A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 401

Since the gunners of the Shunxiang Army almost wiped out the cannons of the invading army outside the west city, the tower on the west gate was safe again.

After discovering this situation, both Wang Yinchang and Yang Shoubei couldn't wait to move the headquarters back to the city tower. After all, the city wall was icy cold and unbearable. In addition, the Chuangjun kept jumping on the top of the city wall, which made it even safer. It is a big worry, and when I return to the tower, I will be warm and safe.

Wu Zhengchun also moved Qian's headquarters to the city tower, either using banners or ordering soldiers to direct the battle.At the same time, if there are any casualties among the soldiers on the city, they will be carried to the city tower by the soldiers of the township brave society, and the doctors of the Shun township army will treat them quickly.

Through these years of development, the first aid system in the army of Shun Township has been greatly developed. There are many medical officers and doctors, and there are many medical shops in the cities of the East Road, providing services to the military households and civilians in each city at a low price. Medical treatment.

For the family members of sergeants, they also enjoy completely free treatment.The many benefits in the army are also one of the reasons why the people of Donglu flock to the army.

Wu Zhengchun stood on the window sill of the city tower and looked towards the top of the city. The slaughter below seemed to be coming to an end. Although there were constant soldiers jumping on the city wall, they were often wiped out by the Shunxiang army on the city wall before they could gain a firm foothold. .

Looking at the top of the city, whether on the left or the right, it seems that the Shunxiang army lined up in two rows is like two winding monsters. The one in front is holding a bird gun and is invincible. All powerful enemies are knocked down by their firearms. In front, gunpowder smoke seems to fill the air in long rows.

Then, before the smoke dissipated, the cold light of steel, the thorn-like forest of guns appeared in the smoke, or beyond the smoke, and the entire column of pikemen pushed forward like a neat, slender forest of guns, and finally the front of them All moving figures disappeared.

Round and round, round and round, the two winding monsters devoured an unknown number of enemies.

Wang Yinchang, Yang Shoubei and others on the tower stared blankly, feeling like they were in a nightmare.

The noise on the city wall gradually became quieter, and more and more Luoyang officers and soldiers and the soldiers of the village brave society retreated, leaving the open space on the city wall for the Shun Township Army to display, willingly fighting as their auxiliary soldiers .

Their eyes were filled with fear and awe, not because they were afraid of those intruders, but because they were afraid of those Shunxiang soldiers who were killing the enemy.Maybe many people don't understand why the Shun Township Army's killing of the enemy is like strolling in the garden, they are also soldiers, and they are so hard.

Even though they had some gains in the hand-to-hand combat just now, compared with the Shunxiang Army, their results were far behind, not to mention the cooperation between them.It was even more inevitable that there would be casualties one after another. On the other hand, looking at the Shunxiang Army, some people may have been injured, but it seems that the dead have not been seen yet.

The outstanding combat power and tactics of the Shunxiang Army shocked these Luoyang soldiers and civilians, and at the same time, it seemed to open up a new world for them. It turns out that battles can still be fought like this.

Wu Zhengchun stood quietly, with no expression on his dark and thin face, but he couldn't hide the pride in his eyes. This was the army under his command.

There were whispers behind him, but it was Yang Shoubei and his officers who were discussing this kind of killing tactics.

Wu Zhengchun smiled in his heart. He was used to relying on martial arts and bravery to fight. The military officers from all over the Ming Dynasty who have the idea of ​​​​easy to win a thousand troops and hard to find a general may find it difficult to understand this tactic of cooperating with each other and forming an formation to fight to the bone.Perhaps some servants under Yang Shoubei's command were more brave than his new troops, but if they fought in formation, it would be as easy for his troops to kill those brave servants as chickens.

It was the first time for these Luoyang soldiers and civilians to see the tactics of putting the enemy on the city wall. In their minds, if the enemy goes to the city, it often means that the city will fall. Such a situation like this is really rare in a hundred years.

In fact, the reason is very simple, put the enemy on the city wall, it is like fighting in formation in the wild, although the "wilderness" is a little narrow, what the Shunxiang army is most afraid of is fighting in formation.This set of tactics proved effective as early as in Shunxiang Fort.

Looking at the battle at the top of the city, Wu Zhengchun couldn't help but think back to when he was a small soldier and fought against the Tartars at the top of Shunxiang Fort. , married a wife and had children, and is the father of three sons.

Thinking of his wife and son who were far away on the East Road, Wu Zhengchun felt tenderness in his heart, then he calmed down, walked to the front of the tower, and used binoculars to look at the situation of the invading army outside the city.

The cheers outside the city had stopped. Although there was still a sea of ​​rogues outside the wall of sheep and horses, there was an eerie silence.

It's no wonder that the soldiers and generals outside the city are like this. The situation at the top of the city is too strange. It stands to reason that after many ladders were erected earlier and densely packed soldiers climbed up, it wouldn't take long for the officers and soldiers to collapse, and then the top of the city would collapse. The Chuangzi banner was erected, the city gate was opened, and Luoyang was captured.

However, after a long time, there was no movement at the top of the city, not only that, there were probably thousands of soldiers who climbed up the city wall, and then they all disappeared.Except for the constant sound of firecrackers and screams from above, there were no figures of our own fighters, nor their corpses.It seems that there is a huge devouring monster inside the city wall, no matter how many people go up, they will be eaten up by them in a short time.

Unspeakable fear welled up in the hearts of the rushing soldiers outside the city, and even the follow-up soldiers who climbed the ladder hesitated, wondering if they should continue to climb.

On the edge of an earthen platform, Liu Fangliang was also looking at the top of the city with a livid face. Some leaders beside him were whispering, guessing what was going on on the west gate wall, and why their own soldiers kept attacking the city wall, but the officers and soldiers did not see any signs of surrender and collapse. situation?
And... why didn't the soldiers on the top of the wall respond at all?

This is really contrary to common sense. Since Li Zicheng made a comeback last year, these generals and leaders have followed Li Zicheng's command and captured every city in Henan Prefecture. Usually, as long as the rebels go to the top of the city, no matter how brave the officers and soldiers are when defending the city, they will soon be defeated. Fleeing in panic, taking the city lightly, but now...

Only Liu Fangliang's face was ugly, and he gritted his teeth. He said bitterly in his heart: "Wang Dou, it's Wang Dou again, and it's Shunxiang Army again!"

It was Liu Fangliang who commanded the Chuangjun to attack the city in these waves. As early as before Luoyang was attacked, Liu Fangliang, who had fought against Wang Dou, offered Li Zicheng the strategy of crowd tactics.According to the advantages of having a large number of soldiers and convenient replenishment of soldiers, the hungry soldiers were used to continuously attack the city and consume the strength of the officers and soldiers in the city.

Facts have proved that this tactic is successful and effective, and our own soldiers successfully attacked the city.According to previous precedents, today's attack on Luoyang is a foregone conclusion, but things backfired. The only possible reason is that the Shunxiang army defending the city blocked it at the top of the city.

He hated so much in his heart, knowing that his expectations had become empty talk, seeing the apprehensive look of the troops under his command, it was obvious that the soldiers had lost their morale, and it was getting late, so today's battle had no choice but to give up.He was about to send an order to Mingjin to withdraw his troops, when he heard screams from the other side of the city, he looked over quickly, and couldn't help feeling cold.

The officers and soldiers who hadn't seen for a long time reappeared at the top of the city. They threw down corpses one after another. Among them were their own infantry and hungry soldiers. They were exactly their own soldiers who disappeared after climbing the city.

It seemed like raindrops of corpses were thrown down from the top of the city, some of the wounded who were still alive, they were thrown from the top of the city heavily, they cried out in panic and despair when they were in the air, and then fell to the ground and became a pile of meat paste .

"Little thief, this is what will happen to you."

Corpses were thrown down one after another, followed by chilling shouts from the top of the city.Whether it was the intruders inside the sheep and horse wall or the intruders outside the wall, everyone was dumbfounded and trembling in their hearts. It turned out that so many brothers who attacked the city were all dead, all dead, and still like this was thrown out of town.

I don't know who reacted first, screamed to dodge the falling corpses, and then screams spread from the city.

More and more corpses fell, and soon a thick layer was accumulated outside the city, and many of the dead still had an expression of reluctance to die.

Seeing this situation, those rushing soldiers collapsed. Although these peasant soldiers are crazy to survive, it does not mean that they are not afraid of death.On the contrary, they are very afraid of death, and they only risk it because there is no way out, no way out, and there is still hope ahead.

However, when there was no hope ahead, they went crazy and fled back crazily.

Even the intruders who were still on the ladder jumped down from the ladder screaming, not caring whether they would break their legs.

The Chuang army attacking Ximen repeated the previous wave of fleeing for their lives. They wanted to escape from the wall of sheep and horses. A dense crowd of people crowded together. Everyone wanted to escape, and no one was willing to lag behind. people.I don't know how many people were trampled down on the spot, and then countless feet trampled on them. These people screamed and were trampled into a pile of mud.

The peak of panic was opened at the city gate, and the officers and soldiers of the west gate chased it out and reached the peak. Inside and outside the sheep and horse walls, on the trench bridge, and inside the moat, there were layers of crowded and trampled dead bodies.

The wave of these rushing troops also spread to the large formation of rushing troops on the other side of the earth platform, forcing them to retreat for another mile, and then re-arranged the formation. Countless spears formed a formation, blocking the officers and soldiers in the city from continuing. hunt down.

It is conservatively estimated that the number of casualties in this wave of siege may reach nearly [-]. The most important thing is that the blow to their morale is unparalleled.In siege warfare, all means are used to reach the top of the city. Even if there are still a series of siege methods that have not been used to break into the camp, it is meaningless.

With the Shunxiang army at the top of the city, what is the use of attacking the top of the city?In vain casualties of their own troops, it seems that in front of them, the consumption of hungry soldiers is useless.

Moreover, the failure of the siege of Ximen and the tragic death of thousands of soldiers may soon spread to all the camps of the Chuang army.After all, with the organizational structure of the peasant army, there is no way to stop the spread of various panic rumors. Will there be hungry soldiers willing to attack the city next time?After all, if you want to eat and clothe yourself, you have to save your life, right?
(End of this chapter)