The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 644: Battle of Xi'an
"These are all misleading statements for the nation! Ban Gu's "Ode to the Western Capital" says: 'Looking towards the Qinling Mountains, looking towards the northern hills.' Guanzhong is bounded by the Xiao Mountains to the east, the Qinling Mountains to the south, the Long Mountains to the west, and the Yellow River to the north. The isolated Tatar army penetrated thousands of miles deep into the country, committing a crime worthy of military strategy..."

Grand Secretary Pan Du'ao was the last to speak. He was full of righteousness and his words were full of disdain for the Qi army.

He was interrupted by Liu Wenxiu after just saying a few words.

"You're so literary, you want to take the exam to become a scholar? If you can't beat me, then you can't beat me. Don't add fuel to the fire!"

"I have already passed the examination for the title of Scholar!"

Pan Du'ao didn't look at the warrior and continued:
"Xi'an is a city wall of high walls and deep moats. It has all the necessary arrow towers and corner towers. Red-haired cannons are scattered throughout the city. One man can hold the pass against ten thousand! There are also elite troops from the old camp guarding it. If Deng Changxiong wants to capture it, it will be impossible without the death of tens of thousands of troops!"

The military generals of the Dashi Emperor all looked at the Grand Secretary with hostility in their eyes.

All the generals were afraid of the enemy like a tiger, but Pan Du'ao, who was weak and could not even tie a chicken, stepped forward.

Zhang Zicheng was moved by this awe-inspiring righteousness.

"Good! Good! Grand Secretary Pan, if everyone had your courage, Deng Changxiong wouldn't be able to reach Xi'an!"

Liu Wenxiu snorted and said in a gloomy tone:
"The soldiers in the south are all cowards, hiding in their shells and refusing to come to our aid. Mr. Pan is a good speaker, and he would be so kind as to persuade them to come!"

Pan Du'ao's journey to the imperial examination ended with the title of scholar. Liu Wenxiu's calling him Pan Xiucai was clearly a humiliation.

He was about to lose his temper when Zhang Zicheng slammed the table and stood up, staggering:
"Whoever can go south to get reinforcements and lift the siege of Xi'an, I will make him the King of Weinan!"

Although there were still more than 30,000 Dashi troops in Xi'an, they were all defeated by the Tatars.

Some unlucky battalions were even beaten by the twelve Qi corps in turn, and their morale and military spirit were completely destroyed.

The title of King of Weinan is obviously not very attractive. He couldn't even defend Xi'an, let alone Weinan.

I can't stay in Shaanxi anymore.

Either go to Henan or enter Sichuan.

However, the results of these two choices are basically the same.

The chieftain of Sichuan will not tolerate them, not to mention Henan. The Ninth Corps of the Qi Army is waiting in the Central Plains.

Everyone looked at each other and said nothing.

Zhang Zicheng gritted his teeth and was about to increase the reward, but he heard the Grand Secretary say sternly:
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go."

Pan Du'ao, a native of Yingcheng, Hubei, was a scholar. In the third year of the Tianqi reign, Zhu Youjian was assassinated and the world was in chaos.

Mr. Pan made a prompt decision, gathered thirty people, established a water fort, trained the navy, and prepared to emulate his predecessors such as Liu Xiu and Huang Chao to accomplish something great.

In the first year of Wuding, Li Xianzhong sent Liu Zongmin south to attack Henan and Huguang. Wang Du'ao killed the magistrate of Yingcheng County and surrendered to the rebel army.

He thought he had found a powerful figure, but a few months later, Liu was killed by Pu Gang's Fifth Corps. Pan Du'ao managed to escape, but he turned around and defected to Zhang Zicheng.

Because he was good at writing and was resourceful, Zicheng treated him as a military advisor. After the establishment of Dashi, he was appointed as a Grand Secretary.

Originally in history, Pan Du'ao was finally captured by Yang Sichang, imprisoned in Xiangyang, and executed in the 14th year of Chongzhen.

"Good! Good!"

Zhang Zicheng stroked his yellow beard and laughed loudly:

"What's that saying? A strong wind knows nothing, a nation in chaos reveals everything. I, indeed, was right about you. I am sending three imperial edicts right now. Before the Tartars surround us, you must quickly take them to Hanzhong, Ankang, and Weinan and have those three bastards lead their troops north! Damn it, if they don't send troops, I'll chop off their heads!"

The old eunuch came before the emperor holding writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone.

"Write!"

Zhang Zicheng shouted loudly.

This old eunuch was originally the steward of the Qin Palace in the former Ming Dynasty and had been staying in the Qin Palace since he was born.

He has served the last King of Qin Zhu Cunji, the Tang Emperor Li Xianzhong, and now works for the Dashi Emperor.

It can be said that he experienced three dynasties without leaving his home.

"Henian, write it quickly!"

Zhang Zicheng pushed away the wine pot and wine cup on the imperial desk, grabbed a piece of rice paper and slapped it on the desk.

"Write!"

The old eunuch raised his brush tremblingly and listened attentively.

"Write it as I read it, motherfucker!"

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Damn you, Liu Jinzhong! You've been like a dead man since you arrived in Hanzhong, sleeping with your wives and drinking with prostitutes, and you didn't even bother writing me a letter to ask if I'm still alive! This year, I've lost many soldiers and horses, and been robbed of so much money and women. I fled from northern Shaanxi to Guanzhong, and the Tartars won't let me go! I'm not running away anymore. I'm going to fight Deng Changxiong to the death! You idiot, you idiot! Hurry and come to reinforce me. If you don't, I'll chop your father, mother, and son into pulp and fuck your mother! This is my decree!!"

The old eunuch sucked in a breath of cold air and gritted his teeth as he transcribed the Daxi Emperor's oral order three times. The content was exactly the same, except that the names of the people being punished were changed by two different people.

Zhang Zicheng waved his hand and said, "Give it to Grand Secretary Pan!"

The old eunuch took the imperial edict with the black rhino horn shaft and handed it to Pan Du'ao as if it was hot.

Grand Secretary Pan said righteously, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will leave the city and get reinforcements right away!"

~~~~
Mount Saga.

The mountain slopes are steep, as if cut by an axe. When you stand on the top and look south, you can see the clear division of the mountains and the entire Guanzhong Plain.

Mount Chuange is located at the junction of Jingyang, Sanyuan and Chunhua counties, only 120 miles away from Xi'an.

At noon on the first day of February in the second year of Guangde, the Second Corps of the Qi Army arrived at the southern foot of Mount Chuange one after another. The army set up camp on the mountain and the fire soldiers made a fire and cooked.

At noon, the black tents stretched for more than ten miles, like a giant black dragon, winding and lurking on the edge of the Guanzhong Plain, extending its sharp fangs, ready to strike a fatal blow to the enemy.

The Chinese military tent.

The messengers in light armor rode on horses and tightened the reins one after another at the door of the big tent. Accompanied by bursts of shouts and neighs of horses, letters were delivered to the big tent one after another.

The combat staff opened the blood-stained newspaper, sorted out and summarized the battlefield situation in various places, and gave combat recommendations.

The original report and the staff's suggestions were summarized in front of the chief officer. After the chief instructor and the corps commander discussed it, they issued the combat order.

This decision-making process has shown a trend towards standardization and assembly line operation.

Guan Shiming, the chief instructor of the Second Corps, put down a newspaper and sighed slightly:
"The Xi'an City drawbridge, gatehouse, watchtower, main tower, and corner towers were all renovated last year. They also added dozens of cannons. The remnants of the defeated troops from northern Shaanxi who retreated into Xi'an probably numbered 30,000 to 40,000. I wonder how many would die trying to break through this iron wall."

Not only that, the Dashi Army also strengthened the enemy towers, moon city and urn city. There was an "enemy tower" every 120 meters of the city wall.

There is a garrison tower on each enemy tower, and a corner tower at each corner of the city.

"The bandits have added several more horse-fronts, each exactly sixty paces apart. Arrows and rocks can rain down on our troops. But the city walls are so thick that artillery can't break them open. Only human lives can be used to fill the gap."

"Okay, Lao Fang, has the staff drawn up a battle plan?"

Deng Changxiong was wearing an iron helmet with a chain collar, revealing a few gray hairs, and was staring intently at a map of Xi'an's city defense.

The map was sent by the貴衣卫 (Suoiyi Guard) lurking in Xi'an at the risk of their lives. The military strength and artillery equipment in various locations in the city were clearly marked.

The Dashi Army formed an indestructible system for the defense of the Xi'an city wall.

The Yuecheng Tower and the Dacheng Tower echo each other and control the situation at the drawbridge gate.
Corner towers guarded the four corners of the city, assisted the main towers, and conveyed the general's orders and the battle situation of the entire city;
The enemy towers, with their outward-facing features, created a three-way crossfire, both frontally and between the towers, sniping at incoming enemies and relieving the pressure on the gate guards. Combined with deep trenches, high ramparts, and battlements, the city was impregnable and difficult to penetrate.

Fang Shiming turned his gaze away from the city defense map and quickly replied:
"Most of the combat staff advocated laying siege to the city and waiting for the bandits to collapse on their own."

"siege?"

The Second Corps entered Shaanxi with a force of 10,000 men, plus 7,000 Mongolian soldiers supporting the attack. The logistical pressure of a 20,000-man army was not to be underestimated. Even though Shanxi had a good harvest last year and had sufficient food and fodder, it could not withstand the turmoil in Guanzhong.

Without waiting for Deng Changxiong to refute, Fang Shiming continued:
"Last year, there was a drought in Guanzhong. The bandits used all the food to build city defenses. Based on intelligence from various sources, we determined that they were running low on food. If they were cut off from food, they would quickly surrender."

"However, at least tens of thousands of people will starve to death."

Deng Changxiong shook his head and asked again:

"How many insiders does the Suoyi Guard have?"

Fang Shiming laughed and said, "Don't count on any internal support. We're not attacking the county town. There are 400,000 people in the city, plus the bandits, there might be 500,000. A few people setting fire to the city won't do any good."

"What about a direct attack? How many soldiers will die?"

The instructor said a number that frightened the chief officer:

"Three thousand."

"Three thousand?!"

Deng Changxiong's voice trembled.

"The combat staff deduced this based on the Dashi Army's repeated combat performance. The defenders of the city were Zhang Zicheng's old comrades. If they knew there was no escape and only death, the fighting power they unleashed would be even greater than in northern Shaanxi..."

Deng Changxiong closed his eyes and began to imagine the tragic scene of the Second Corps soldiers climbing the city wall and fighting.

Fang Shiming said cautiously, "Commander Deng, the Second Corps' combat objective is to lay a solid foundation for advancing into the southwest. The Shaanxi bandits are at the end of their rope. If we lose troops and generals here, the loss will outweigh the gain. The Emperor said that the southwest is the main focus."

Deng Changxiong was about to ask more questions when the guard suddenly walked up to the chief officer and whispered something.

"What? The bandits are here to negotiate peace."

~~~~~
"How can I allow others to sleep beside my bed? My emperor wants to unify the world, and no one can be left behind, and Shaanxi is of course no exception."

Deng Changxiong looked disdainfully at Pan Du'ao, who was standing in front of him in the uniform of a Daxi official.

This man claimed to be Zhang Zicheng's Grand Secretary, but he looked more like a scoundrel at the Tianjin docks.

Fang Shiming drew his sword and pressed it against Grand Secretary Pan's chin:
"I gave you a chance, but you guys are useless!"

The instructor pointed outside the tent, where several hunchbacked old men were bending over and hoeing the ground in the vast and rugged mountains, their hands and feet calloused.

"Since the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Shaanxi has been plagued by floods, droughts, locust plagues, and countless soldiers and bandits. The people are in such misery! You have occupied Shaanxi, yet you have shown no compassion for the people. You have ravaged such a vast province, leaving the able-bodied men dead or fleeing, leaving only the women, children, and the elderly to work the land for you. And now you're seeking peace?"

Pan Du'ao gently pushed the blade away and said calmly:
"Shangguan, to be honest, it is the Daxi Emperor who intends to resist to the end, and I am here to negotiate peace. This is a letter from Zhang Zicheng to the prefects of Hanzhong and Weinan requesting assistance."

The Grand Secretary presented Zhang Zicheng with the imperial edict filled with foul language.

Fang Shiming snatched the imperial edict and was stunned after reading a sentence.

He suppressed his laughter and handed it to Deng Changxiong again.

After reading this hilarious imperial edict, Deng Changxiong couldn't help but sigh that although both were born as military men, there was a huge difference between Zhang Zicheng and the emperor.

Pan Duao continued:

"The Qi army is valiant and formidable. The fall of the Great Western Region is imminent. I am willing to lead the charge and act as a liaison to the king. When the time comes to capture Xi'an, I hope the new dynasty will remember my humble contribution."

Deng Changxiong put down the imperial edict and said sternly:
"If Grand Secretary Pan can break the city with internal help, I will personally submit a memorial to commend you for your achievements and recommend you for an official position in Qi State, but..."

Fang Shiming smiled and said, "I'm afraid the Grand Secretary is powerless."

Pan Du'ao said calmly:

"Rest assured, my ability to navigate the bandits for so many years wasn't solely based on a few proclamations. Zhang Zicheng's adopted son, Ai Nengqi, has been having an affair with one of his adoptive father's concubines, who is now pregnant. He fears his adoptive father will discover this. Ai Nengqi is well aware of the might of the Qi army, and I, having explained the righteousness of the cause, have urged him to kill his adoptive father and surrender to the Qi. I'm just worried that, having fought against your Qi army before, he might not be accepted."

Fang Shiming thought to himself, "He is indeed a good adopted son like Lu Bu."

Deng Changxiong said coldly, "When will this Ai Nengqi start his rebellion? How many soldiers and horses does he have? How many are willing to follow him?"

Pan Du'ao stammered:

"The troops are not yet determined, and the date is not yet set. We are just waiting for the response from the two commanders."

"To ensure that everything goes smoothly, I must first go to Weinan and persuade the three prefects to follow suit."

Fang Shiming laughed and said, "Do you think we're fools? Let you go to Weinan and get help?"

The instructor slammed the table and glared angrily, "You use these tricks and make up these stories. You can fool others, but you can't fool Fang Shiming! I'm familiar with military books and I've seen all kinds of treacherous schemes and tricks!"

Then he looked at the guards:

"Take this traitor out and chop him off!"

The guards immediately took Pan Du'ao away and pushed him towards the door of the tent.

The Grand Secretary laughed out loud towards the sky.

Fang Shiming asked curiously, "I've seen through your evil plan, why are you laughing?"

"I just laugh at the world saying that the Emperor of Qi is tolerant and open-minded, able to accommodate people from afar. It seems that it's just talk! If he can't even tolerate a weak civil servant like me, he will never accomplish anything great!"

Fang Shiming angrily shouted, "I'll expose your weakness so you can die without regrets. If you're truly acting as an insider, why didn't you clearly state the date? Are you trying to gather information about the main army so you can ambush me once I attack Xi'an?"

Pan Du'ao remained calm, "How dare you boast of being well-versed in military books? How dare you, an unlearned person, be a military instructor? What a shame that I, Pan Du'ao, have to die at the hands of a mediocre person like you today."

Fang Shiming said angrily, "I graduated from the second class of the Shenyang Military Academy and was a disciple of the Emperor! Are you saying I'm uneducated?"

"Tell me what I said is wrong. If you can't, I will kill you myself."

Pan Du'ao said with disdain, "Haven't you heard that 'betraying your master is a crime that cannot be fixed?' Now we're agreeing on a date. If we rush to act and fail, someone here will come to help. The plan will be leaked, and the army will suffer losses. What will we do? This matter can only be done at our convenience. How can we agree on it in advance? What kind of college did you go to? I think you've learned nothing."

Deng Changxiong laughed heartily after hearing this, patted Pan Duao on the shoulder and said soothingly:

"Grandmaster, don't be angry. It's not that the instructor doesn't trust you, it's just testing you. You are not Huang Gai, and we are not Cao Cao."

Pan Du'ao pointed to the sky and swore:
"Ai Nengqi and I sincerely surrender to the Great Qi, just like a baby looking forward to his parents. How could we be deceitful?"

Deng Changxiong nodded and said:

"Good, good, good. It would be best if the civilians could suffer fewer casualties. Our emperor is merciful and cannot bear to kill more people."

As he spoke, he took the Grand Secretary's hand and walked out of the tent.

Outside the big tent, several guards who escorted Pan Du'ao to announce the imperial decree were tied up and kneeling on the ground, looking around with fear on their faces.

Deng Changxiong handed the sword to Pan Du'ao.

"Come, Grand Secretary, kill all of Zhang Zicheng's men and replace them with the guards I'll give you to escort you on your journey. You can't stay here for long; go to Weinan as soon as possible to persuade them to surrender. However, I estimate that once Liu Jinzhong sees this imperial edict, he will surrender to the Great Qi without your persuasion."

(End of this chapter)