There is a space for passenger planes in the late Ming Dynasty

Following Hong Chengchou's order, Wu Sangui led more than 40,000 troops and approached the east gate of Datong City, preparing to launch a massive attack.

Cao Bianjiao led more than 20,000 troops to detour to the north gate of Datong City to conduct a feint attack.

Wu Sangui led his troops to the city and issued an ultimatum to the city using the method of binding a book with bows and arrows: "After the sun rises tomorrow, those who do not surrender will massacre the city."

The Zhenming Army at the top of the city responded with accurate breech-loading rifles. Wu Sangui sent a hundred archers to shoot letters to persuade them to surrender. Fifty or sixty of them were killed, and the rest fled in a hurry.

Wu Sangui was so angry that his mouth was filled with smoke.

The main reason is that it is getting late today, and night sieges were rarely carried out in ancient times. Therefore, the only option was to issue an ultimatum in an attempt to shake Zhenming's military morale.

Early morning of the second day.

The Zhenming Army at the top of the city was not moved by yesterday's ultimatum at all.

Wu Sangui began to mobilize the artillery battalions in the army, preparing to concentrate artillery to bombard the top of Datong City.

But before the Ming army could open fire, the artillery on top of Datong City sprayed out its fury.

The Zhenming Army's steel artillery had a farther range than the Ming Army's. Coupled with the height advantage of the city, a series of shells hit the Ming Army's artillery camp, which was still calibrating its position.

The gunners in the Ming army camp suffered heavy casualties, and the rest ran away.

However, the Zhenming Army's artillery at the top of Datong City was limited in number. After seven or eight rounds of shelling, the barrels turned red and they had to temporarily stop firing.

Wu Sangui took the opportunity to reorganize the artillery battalion and approach for bombardment, trying to open a gap.

However, the city wall of Datong was very strong, and the Ming army's artillery bombardment was very effective. Some of the gaps that were finally blasted were quickly blocked by the Zhenming army with earth bags, stones, wooden boards, etc.

After a while, the Zhenming Army's artillery cooled down and began to fight back again, causing considerable casualties to the Ming Army.

Seeing that the artillery attack was not going well, Wu Sangui could only rely on the advantage of numbers to attack the city.

Under the threat of the broadsword of the Ming army supervisory team, the first batch of five thousand siege troops, carrying dozens of ladders, began to rush towards the Datong city wall.

The Ming army also erected towering chariots on the opposite side of the city wall, with musketeers and archers stationed on them, trying to suppress fire on the top of Datong City.

The person responsible for defending the east gate was Han Yu, the general of the Datong garrison division. He was not afraid of arrows and went to the city in person to command the defense.

The three thousand Zhenming Army and two thousand Minzhuang at the top of the city were divided into two groups. One group climbed to the city to defend, and the other group rested, recovered their strength, and prepared for long-term battles.

The city head was fully stocked with stones, hammers, oil pans and other materials needed to defend the city. All the defenders had high morale and firm will, vowing to repel the Ming army's attack.

Although the Zhenming Army at the top of Datong City kept firing, the garrison divisions were still equipped with old-fashioned Type II muskets and bows and arrows. The overall firepower was not concentrated enough, and the Ming Army's formation was very scattered.

Soon several groups of Ming troops rushed to the city and climbed onto the ladder.

The top of the ladder is equipped with heavy iron hooks. Once it reaches the city wall, it is definitely not something that ordinary people imagine and can be easily pushed down.

The first troops of the Ming army began to quickly climb the city. The first troops to climb were extremely dangerous, but once the siege was successful, they were the first to succeed. They were all selected from the army. They climbed the ladder very quickly.

"Throw rocks!"

"Push the wooden stick!"

"Pour out the oil pan!"

Brigade General Han Yu, the commander at the top of the city, gave orders in an orderly manner, and the defenders raised various defensive equipment and smashed them down crazily.

"what!"

"It hurts, it hurts!"

"my eyes!!"

The Ming troops under the city and on the ladders kept screaming and fell from the ladders, causing huge casualties.

At this time, the Ming army's columbuses and catapults outside the city also began to provide support.

Intense arrows and stones were thrown at the city head, and the Zhenming Army defending the city also suffered many casualties, but no one retreated. Guard general Han Yu immediately organized a group of musketeers to intensively shoot at the Ming army's columbiners outside the city.

Then the artillery at the city head was dispatched to shoot at the Ming army's catapults outside the city, finally resolving the crisis.

However, under the cover of the Ming army's firepower, a group of agile Ming troops were the first to board the army, leaping left and right, and climbed to the top of the city.

Before they could gather to charge, the Zhenming Army gunners at the back of Datong City opened fire, instantly turning most of them into a hornet's nest.

The few dozen remaining people were surrounded by a large group of Zhenming Army defenders, and were soon stabbed and pushed off the city wall.

"Throw the torch!"

Han Yu ordered again.

Since the ladder was already full of boiling oil and could burn easily, the Zhenming Army's torches started to burn as soon as they were thrown.

Seeing this, other Ming troops could only unload the still intact ladder and prepare to take it back first. After all, it is not easy to make siege equipment.

The first wave of Ming army's attack left behind the bodies of two to three thousand people and began to retreat hastily.

In ancient times, sieges on a city were generally difficult to achieve quickly unless they relied on absolute strength to crush them, or if they had internal support to open the city gates. They often had to rely on siege until the city was severely short of food to be effective.

Just think of the history that the Manchu and Qing armies threatened to besiege Jinzhou City, but failed repeatedly. In the end, the city was so short of food that people needed to eat people, and Jinzhou City was finally conquered.

As for the current Datong City, the city has sufficient supplies and the army and the people are united, so it is not something that the Ming army can capture in a short period of time.

The failure of the first wave of siege was also expected by Wu Sangui.

The first attack was mainly to test the defensive strength of the city and consume their defensive supplies.

After Ming Jin withdrew his troops, Wu Sangui returned to Hong Chengchou's headquarters, and Yang Guozhu, the general of the Xuanfu, was also there.

"Master Tai Tai, today's attack on the city failed, please atone for your sins." Wu Sangui said with fists in his hands.

"General Wu has worked hard today to attack the city. Datong is a fortified city and there is no internal response. How can we break the city in one or two days?

You only suffered a small setback in the first battle, but you also tested the Zhenming Army's defensive strength and consumed their defensive materials. What's the crime? "Hong Chengchou is also a man who has experienced battles for a long time. He naturally knows that attacking the city is not that easy, and he will not blame his subordinates.

"Thank you, Master Taiwan, for your magnanimity!" Wu Sangui replied.

"Sit down and have a cup of tea first. What are the casualties of our troops today?"

"The defense at the top of Datong City is very tight, and the defense supplies are sufficient, so our army suffered heavy casualties. About half of the five thousand soldiers who attacked the city in the first wave suffered casualties." Wu Sangui said painfully.

"The casualties are so heavy. Even though our army is large, it cannot withstand such consumption. Does Sangui have any strategy to attack the city?" Hong Chengchou asked.

"The current plan is to carry out a siege first, and send small groups of troops to attack the city every day to consume the ammunition of the Zhenming Army at the top of the city.

When their artillery runs out of ammunition, we will concentrate the entire army's artillery and strive to knock down a section of the city wall, relying on the advantage of numbers to attack the city. "Wu Sangui offered advice.

"General Yang, what do you think?"

"The last general also agrees with General Wu. Facing a tightly defended fortified city, we can only besiege it and wait for change." Yang Guozhu replied.

"Since everyone agrees. Starting tomorrow, Sangui and General Yang will send small groups of troops to attack the city in turns, constantly consuming the defenders' strength, and launch another general attack ten days later."

"Yes!" the two responded.

In the next period of time, Datong City began a non-stop offensive and defensive battle day and night.

Of course Cao Xiong also understood that the Ming army was just to consume the defenders, but this was a conspiracy. It was impossible for them to attack the city without fighting back, and it would be difficult to control the consumption if they fought back.

Fortunately, the various materials in Datong City are still sufficient, and the people are very supportive of the defense, so it will not be a problem to hold on for a while.

As for long-term persistence, Cao Xiong also believed that King Zhenming would definitely send troops to support.

(End of this chapter)