi went south from Xiangyang, more than 1 soldiers have been accepted successively...

But Wang Xiazi's cavalry is only more than 600 people, even the first cavalry regiment that he was temporarily asked to lead is more than 400 cavalry, and the sum of the two is about [-] cavalry.

With such a small number of people, more than 1 prisoners were taken successively, and no one believed it.

When Blind Wang accepted the captives with a smile, Tang Hui also woke up leisurely...

At this time, he was on a large ship, and there were more than a dozen other ships carrying officers and soldiers.

Originally, they also broke out towards the south gate, but they found that there were too many people at the south gate, and they were also worried that the rural protection army would have an ambush outside the south gate, so they changed their minds and broke out towards the west gate. , Then seized more than a dozen ships moored by the river and began to flee down the south.

However, this escape was escaped, but the number of troops who successfully escaped with Tang Hui was less than 2000.

Faced with such an ending, Tang Hui didn't know how to explain to the court...

This cannot be explained!

According to the personality of the master in the Forbidden City, once the news of Zhong Xiang's defeat reached the Forbidden City, the imperial edict to arrest him and put him in prison would also be issued accordingly.

Ma Dan, if I knew it earlier, I shouldn't have gone north.

Anyway, my governor of Huguang has been dismissed, but Lu Xiangsheng who took over died in battle, so I have to continue to take care of Huguang affairs temporarily.

Originally, it only took a month or two to wait for the new governor sent by the imperial court to arrive and take office, and then he would be able to go to Guangxi to perform crimes and make meritorious deeds.

But after Zhong Xiang's disastrous defeat, I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to be demoted to Guangxi...

Thinking of the tragic end in the future, Tang Hui couldn't help but sigh.

-

When Tang Hui sighed, Luo Zhixue in Zhongxiang City was in a good mood.

In this storming of Zhongxiang, the Rural Protection Army not only successfully conquered Zhongxiang City, but more importantly, through this battle, they found out a set of siege tactics suitable for the Rural Protection Army.

In the attack on Zhongxiang City, the tactics of the Township Protection Army were actually very simple, that is to rely on their own powerful artillery to directly suppress the defenders in the city, so that they could not raise their heads or even dare to go up to the top of the city to resist.

After suppressing the enemy army at the head of the city, the moat began to be filled, and finally the infantry was dispatched to attack the city.

A very simple tactical idea.

But it is not easy to achieve this, at least it is almost impossible for the Ming army or the Dongyao army.

Because this set of simple tactics of the Township Protection Army is based on powerful artillery firepower.

Especially the siege mortars played a huge role. Even though only eighteen siege mortars were dispatched in this battle, their effect was more than the sum of other artillery pieces.

In addition to siege mortars, the rural protection army also had a large number of light tunics and long-barreled field artillery.

This constitutes a multi-level, comprehensive artillery firepower.

With such a powerful artillery unit, it is possible to effectively cover the infantry attacking the city.

If other troops with less artillery firepower were to fight like this, I'm afraid they would hit the city wall with blood!
(End of this chapter)