Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 395: Nothing is impossible if the people want it
The next day, the Red Army launched another fierce attack on Xiangchun Gate in the north of the city. At 9:00 p.m., after a day and night of continuous bombardment, the Red Army blasted a gap in the old gap in the wall of Xiangchun Gate.

The first batch of suicide squads was composed of the First Brigade of the Royal Guards, totaling 300 people. All of them were wearing heavy armor and rushed towards the gap in the city wall under the enemy's artillery fire and arrows.

While they were moving and cutting down the barricades and chevaux-de-forces, the defenders began to bombard them fiercely with falconets and sub-cannons. This type of light artillery consists of a main gun and a sub-cannon. After each shot, the sub-cannon can be replaced to continue firing, so the firing rate is very fast.

The dense artillery fire caused heavy casualties to the Red Army, with dozens of soldiers falling in an instant. Although the Red Army had an advantage in artillery, it was unable to use its firepower when attacking the city to avoid accidentally injuring the suicide squad. The mountain-splitting cannon was a powerful weapon for close combat, but it was not conducive to attacking from above.

The battlements on Changsha's city wall were densely packed. According to the local records, there were 4679 battlements on the parapet, each 2 feet high. The Qing army had been hiding on the battlements and had never come out of the city to fight, so their strength was not greatly damaged.

The Red Army had to arrange for riflemen to snipe at the enemy troops on the top of the city wall from a distance of 60 steps. Because they were exposed in the open area outside the city, they were easily injured by the Qing army.

The death squad braved artillery fire and arrows and advanced to the gap in the city wall, where they were soon met by Qing troops.

The Qing army also focused on armor, occupied the terrain, and used a variety of weapons to fight back against the Red Army.

Soon, the two armies came into close combat. Both were elite soldiers, experienced in battle, neither would yield, fighting left and right among the ruins.

The Red Army was outnumbered and was at a disadvantage in attacking from above. They were also blocked by the bricks and rammed earth of the city wall. The rear team could not get close, and the front team was outnumbered and gradually showed signs of decline.

At this time, the second group of death squads rushed up, and they were Liu Fangliang's troops from the 12th Brigade. The leading general was Liu Tichun, a famous general of the Dashun Army who was good at blasting.

Liu Tichun came to the breach in the city wall and shouted, "Brothers from the First Brigade, please make way. We, the Twelfth Brigade, are here to let the Tartars have a taste of the power of the blooming bombs."

The Pro-I Association Death Squad suffered heavy losses and made way for them upon hearing the noise. Liu Tichun held a fire bomb in his hand, lit it with a fire medium but was not in a hurry to throw it out, instead he continued to climb up the gap in the city wall.

Thinking that the time was almost up, he threw the fire bomb with all his might, and then shouted, "Get down!"

Behind Liu Tichun were more than two hundred suicide squad members from the 12th Regiment. The forty men in the front team threw fire bombs and then lay on the ground.

When the Qing army saw the Red Army suddenly fall to the ground, they did not understand why, and some of them wanted to take the opportunity to attack the Red Army.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, and the fire bomb thrown by Liu Tichun exploded in the air, and the lead, porcelain pieces, and iron nails inside scattered everywhere, killing several nearby Qing soldiers on the spot.

During the Ming Dynasty, firearms were well developed, and infantrymen were equipped with fire bombs, which were actually small-sized shrapnel shells. The shrapnel shells in the sky rockets used wooden fuses as fuses, while the infantry fire bombs used a fuse rope as fuse, which can be roughly regarded as the predecessor of grenades.

Soon, more than forty fire bombs fell on the Qing army, killing them and making them cry for their parents and retreat in defeat.

Taking advantage of this gap, the Red Army rushed forward, continuing to throw fire bombs and rushing into the gap in the city wall.

The Qing army gradually calmed down from their panic. They first lay on the ground to avoid the fire bombs, and then looked around for shields to enhance their own protection.

When Liu Tichun's ammunition ran out, the Red Army's offensive weakened. The Qing army still had 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers in the city, waiting for the opportunity to attack, so it was more than enough to hold on to a gap.

Shen Yongzhong came personally to supervise the battle and urged the Qing army to counterattack.

The Red Army also refused to give in. The death squads of the First Corps and the Twelfth Corps were brave and no one was willing to retreat. Their fighting spirit was particularly strong. Liu Tichun was especially strong. He was followed by a team of standard-bearers, most of whom were veterans of the Dashun Army. Each of them fought ten to one, gradually crossing the gap in the city wall and were about to break into the city. At the critical moment, Shen Yongzhong ordered his servants to counterattack. In the Han army of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, servants were the private soldiers of the generals. They were the most elite personal soldiers, much more elite than standard-bearers.

The Qing army outnumbered the Red Army and sent in their best retainers, so the Red Army gradually lost its strength.

Danchu saw it clearly from behind the battle line and ordered the troops to retreat to avoid more casualties. Liu Tichun's bravery during the siege left a deep impression on him and he summoned him immediately after the battle.

Among the remaining troops of the Dashun Army, Liu Tichun was the most independent general. With the courtesy name Zizhen and nicknamed "Erhu", he resolutely resisted the Qing Dynasty and parted ways with Tian Jianxiu, Wu Ruyi, Zhang Nai and others who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty; he opposed surrendering to the Southern Ming Dynasty and parted ways with Yuan Zongdi, Li Chixin, Gao Bizheng and others.

Liu Tichun tried to inherit Li Zicheng's will and continue to raise the banner of the Dashun regime. He returned to Shangluo and also entered Hunan, but was defeated each time. He finally entered Kuidong and can be regarded as the initiator of the Thirteen Families of Kuidong and the founder of the Kuidong anti-Qing base.

However, Liu Tichun did not hold a high position in the Dashun Army. He was originally a general under the commander of the Right Camp, Yuan Zongdi. When the Dashun was founded, he was given the title of Guangshanbo and the Right Camp Guoyi General. He did not have a high prestige among his fellow soldiers in the Dashun Army, nor did he have strong appeal and lacked the ability to take charge. In the first year of the Yongli reign, Liu Tichun finally accepted the title of Marquis of Pingxi, and was promoted to Duke of Wan in the fourth year of the Yongli reign.

"I've heard that Zizhen is good at using firearms. Just now he used fire bombs to drive back the Tartars and almost broke into the city. It's impressive." Danchu praised him endlessly. Seeing that Liu Tichun's armor was damaged, he immediately ordered his personal soldiers to fetch a set of Ming armor and said, "When I was a general, I often wore this Ming armor to charge into battle. Precious armor is given to heroes. Today, I will give it to Zizhen."

This was a supreme reward, but Liu Tichun did not dare to accept it, saying: "This is the armor used by the king himself, and I dare not overstep my bounds."

"No problem. To be honest, I have rarely braved arrows and stones since I became the lord of the country. It would be a waste to leave this set of armor here."

"Armor is used to protect oneself on the battlefield. How can one take it off for even a moment? Lord, please take back your order."

"Haha," Danchu laughed, "This clan also has a set of golden armor, which is not often worn on the battlefield. Besides, this clan has armor whenever they want it."

The 12th Brigade was mostly reorganized from the Dashun Army and the Yishi Division, and their equipment was not good. Liu Tichun was the commander of the brigade, and his armor was already damaged and had not been repaired in time.

After many persuasions from his attendants, Liu Tichun finally accepted and put on new armor on the spot, which was just the right size and weight. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. After Liu Tichun changed his armor, he looked more energetic.

"I heard that Zizhen was very ambitious and didn't even care about the official titles in the imperial court. Now, Zizhen has sincerely surrendered to the Red Army, and this clan is very happy. Today, Zizhen led the team to charge into battle, just like Zilong reborn, and the Tartars were defeated. This clan has gained another great general." Danchu did not mention the previous defeat, but instead praised Liu Tichun.

"I dare not hide it from the king," Liu Tichun said sincerely, "I am a descendant of the Shaanxi Army. My family has worked hard for the court for generations, but my family is so poor that they can't even afford to eat. Later, I followed the previous king for a long time and became more and more disappointed with the court. Now that I have met the king, I have met a famous master and I have no regrets in my death."

"Oh?" Danchu smiled and asked, "In your opinion, why was Zicheng able to invade the capital back then?"

Liu Tichun did not dare to call Li Zicheng the late emperor, but insisted on calling him the late king, saying: "The late king cared for the people and won their hearts. He led the troops and won their hearts, so he was able to defeat the Ming army and occupy the capital. The king required tenants to pay taxes and liberated the untouchables, which is a step further than the late king, so that the people of the world no longer have to suffer from food and clothing. Based on this, I will swear to support the king until death, and the king will surely be able to drive out the Tartars and restore the Central Plains."

"Well," Dan Chu secretly praised in his heart, thinking that although Liu Tichun looked rough, he was actually very meticulous and had far-sighted vision. He was truly a talented general and should be cultivated in the future.

"If the people are willing, nothing is impossible. Just as Zicheng defeated the capital with the people's will, this vassal should also defeat Changsha with the people's will. There is no need to attack Changsha by force." Danchu was supervising the battle outside the city. He saw it clearly and had a plan to defeat the enemy in his mind.

Specifically, it was to dispatch auxiliary troops, mobilize volunteer troops and civilians, and pile up earth into a mountain outside Xiangchun Gate. The mountain was as high as the city wall, or even slightly higher, and nearly a hundred steps away from the city wall. This was conducive to exerting firepower while avoiding enemy bows and arrows and muskets.

Once the earthen hills were built, the Red Army could deploy artillery and riflemen on the hills to suppress the defenders. When the death squads attacked the city, the riflemen were in a commanding position and could provide effective cover.

(End of this chapter)