weaving

Chapter 1534 Your Majesty, I have done my best!
The 12th day of the intercalary 11th month, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).

The north wind was biting, and the chill was penetrating.

However, the scene inside Hejian Prefecture was bustling with activity, especially in the north of the city. People were shouting and horses were neighing both inside and outside the city, creating a chaotic yet orderly atmosphere.

The commander of the Jurchen army outside the city was Meile'ezhenyechen of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner. The army consisted of 1,000 Jurchen Bordered Yellow Banner soldiers and more than 6,000 soldiers from the Mongol Plain White Banner, Bordered White Banner, and Plain Blue Banner. In addition, the bondservants, servants, and other servants who accompanied the army made the total number of soldiers more than 10,000.

Yesterday, Yibai, the Gushan Ejen of the Plain White Banner of Mongolia, and Suna, the Gushan Ejen of the Bordered White Banner, led their troops here and immediately organized an attack on the city. However, the city of Hejian Prefecture was well prepared and launched a fierce attack with cannon fire, and they failed to break through.

However, not long after Ibai and Suna withdrew their troops, Mele'ezhenyechen of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner led his army to join them. In addition to a thousand Bordered Yellow Banner soldiers and more than three thousand Mongol Plain Blue Banner soldiers, he also brought more than five thousand men and women who had been captured.

It was with the addition of Ye Chen's fresh troops that the Tartars launched a new siege on the 12th, determined to break through the defenses of Hejian Prefecture.

As soon as dawn broke, the Tartar soldiers launched a new siege, focusing their main force on the north side and attacking the northern city. They concentrated a large force, including almost all of their artillery, in the northeast corner.

In the east and west directions, a small number of scouts were dispatched to patrol, but not a single Tartar soldier could be seen in the south of the city. This was to provide an escape route for the soldiers and civilians in Hejian City.

I just don't know if there are any Tartar troops lying in ambush in the south of the city.
Since everyone knew the Tartars were cunning, not a single person dared to escape through the south gate!
However, the garrison in Hejian Prefecture was not large, with fewer than two thousand soldiers, more than half of whom were old and weak, and less than half of whom were actually capable of fighting.

Fortunately, the gentry and wealthy households in the city did not want the Tartar soldiers to enter the city, and responded to the call of Prefect Yan Yinshao. Those with manpower contributed manpower, those with money contributed money, those with grain contributed grain, and those with nothing contributed their lives, organizing three or four thousand young men and women.

The men defended the city walls against the Jurchens, while the women cooked, boiled water, and prepared broth below the walls. They also took care of the wounded and sick, truly working together to resist the Jurchens' attack.

…………

The booming sound of cannons rang out incessantly, and thick smoke billowed everywhere, both on the Tartar soldiers' positions outside the city and on the north wall of Hejian City, where the most intense battles were taking place.

Especially in the northeast corner of Hejian City, the key point of the Tartar siege, black smoke billowed into the sky, and the shouts of men and the neighing of horses were the loudest.

Most of the cannons outside the city were also concentrated on this area, and more than a thousand skilled Tartar soldiers rained down deadly arrows incessantly, causing great harm to the unarmored soldiers and the able-bodied men guarding the city.

As the Tartar soldiers were about to scale the city walls, the defending soldiers panicked and became terrified. In their haste, they accidentally ignited the gunpowder near the parapet...

After a loud "boom," there was another huge "thud," and the entire northeast corner of the city wall was completely engulfed in black smoke, making it difficult for outsiders to see the specific situation inside.

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and flames shot into the sky. The thatched huts that people used to live in were instantly burned to ashes, and cries, shouts, and screams filled the air.

The magistrate in charge of the defense here, Tian Jining, was blown to pieces on the spot, while He Jiguang, the commander of the Hejian Three Guards, also lost an arm and fell unconscious on the spot.

Zhou Erchun, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, was lucky to survive. He was right next to He Jiguang when the explosion occurred. He watched as a dark object flew by, followed by a splash of blood on his face, and then heard He Jiguang's heart-wrenching screams.

But when he went to check on He Jiguang, he found him completely collapsed on the ground, and for a moment he did not know whether he was dead or alive.

But the battle did not cease because of their deaths and fainting. Just as He Jiguang collapsed, a Tartar soldier climbed the battlements, a sight first witnessed by Zhou Erchun. Despite being a civil official, his courage was no less than that of some military generals…

Zhou Erchun shouted, "Kill...kill the Tartars!"

He then brandished his long sword and charged headlong at the Tartar soldier who had just stepped onto the city wall.

I wanted to kill the traitors, but I was powerless to do so!

The longsword in Zhou Erchun's hand had just been swung down when it was knocked away by the Tartar soldier with a hammer. Then a kick landed squarely on his chest, sending Zhou Erchun staggering back more than ten steps before finally falling flat on his backside.

Perhaps inspired by Zhou Erchun, or perhaps knowing the consequences of the Tartar soldiers storming the city, three defenders and four able-bodied men charged forward...

However, their swords and spears could not harm the Tartar soldiers who wore two layers of armor, but the short hammers in the Tartars' hands were extremely dangerous to them.

With two consecutive hammer blows, one garrison soldier was struck in the chest and immediately collapsed to the ground, while another strongman guarding the city was even more unfortunate. He was struck directly on the head by the hammer, and before he could even let out a scream, he fell headfirst to the ground...

Bright red blood mixed with a splatter of whitish brain matter splattered everywhere, a truly gruesome sight!
However, such a tragic outcome did not deter the soldiers and civilians defending the city. The remaining garrison soldier roared "Kill!" and pounced on the enemy. Taking advantage of the moment when the Tartar soldier did not retract his short hammer, he grabbed him and tried to throw him to the ground.

However, the Tartar soldiers wore two layers of armor, and given their already large and heavy builds, their stable stance made them far more difficult for the weak and frail defenders to fall over.

However, while it couldn't knock the Tatar soldiers to the ground, it greatly limited his weight, forcing the Tatar soldiers to use the handle of the hammer to strike the defenders' backs with all their might.

Just when it seemed they were about to be defeated, the defender's hoarse voice rang out: "Charge! What are you waiting for? If the Tartars break through the city, your whole family will die!"

Although the words were not loud, they ignited the remaining garrison and three able-bodied men. They roared and charged forward. Except for one able-bodied man who was knocked down by the Tartar soldier's short hammer, the remaining garrison and able-bodied men pounced on the Tartar soldier and held him tightly.

It took four people working together to barely manage to knock the Tartar soldier to the ground. However, because the Tartar soldier was protected by armor, they were unable to harm him in the slightest, even though he was pinned to the ground.

At this moment, Zhou Erchun rushed forward again, this time holding not a longsword, but half a city brick, roaring, "Let me smash him to death!"

The impact slammed into the Tartar soldier's helmet with a loud thud. Although it didn't kill the soldier, it made him dizzy.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

One, one, and another, and yet another…

After smashing the brick countless times, Zhou Erchun's arm was sore and numb that he threw away the half brick in his hand and fell backward onto the city wall. He then saw one Tartar soldier after another rushing up from the crenellations.

At this moment, he was completely powerless and could no longer get up to fight. Watching the Tartar soldiers climb the city walls, he was too weak to do anything. He could only use his last bit of strength to turn his head towards the direction of the Ming capital and say in a voice so weak that only he could hear, "Your Majesty, I have done my best!"