The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 645 Where is my son Fengxian!

On the eighth day of the second month of the third year of Guangde, more than 300 cavalrymen from the Second Corps Cavalry Battalion suddenly moved south and approached the Wei River.

The Dashi scouts roaming in the Wei River Valley fled southward one after another. The Dashi army was in a panic, and the defenders north of the Wei River fled without a fight and scrambled to retreat back to the provincial capital.

On the ninth day of February, the main force of the Second Corps, which had been dormant on the southern foot of Mount Chage, marched rapidly southward along the Qinchi Road.

The training officers of each battalion followed the vanguard troops and, before the main army moved south, they kept on preaching the Great Qi Land System to the Qin people over and over again.

The Dashi Kingdom has been established in Shaanxi for more than ten years. The gentry and wealthy families of the former Ming Dynasty were all wiped out by them, but now there are new local tyrants and evil gentry.

Although Shaanxi was one of the birthplaces of bandits in the late Ming Dynasty, the Qin people's good impression of the bandits had disappeared as early as when Li Xianzhong went east to attack Qi.

In order to conquer Qi with all his might, Li Xianzhong almost plundered the Guanzhong Plain.

The King of Rebellion in this dimension not only made the common people pay taxes, but also made them pay double the amount.

The Qin people could not bear the suffering.

The Great Western Emperor Zhang Zicheng was essentially no different from Li Xianzhong.

The instructors promised that after the Qi army occupied Guanzhong, they would punish the local tyrants and distribute land. Once the bandits were driven out, Shaanxi would become part of the territory under the rule of the Great Qi, and the Qin people would become the subjects of the retired emperor, and all would receive land.

Of course, the Second Corps gave the Qin people more than just verbal promises. Just like when they pacified the Wenxiang Sect in Shandong, the auxiliary soldiers of each battalion carried a bag of food and delivered it to the people's doorsteps.

Although the amount of food distributed to the people was not much, this move caused an unprecedented sensation in Guanzhong.

The distance from Mount Chuange to the city of Xi'an was a total of 120 miles. The Qi army marched rapidly all the way, and was invincible along the way, with almost no resistance.

The villages and towns they passed through were blocked, and the Dashi defenders either fled or surrendered.

The people of Qin were happy to welcome the royal army. Although they did not provide food and drink, many of them took the initiative to lead the army.

On February 12, the troops reached the city gate of Anyuan.

On that day, the main force of the Second Corps was stationed in the north of Xi'an. The cavalry immediately cut off the roads leading to the northern and southern prefectures and counties, and the artillery began to build positions around the city walls in an orderly manner.

The 30,000 Dashi troops gave up the field battle outside the city, retracted the drawbridge, and retreated into the city. Only the red cannons on the city walls continued to fire at the auxiliary troops of the Qi army.

The auxiliary troops were building a pontoon bridge in front of the moat, which was just within the range of the red cannons on the city wall.

The sound of cannons resounded through the walls of Xi'an, and thick white fog enveloped half of the ancient city.

The auxiliary troops had no choice but to use shield carts to block the way. Fortunately, the Dashi Army's imitation red-coated cannons, due to either casting problems or poor material quality, repeatedly exploded, killing or injuring more than a dozen Dashi artillerymen. However, the red-coated cannons had little effect, destroying only three shield carts and killing or injuring twelve Qi auxiliary troops.

At nightfall, the Qi army's artillery was completed, and the corps' 300 field guns concentrated their fire and fiercely bombarded the Furong Tower at the north gate.

The shelling continued from dusk until night.

Nearly ten thousand artillery shells weighing between two and twenty kilograms were concentrated on bombarding Furong Tower. The old battalion of the Dashi Army stationed on the top of the city collapsed as soon as the bombardment began, and they rushed to flee to the city wall. A small number of people were killed by the shells, and a few were trampled to death by their companions.

After dark, Rocket also joined the battle.

The divine fire crows flew high like frantic fire phoenixes, and with mournful howls, they plunged into the city wall.

After three rounds of rockets hit the ground, flames were everywhere on the top of Anyuan Gate, and it seemed that there were no living creatures left.

Half an hour later, the several-meter-high Furong Building collapsed with a disturbing creaking sound.

Those Dashi soldiers who were not killed or burned fled to the city walls that were out of reach of artillery.

The shelling did not stop until 3:15 pm that night, and in the second half of the night, sporadic rocket attacks harassed the Dashi Army.

In this way, Emperor Dashi and his subjects spent their first sleepless night in the most violent bombardment on earth in the 1630s.

~~~~~
There was panic in Xi'an.

The Great Western Emperor Zhang Zicheng sat in the Cunxin Hall of the Qin Palace and ordered his four adopted sons (Ye Wangke, Tao Dingbang, Liu Wenxiu, and Ai Nengqi) to lead the generals and officers to guard the eighteen gates of Xi'an.

Under Zhang Zicheng's harsh rebuke, General Ai Nengqi was deployed to the north gate, the primary target of the Qi army's attack. "Go to hell! The Tartars' artillery is powerful, but they're no match for the Dashi army in street fighting. Wait until they reach the city walls and kill them all. When the Grand Secretary returns with his troops, I'll have Deng Changxiong executed!"

The rockets continued until midnight and showed no sign of stopping.

Zhang Zicheng was very sleepy and was woken up by the shrill whistling sound for the umpteenth time.

He was already familiar with the Qi army's style of fighting. From northern Shaanxi all the way to Guanzhong, before each city fell, he could hear the crows, ghosts and wolves howling.

"Those Tartar dogs dare not engage in close combat, they just fire cannons and rockets!"

"Let's fight! Xi'an is not Suide. The city walls are very thick. Let's see who has more artillery shells or who has thicker city walls!"

He was fully armored and dozing off on the bed. The roar of the rockets finally died down, but he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so he got up and urinated.

The urine keeps dripping and can't be stopped.

Looking back, he saw Concubine Cai still sleeping on the dragon bed without waking up.

The charming figure rose and fell, she let out a low snoring sound, and her pair of jade arms came forward and clasped together in a hugging gesture.

The Blacksmith Emperor had long been drained of his body by alcohol and sex, and had become increasingly debilitated in that area over the past two years. He was furious about the Qi army's attack on the city, and when he saw the enchanting woman, he saw she was soundly sleeping, her cherry lips still slightly opening and closing.

"You nasty bitch, you're still seducing wild men in your dreams."

He kicked the woman under the bed and sat down on the dragon bed angrily.

"what."

He used too much force and the armor caused severe pain in his lower abdomen.

Concubine Cai woke up and struggled to climb onto the dragon bed. She looked at the Emperor of the Great Western Empire's belly, which was not covered by his armor, and said angrily:

"You can't defeat the Tartars, so you take it out on hunger. You're not a man."

Zhang Zicheng was furious as if his tail had been stepped on:
"You damned bitch, don't think I don't know you're cheating on me. Damn you! Wait until I defeat the Tartars, then I'll deal with you two adulterers!"

When Concubine Cai heard this, her face turned pale.

After cursing, Zhang Zicheng turned around, picked up the whip hanging on the wall, swung his arm, and hit the imperial concubine's white legs...

~~~~~
At dawn the next day, the Qi army still had not entered the city. Zhang Zicheng and the Qin Palace summoned all the generals, but Ai Nengqi was the only one missing.

After the artillery bombardment by the Qi army last night, all the generals had lost their will to fight. After Zhang Zicheng arranged the defense of the city, he hurried back to the backyard to look for someone.

He saw the war horses of the four righteous sons tied in the backyard of the Prince of Qin's palace. He asked the Imperial Guards, but they replied, "The four generals have gone to the back hall."

Zhang Zicheng dismissed his attendants and went straight into the back hall, but could not find the man.
I called Concubine Cai, but she didn't show up.

Zhang Zicheng was shocked and angry.

He asked the palace maid anxiously, and she replied, "The imperial concubine is recovering from her injuries."

The Emperor of Daxi went into the back garden and saw Ai Nengqi and Concubine Cai whispering under the pavilion. Concubine Cai was limping, and Ai Nengqi held her slender waist with one hand and caressed her face with the other.

A long spear leaned against the pavilion.

The Great Western Emperor roared, "Go to hell with your mother, how dare you steal my hungry wife!"

As he said this, he swung his spear and threw it like a javelin. Ai Nengqi quickly picked up the concubine and dodged.

After all, Zhang Zicheng was a blacksmith and had immense strength. His spear did not hit his adopted son, but went straight into the pavilion pillar, penetrating several inches into the wood.

Ai Nengqi picked up the beauty and fled. Zhang Zicheng was too fat to catch up with him, so he stepped forward, drew his spear, and stabbed him again.

(End of this chapter)