The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 589 Death in battle
The first night attack resulted in more than 200 casualties among the refugees. Those who survived were driven back by the Ming army with muskets and bows and arrows before they could even get close to the city wall.

On the 18th, the artillery of the Fifth Corps launched a more intense bombardment on the South Gate, and the Divine Fire and Flying Crows joined the battle. The wall of Jiangxia South Gate was very strong, and the Ming army retreated, so the bombardment had little effect.

The Qi army had already crossed the river at this time, and with no reinforcements in sight, they were stationed in a fortified city, caught in a dilemma of whether to advance or retreat.

In a rage, Pu Gang called the workshop foreman and asked him to launch the hot air balloon into battle.

The carpenter hesitated, saying that the wind was too strong and that it might rain. Finally, he said that the Ministry of Works had not issued them with bomb-dropping hot air balloons.

Pu Gang became even angrier when he thought about the fact that he was raised by a stepmother.

"Let's try our best. Raise the observation balloon and drop a few grenades to scare Zuo Liangyu to death!"

"But, without a bomb launcher, we can't hit it..."

"Stop talking nonsense and execute!"

At noon, under the expectant gaze of everyone, a golden hot air balloon slowly rose from the Qi army camp.

This type of balloon used for observation and reconnaissance is available in every corps. It is usually used as a mascot, and a reliable bomb-dropping device is still under development.

A thin observer got into the hanging basket carrying two bundles of gunpowder, a dozen grenades, and a large stack of leaflets.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people from both sides, the hot air balloon slowly rose into the sky like a snail climbing a ladder.

The Ming army at Binyang Gate witnessed the rising monster and after a brief moment of panic, they reacted and immediately began shooting arrows and firing guns into the sky.

The two sides were several miles apart, and no matter whether heavy arrows, light arrows or muskets, they could not hit the hanging basket.

The red cannons at the South Gate had insufficient elevation, and even if they could aim and fire, the Ming army's artillery would be powerless. The red cannons at the South Gate had been cleared out by the Qi army's artillery during the bombardment in the past few days.

Half an hour later, there were a few crackling sounds, and a few flames lit up in Jiangxia City, like sparks splashing from an oil pan, and then everything returned to calm.

Then, thousands of copies of the Southern Expedition Manifesto issued by the retired emperor to the military and civilians of Huguang floated down from the sky.

The gist of the manifesto is as follows:

What's the saying "throwing a whip to stop the flow of a river"? If one Qi soldier drinks a sip of water, the Yangtze River will stop flowing! The emperor is here to save everyone. He will give you land and silver, and everything except women... Stop resisting in vain, surrender! Whoever captures Zuo Liangyu alive will be promoted to the commander-in-chief. Whoever captures Zheng Sen alive will be appointed the general of Taiwan. Whoever captures the false emperor Zhu Changying alive will be named the King of Pingxi...

The messenger came forward and said that due to a sudden change in wind direction, in order to prevent the hot air balloon from being blown away, the workshop requested that the balloon be landed first.

The mission of distributing leaflets is over.

"That's it?"

Pu Gang and Xing Zhongyi looked at each other in surprise.

"That's it."

After half an hour, the hot air balloon slowly landed back in the open space of the Qi army camp.

The skinny lookout was shivering from the cold. As soon as he jumped down, he stamped his feet and sneezed, as if he had the fever. The two cavalrymen on guard saw this and laughed.

The Chief Instructor murmured, "It's lonely up there!"

Pu Gang was furious:
"What a disgrace! Put the balloons away!"

The bombing effect was not ideal. Because the altitude was too high and there were no bomb droppers, the accuracy of the bombs was very poor.

Most of the grenades and gunpowder bags fell on the houses behind Binyang and others. It is estimated that the number of civilians killed or injured today is far greater than that of the Ming army.

"Luckily, he didn't throw the grenade on you or me. Otherwise, how about another explosion tomorrow?"

The instructor asked tentatively.

"Bomb his mother. What did the Emperor say before he left?"

Before the army marched south, Liu Zhaosun repeatedly ordered that each corps should take over the major cities in the south as "completely" as possible, including but not limited to Hankou, Jiangxia and Wuchang.

This place is the most prosperous place in Chu and a hub for water and land transportation. Its complete acceptance is extremely important for maintaining the rule of Da Qi in Huguang in the future.

"The emperor is very far-sighted." Xing Zhongyi said insincerely.

"Continue the night raids until the Ming army is exhausted and slack. Then, have the soldiers disguise themselves as refugees and launch a surprise attack, taking them down in one fell swoop!"

"Okay, that works!"

The two hit it off and announced the fate of the remaining refugees.

The air strike had a mediocre effect, but it terrified the Ming army in the city, and the riots in the city lasted until the evening.

Pu Gang was reluctant to sacrifice his own soldiers. The main force of the retired emperor had not yet entered Huguang, and it was still unknown when they would arrive at the Wuchang battlefield.

Once the vanguard suffers too many casualties and is unable to follow up, it will be a major defeat, which is a major taboo in military strategy.

At night, they continued to organize night raids by refugees, and the scale was larger than before, increasing from 800 people to 2,000.

All the ladders from the people around Huangpi had been confiscated, and the trees in the nearby mountains and forests had been cut down by the Ming army, making it impossible to build siege equipment. Therefore, the auxiliary troops rushed to Yunmeng County early to requisition ladders and gunpowder, as the artillery was running out of gunpowder.

This time more supplies were needed, but the Qi army did not have that much cash, so they were given marching coupons.

On the morning of the 20th, long ladders were transported from Yunmeng one after another and piled up in front of the big tent, forming a mountain.

The engineers and refugees were busy tying the ladders tightly and wrapping the two ends with linen to prevent slipping.

With gunpowder, the artillery continued to bombard the South Gate, and the Ming army had no place to stand on the city wall.

The night was dark. As before, the refugees began to climb the city walls in the latter half of the night, choosing the southern section, which had been riddled with holes from artillery fire.

The artillery was responsible for providing cover, and the sound of artillery continued throughout the night, gradually stopping at dawn.

At dawn, Xing Zhongyi woke up from his half-asleep state. A messenger came in hurriedly and said that the army had entered Jiangxia and was fighting in the streets with the Ming army.

"Where did they attack from?"

"Some say they entered through Binyang Gate, some say through Tongxiang Gate, and some say through Wusheng Gate."

"Who broke in?"

The messenger was hesitant. The news outside was already spreading like wildfire. Some said it was a refugee, some said it was Lu Yang from the first battalion, and some said it was Wang Jie from the second battalion.

"As a messenger, you must see and hear military matters with your own eyes and ears. Otherwise, all rumors are false. Your mistake is a small matter, but disrupting the morale of the army is a big deal! Make sure you find out everything before reporting!"

The instructor warned the messenger and asked him to inquire again.

The guard took out half a steamed bun left over from last night and handed it to Shangguan, and Xing Zhongyi began to eat it with tea.

After breakfast, he led his guards out of the camp. Outside, rumors were rife, with all sorts of stories circulating, all with great fanfare. Some said the First Battalion had captured Jiangxia the previous night and were now attacking Wuchang. Others said Zuo Liangyu had been captured.

Xing Zhongyi ignored it and rode a short green horse in front.

The weather was clear, and smoke and dust were billowing on the road under the city wall in the distance. Jiangxia lay in the sun, and the white mist looked like a mirage.

Xing Zhongyi walked another hundred steps towards the mirage, and the guards advised him to retreat because he had entered the range of the Ming army's artillery.

Before the Chief Instructor could speak, the two trainee instructors who followed him spoke first:

"If I don't go to the front lines and be with the soldiers, how can I be a good instructor for Da Qi?"

Xing Zhongyi looked at the two slightly childish faces in front of him, and without speaking to them, he turned to the guard and said:

"How many of those who attacked at night retreated?"

"They haven't retreated yet. I heard they're trapped in the trenches below the city. Captain Lu of the First Battalion is leading his troops to support them."

When Xing Zhongyi heard about Mr. Lu, he smiled slightly. The two of them had been drinking together a few days ago.

During the Battle of Linqing, Lu Yang was still a musketeer, but now he is a rising star in the Sixth Corps.

"Move forward."

Before he finished speaking, there was a loud bang, and an iron ball hit the ground five or six steps away from Qing Ma. Fortunately, the ball landed on a piece of sand and did not ricochet.

The ground was covered with dust and smoke. The Ming army had used solid bullets, so the shells did not explode. However, the surrounding guards did explode. They shouted, led their horses, and hurriedly retreated.

"Don't worry," the instructor continued to comfort everyone.

Just as he took a few steps back, another shell landed behind him. The two novice instructors were so frightened by the sound of the cannon that they jumped around in panic. One of them threw away the banners and leaflets in his hand, while the other was too scared to move and squatted in the pit crying.

Xing Zhongyi waved his hand and said to the guards, "Carry them back!"

Then two more shells flew over, hitting the target more accurately, and fortunately there was no danger.

When Xing Zhongyi and his party were preparing to go back, a stretcher was carried in from the opposite side, followed by a guard carrying a flintlock pistol.

Old Xing's heart skipped a beat. Only officers above the rank of captain in the Qi army were allowed to have guards.

The man on the rack was covered by a Black Antelope flag riddled with bullet holes. Only his calves in military boots were exposed, and his body was motionless.

When the stretcher passed by Xing Zhongyi, a guard following behind suddenly shouted:
Disciplinary officer! Disciplinary officer! ...

That man was Lu Yang's guard Liu Yi.

"How's Captain Lu?"

"Wood things, wood things..."

Henan soldier Liu Yi hurriedly denied it.

Xing Zhongyi dismounted and suddenly uncovered the military flag, revealing Lu Yang's face.

His eyes were open, fixed, their light gone. His yellow face had turned pale. His mouth was slightly open; he was dead.

"This is the suicide note left by my captain."

Liu Yi reached out and took out a dirty piece of paper from his arms.

The letter was made of parchment, a common type used by the Qi army, with a few large characters written crookedly in pencil on it, the words so intermittent that they could be seen through the back of the paper.

The second night attack also failed, and the refugees suffered heavy casualties. The Ming army is powerful and has the support of the French instructors. Please advise Master Pu that we must be cautious when attacking the city. I have a four-year-old son, and I beg you to raise him to adulthood...

It was first engraved at Changchun Temple at 7:00 am on February 20th of the first year of Guangde.

The surroundings were silent, with only the occasional stray bullet flying overhead.

Xing Zhongyi stood for a while before gently closing the dead man's eyes and waving his hand to let the stretcher pass.

He suddenly jumped on his horse, leaving everyone behind, and galloped towards Pu Gang's central military tent.

(End of this chapter)