The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 419 Everyone has their own agenda
Contrary to what many people imagine, Nanjing is actually located in a hilly area, not a flat plain.

As Nanjing was the capital in the early Ming Dynasty, city defense was naturally of paramount importance.

Except for the Yangtze River in the northwest, the east, south and north of Nanjing City are all mountains.

Therefore, when Nanjing was expanding, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to build the city wall of Nanjing according to the terrain of the mountains and rivers around Nanjing.

In accordance with the needs of city defense, an outer city with a circumference of 60 kilometers was built, covering the main commanding heights of Nanjing.

Times have changed. The range and power of artillery are getting farther and farther. If it is set up on these commanding heights, it can cross the city walls and directly threaten the city of Nanjing.

Therefore, for the purpose of city defense, a city wall must be built in the outer city.

The city walls of Nanjing are generally over 14 meters high, with the highest point reaching 24 meters. The height of the outer city wall is roughly 8 to 10 meters.

There are more than 10,000 battlements and more than 200 arrow towers and bunkers on the city wall.

Apart from the city of Beijing, Nanjing’s city defense can be said to be the most extensive and tightest.

only……

The number of city defenses, the height of the city walls, the thickness of the city walls and the difficulty of defending the city are not proportional.

Like Fengyang, Nanjing was not a fortified city.

When the enemy crossed the Yangtze River, Nanjing was virtually in enemy hands.

The long city wall means that a large number of soldiers and horses are needed for defense.

There were only 60,000 soldiers in the entire Nanjing, and their quality was mixed. It was a blessing from God that only 30% of them could fight.

Yangzhou fell three days ago.

After Sun Chuanting was defeated in Pizhou, the officers and soldiers who came to support the suppression of various towns retreated northward. There were only about 10,000 remnants of soldiers in Yangzhou, and the rest were community soldiers and militiamen.

The people's army is on the offensive

Inside Nanjing City, Shen Ce Gate.

The fiery red military flag fluttered in the howling north wind.

Lu Xiangsheng stood on the tower of Shen Ce Gate, gazing into the distance in the north of the city.

Inside the long city walls, there are dark black flags one after another.

On the second day after crossing the river, the troops of the Wanmin Army had broken through the outer city walls and arrived at the inner city of Nanjing.

Under the dark black flags, there were soldiers wearing black scarves.

Countless soldiers wearing black scarves gathered together, forming an inky ocean.

Beacon towers were lit one after another, and plumes of smoke shot straight into the sky.

Dark clouds obscured the sky.

Fear filled the walls.

The dull sound of war drums lingered in Lu Xiangsheng's ears.

Looking at the dark mass from afar, like a wave pressing down like a black cloud, Lu Xiangsheng felt a chill in his heart.

He had seen the same scene in the eleventh year of Chongzhen.

Tens of thousands of Eastern Tartars surrounded him in Jiazhuang. The attacking Eastern Tartars were almost endless, and they wanted to take his head.

Under his command, there were only about ten thousand remnants of soldiers and a dozen generals, all of whom were exhausted.

It was a situation where he was bound to lose and die, but he was not afraid.

At that time, the soldiers and officers who followed him had only one thought and one idea in their minds - to defend their country!
Everyone is united and is ready to die.

All the people followed him, and all the common people saw him off.

only……

nowadays……

Lu Xiangsheng lowered his head and looked down at the lifeless soldiers defending the city, and his heart grew colder.

Now, the soldiers from all over the country are united and ready to die. It is not the soldiers from the southern towns under his command, but the people's army who have crossed the river and are called rebels.

The Wanmin Army originally did not have many boats to cross the river, and they had no conditions to cross the river at all.

Helping them cross the river were fishermen and boatmen from the Yangtze River area.

Faced with the tall warships of the Nanjing Navy, the fishermen and boatmen who were paddling their small boats and sampans actually dared to help the soldiers of the Wanmin Army cross the river.

The soldiers of the Ten Thousand People's Army also boarded their ships without hesitation.

Many ships were unable to reach their destination and were swallowed up by the river.

But the soldiers of the Army of Nations continued to advance.

Just like Jiazhuang...the soldiers who once followed him...

The same goes for the fishermen and boatmen... one after another...

Just like the people of the three prefectures who welcomed them with food and drink...

The people's hearts were on the side of the Ten Thousand People's Army.

The soldiers of the host of the nations are the ones who have not harmed a hair.

The ones who complained the most were the officials and soldiers of the imperial court.

The common people saw the army of all nations as if they were their relatives and friends.

The people fear the soldiers as if they were snakes and scorpions.

Since I went south to lead the army, what I have seen and heard is different from that in the north.

In just a few months, there were hundreds of lawsuits against the military for harassing and harming the people, the number of which was too numerous to count.

The soldiers in various towns were extremely lazy, and more than half of them were unqualified, and they were filled with ruffians and hooligans, making them completely incapable of fighting.

Even though Lu Xiangsheng tried every possible means, he still couldn't complete the training of the troops in various towns.

Water can carry a boat...

It can also capsize the boat...

When Guazhou fell, the Wanmin Army crossed the river from Guazhou and marched in.

The war is out of control...

Lu Xiangsheng lowered his head and leaned against the railing of the observation deck, looking exhausted.

Although he was in his prime, only in his early forties, Lu Xiangsheng's temples were all gray, showing his old age.

The sorrow of losing a teacher and the pain of losing a father are intertwined.

The country is in turmoil, darkness and hopelessness, and I am deeply saddened.

The emperor's questioning, the hopes of the elders of the three prefectures, and the death of his soldiers.

One thing after another made Lu Xiangsheng more and more depressed and his body more and more haggard.

He was unable to drive out the invading Eastern Tartars, nor was he able to save the elders of the three prefectures.

There was not even a way to fight for a fair reward for the soldiers who died because of him.

Thousands of soldiers died in Jiazhuang, many of whom did not even receive compensation...

Since I came to Yixing to observe mourning, I have seen the situation in the country getting worse day by day.

But we cannot participate and we are powerless to do anything.

all of these.

All of this made Lu Xiangsheng very worried and angry.

This time, the emperor finally entrusted him with an important task again.

but……

But he couldn't relieve the emperor's worries...

The situation has deteriorated to this point...

Everything is just like Jiazhuang in the past.

Lu Xiangsheng had a cold look on his face as he fled from Jiazhuang in the north.

But you can't escape Jiazhuang on the road of life.

"Ugh——"

The deep and long horn sounded again from afar.

That was the sound of the horn calling the armies of nations to gather.

On the river bank north of the city, trumpets sounded one after another, and countless flags moved in response.

Lu Xiangsheng raised his head and looked into the distance.

Tens of thousands of soldiers of the People's Army are beginning to respond to the flag.

The infantry of the Wanmin Army are constantly pouring out from camps everywhere and entering the battlefield.

The army of the people had a strict formation and kept changing its formation.

The dark black wave had already covered the entire front, while the soldiers of the Ten Thousand People's Army in the rear seemed endless.

The knights of the Ten Thousand Peoples Army, carrying snow-white feathers on their backs, raised their weapons high, shouted "Long live the Nanjing", and galloped freely on their horses in the wilderness outside Nanjing.

"A letter came from Fengyang saying that the Wanmin Army had already abandoned Fengyang, leaving only 30,000 soldiers to set up camp and defend the city. The rest of the troops have all gone south."

Huang Degong climbed up the city wall, clasped his hands together and bowed to Lu Xiangsheng, bringing Lu Xiangsheng the news from outside the city.

"Tang Ma reported that the number of civilian troops crossing the river north of Nanjing City has reached 150,000..."

After the Battle of Jiming Mountain, all the camps and towns in Jiangbei were recalled to Jiangnan by Lu Xiangsheng.

Now, not only has the offensive and defensive situation changed, but the strong and weak situation has also changed.

The rebels are strong, while the officers and soldiers are weak. If they divide their forces, they will be defeated one by one. If they gather their forces together, they will still be able to fight.

Lu Xiangsheng looked solemn and his eyes were deep.

Now in Nanjing city, the soldiers from various towns are of little use.

The only elite troops that could be truly relied upon were the 8,000 remnants of the Yongwei Battalion led by Huang Degong.

Among the other towns, the only ones capable of fighting were General Mou Wenshou and his troops Liu Liangzuo.

However, Liu Liangzuo was confident that he had a strong army and refused to be deployed. He refused to enter Nanjing and stationed his troops in Jiangning.

Fortunately, General Mou Wenshou is loyal and prudent, and he cares about the country.

With the help of Huang Degong and Mou Wenshou, Lu Xiangsheng was able to barely control the troops in the southern towns.

"How is the battle situation in Jiangning?"

Lu Xiangsheng looked at the Wanmin Army in the distance and asked.

Except for the Wanmin Army that crossed the river from Guazhou in the north.

Another enemy threatening Nanjing was Zhang Xianzhong, who crossed the river from the west.

If one wants to threaten Nanjing from the west, the place that cannot be avoided is Jiangning.

Liu Liangzuo had other intentions and stationed his troops in Jiangning instead of entering Nanjing. He did not expect that Zhang Xianzhong and the Wanmin Army would join forces and plot to take Nanjing.

Jiangning went from being a safe place to being the first pass to be hit.

When Huang Degong heard Lu Xiangsheng asking about Liu Liangzuo in Jiangning, he couldn't help but look angry.

Huang Degong tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart and answered in a muffled voice.

"Liu Liangzuo abandoned Jiangning at noon today... and fled to the south..."

Lu Xiangsheng's expression remained the same.

He had already expected Liu Liangzuo's escape.

It was impossible to save Jiangning from the beginning.

Just having to face the People's Army was already difficult enough.

With the addition of tens of thousands of Dashi Army soldiers, it was difficult to defend Nanjing, let alone the small Jiangning.

"Liu Liangzuo stole the position of general and wanted to emulate Zuo Liangyu, but he did not have the ability of Zuo Liangyu. He was as timid as a mouse and incompetent. It was normal for him to flee in defeat."

In fact, Lu Xiangsheng wanted to execute Liu Liangzuo to uphold military law.

However, there are the precedents of Chen Guowei and Zhang Zoukai.

Sun Chuanting and Yang Sichang cut off his head with the Shangfang sword, winning the hearts of the officers and soldiers from all the towns and dominating the area.

Therefore, Liu Liangzuo was extremely careful about his own safety, and the messengers he sent to deliver messages could not even enter the military camp.

Liu Liangzuo did not enter Nanjing City but garrisoned in Jiangning because he was worried about his own safety.

Lu Xiangsheng felt helpless. Liu Liangzuo was about to leave and he couldn't stop him at all.

Unlike the situations of Sun Chuanting and Yang Sichang, he did not have Chen Wang or Cao Bianjiao under his command.

There is no one who can be granted the Imperial Sword.

Huang Degong is brave and courageous.

But it is impossible for him to complete the mission like Chen Wang and Cao Bianjiao.

In the past, Chen Wang entered the camp and killed Chen Guowei with the Shangfang Sword. Chen Guowei's personal guards resisted and killed another 173 people.

Chen Wang personally killed seventeen military generals and all of Chen Guowei's close associates.

The soldiers stationed in Jizhou were frightened.

Cao Bianjiao's killing of Zhang Zoukai was even more brutal.

Cao Bianjiao entered the camp with a knife in his hand and killed Zhang Zoukai in the central army tent. He also killed thirteen of Zhang Zoukai's personal guards, cut off his head, and carried it out of the camp. The generals in the camp did not dare to look at each other.

Lu Xiangsheng did not think that Huang Degong had the ability to successfully kill Liu Liangzuo and subdue the generals under Liu Liangzuo.
Liu Liangzuo's presence or absence cannot shake the overall situation.

From beginning to end, there were only two people who could save Nanjing from crisis.

One is Chen Wang, who is now leading his troops to attack Fengyang.

The other person is Zheng Zhilong, who is now the commander-in-chief of Fujian.

"Where is Zheng Zhilong..."

The situation on Chen Wang's side is complicated.

How could Lu Xiangsheng not know about the situation in the South Country after arriving there for so long?

Chen Wang had a strong army and had essentially established his own regime, but it was not justified in name only.

The death of Sun Chuanting resulted in the loss of power over local governors and governors-general.

Chen Wang, under the title of General Suppressing Bandits, is gradually taking over the power to assist and suppress various towns, and even the power of local administration.

"The Fujian navy has arrived east of Zhenjiang Prefecture, but..."

Huang Degong looked hesitant and seemed a little hesitant.

"Just what?"

Lu Xiangsheng raised his eyebrows slightly and asked.

"Zheng Zhilong reported that the fleet suffered heavy losses and was unable to cross the river due to artillery bombardment by the enemy's army. It will take time to remove the enemy's artillery positions..."

Lu Xiangsheng's expression changed several times, becoming increasingly gloomy.

"Zheng Zhilong..."

Lu Xiangsheng's voice was low and his eyes were grim.

How could he not know what Zheng Zhilong, the general of Fujian, had done?

The warships under Zheng Zhilong were powerful, running rampant overseas and dominating the coast.

It is no secret how many usable artillery pieces the Wanmin Army has, and this can be clearly seen from previous battles.

In the Battle of Pizhou, the Wanmin Army mobilized almost all of its artillery to bombard Pizhou.

There were only five Red Cannons in the Wanmin Army, and only about thirty re-fired ones.

The Fujian Navy under Zheng Zhilong had dozens of large and small cannons on each of its main warships.

It is also heard that in addition to the ordinary Fujian ships and silk-carving ships, the Fujian navy led by Zheng Zhilong also had larger bird ships and Western warships.

These warships were equipped with large-caliber cannons, and any ship was loaded with more than thirty cannons.

It was precisely because of these warships that Zheng Zhilong was able to dominate overseas.

It would undoubtedly be a pipe dream for the Wanmin Army to really stop the Fujian navy with only such a small number of artillery.

If we sort out these issues, the reason why Fujian’s navy is now intercepted by the Wanmin Army in the east of Zhenjiang Prefecture is actually very simple.

Everything is just an excuse made by Zheng Zhilong...

……

To the east of Zhenjiang Prefecture, countless flags were waving on the river.

The water waves were surging and the river wind was violent, blowing past countless boats and rolling up countless sails.

The rustling sound echoed in Zheng Zhilong's ears.

Zheng Zhilong was wearing chain mail inside and a robe outside, a full military uniform, standing with his hands behind his back on the bow deck.

Although the Yangtze River is wide, it is still far smaller than a real ocean.

"Father!"

Zheng Zhilong frowned slightly and turned to look at the source of the sound.

The person who came was his son, Zheng Sen.

"Nanjing has been in danger for a long time. Our army has already cleared the enemy's strongholds. Why don't you move forward?"

Zheng Sen looked anxious and asked urgently.

Zheng Zhilong's expression was slightly gloomy. Zheng Zhibao, who was standing beside him, stepped forward and stopped Zheng Sen.

Zheng Sen wanted to ask more, but when he saw Zheng Zhibao slowly shaking his head, he could only lower his head and stop talking.

The wind from the river suddenly blew, bringing with it waves of whistling sounds...