Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

The intense flames burned the bluestone into brittle pottery blanks, and when cold water was poured on them, the cracks immediately burst open like a spider web.

Zhou Wangjin's men took turns swinging hammers, and the iron chisels carved a foot-deep pit into the rock strata after the fire and water had washed away.

As the sun moved, the shadow of the battlements slowly crept from the right side of the garrison commander's helmet to his left shoulder.

The city's garrison commander, who had been grinning maliciously at dawn, could no longer laugh under the blazing afternoon sun.

A bead of sweat slid down the hollow of his nose, just touching his lips—

"Snap!"

The deafening crash of the boulder falling from the breach made the iron plates on his armor stand upside down.

Before he could think straight, he rushed toward the north city gate tower.

"Report—"

Before the roar had even faded, the man had already rushed to the front of the real stone pillar with the red banner.

Shi Tingzhu wore a cloth-faced armor, and behind him stood two tense-looking Han officials—

It was Fang Dayou and Wang Aoyong, Ming Dynasty officials who had surrendered and fled to Linyi after the defeat of Bahana.

The two men had been trying to persuade Shi Tingzhu for days not to rush out of the city to provide relief, fearing that he would fall into a trap set by the Ming army. Now, seeing the city walls in imminent danger, their faces turned even paler.

"Bing'ezhen!"

"The Ming traitors set fire to three sides but refused to retreat; a hole over ten feet wide has already appeared in the west wall!"

"If the fire continues, the city walls may not be able to hold!"

This Guarjia general, who was once the garrison commander of Guangning during the Ming Dynasty and later surrendered to the Qing, had a stern expression at this moment.

He glanced coldly in the direction of the city wall, his voice hoarse:

"What's the panic? Southerners only know how to play with fire; it's nothing but child's play."

Having said that, he pressed his right hand against the long sword at his waist and roared sharply:

"Pass on the order!"

"Bring three hundred buckets of well water to extinguish the fire, and assign all the archers to Ben'ezhen, specifically to shoot at the carts and other debris!"

"Absolutely not!"

Fang Dayou's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he took half a step forward.

"This is the bandit army's method of 'burning with fire and quenching with water'."

"If well water is poured on the city wall because it is hot, the contrast between the hot and cold water will surely cause it to collapse!"

"The method of burning with fire and quenching with water?"

Shi Tingzhu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly kicked over the low stool next to him, a feeling of powerlessness suddenly gripping his heart.

"Without water, the city walls will collapse; with water, they might crumble. Am I supposed to just sit here and wait for the city to fall?"

Fang Dayou raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, lowering his voice even further:

"I am truly wise!"

"There are only seven wells in the city. If we divert water from the wells to fight the fire, the city's water supply will run out in less than half a day."

"At that time, the army will be without water and will collapse without a fight. This plan... is truly extremely insidious!"

Shi Tingzhu snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the continuous Ming camps outside the city:

"Based on your suggestion, how should we respond?"

Fang Dayou trembled slightly, and was about to speak when Wang Aoyong stepped forward to block his colleague, his voice deliberately lowered to a steady tone:

"Your Excellency, I believe that we should smother the fire with sand, but this method can only temporarily slow the fire and will not be able to repel the enemy troops."

His gaze swept across the thick smoke to the south.

"The false Ming emperor was a true disciple of Sun Tzu!"

"This strategy of 'leaving an opening when besieging the enemy' is ostensibly a way to give them a chance, but in reality, it's forcing our army to abandon Dezhou!"

Sparks from the city wall splashed onto the crenellations, making the red tassel on his official hat flicker.

He gripped his sleeve tightly to suppress his trembling:

"At the risk of my life, I would like to offer this advice: rather than being trapped in a besieged city, it would be better to temporarily avoid the enemy's advance and plan for the future."

Wang Aoyong saw through Zhu Cilang's open scheme at a glance, but he had no way to counter it.

Shi Tingzhu raised an eyebrow and slammed his large hand on the table:

"Stop being such a noisy lackey!"

"The sword of the Red Banner Baturu is not rusted yet!"

He glared at the kneeling Wang Aoyong, then abruptly turned and roared at the soldiers guarding the city wall:

"Send word to all Niru (military units): Anyone who dares to retreat even half a step—"

With a clang, he drew half of his sword from his waist.

"The entire clan is to be exiled to Ningguta as slaves!"

Wang Aoyong trembled violently and dared not speak again.

Fang Dayou stared down at the tips of his official boots, fine beads of sweat glistening on the stubble of his newly shaved neck.

Shi Tingzhu glanced around, his voice resolute:

"Immediately dispatch bondservants and servants to carry sand and add fuel to the fire! Order armored soldiers to take turns in three shifts to place logs and cannon stones onto the crenellations!"

"Listen up, sons of the red flag—"

A roar that splits rocks and pierces clouds:

"As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we fall!"

The city walls, which had been burned, continued to crumble, and the openings on the outside of the walls rapidly expanded to a width of ten feet under the Ming army's relentless attacks.

Zhou Wangjin's command pushed forward frantically, with trench-filling vehicles constantly reaching the front lines;

The Ming soldiers carrying firewood huddled behind wooden shields, the muffled thuds of falling sand and stones sounding like death knells.

The soldiers, dressed in red banners and carrying sand baskets, moved through the thick smoke. The two sides were locked in a tug-of-war until dusk swallowed the setting sun, and finally, Zhu Cilang's bugle call to withdraw his troops sounded.

The six-mile-long city wall was covered in soot, and the method of burning and watering left countless huge pits, deep enough to bury an entire warhorse.

At this rate, the city walls will surely fall tomorrow.

......

That night, the sky was full of stars.

The city of Linyi was deathly silent, with only a few lights flickering in the darkness, like will-o'-the-wisps.

At the first quarter of the hour of Yin, all was quiet, even the chirping of insects had ceased.

Suddenly, the north gate of the city swayed slowly, and the heavy wooden door opened with difficulty in the night, making a dull creaking sound.

Immediately afterwards, a troop of cavalry emerged like a black tide; this was Shi Tingzhu's vanguard battalion.

The horses' hooves, wrapped in cloth, barely made a sound as they trod the ground; only the slight clinking of armor could be heard, crisp and short, exceptionally clear in the quiet night breeze.

The ranks stretched endlessly, their shadowy forms resembling a ghostly army.

Shi Tingzhu reined in his horse in the shadow of the city gate, taking one last look back at the city tower—

The red flag he had planted during the day was now nowhere to be seen, leaving only a bare flagpole pointing towards the sky.

This general, who had been shouting "We live as long as the city exists, we die if the city falls," was now determined to lead his troops north under cover of night.

He clenched his teeth, spurred his horse, and charged into the fleeing ranks, flanked by four shield-bearing guards.

Under the sparse starlight, the broken copper nails on the soldiers' armor gleamed with a faint, cold light.

The soldiers' horses were so thin that their ribs were barely visible, and the ranks were completely empty, with not a single wagon loaded with supplies in sight.

Riding at the very front was a team of scouts.

They were clad in light armor, with short crossbows and scimitars hanging from their saddles, and grappling hooks and fire tweezers at their waists.

The scout captain, Erkh, was about thirty years old, with a thin face and sharp eyes.

He crouched down, his gaze constantly scanning ahead, his right hand unconsciously stroking the hilt of his knife.

The city behind us grew farther and farther away.

The cold night wind brushed against his cheeks, bringing with it the smell of withered grass and earth.

But there seemed to be a hint of... an overly fresh earthy smell mixed in with this scent?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when his warhorse snorted loudly.

Its forelegs suddenly planted firmly on the ground, and with the force of its hind legs, it managed to stand upright while galloping at high speed.

Erkh reacted extremely quickly, instinctively leaning back and gripping the reins tightly to avoid being overturned.

Just then, moonlight pierced through a thin cloud, pouring down a pale, stark white light—

On the road ahead, where the ground should have been flat, there were patches of dark-colored, loose, loose soil lying across it!

What made his heart sink even more was that this strange, soft area was not an isolated place.

It's like a huge scar, stretching across the entire road leading to the wilderness north of the city.

Extending to the left and right, it resembles an invisible, gaping maw, directly facing the city gate.

"Whoa—!"

The warning had barely been issued.

Suddenly, the horse under the flank guard let out a muffled neigh, its front hooves sank into the pit, its body tilted, and it instantly overturned.

Caught off guard, the guard flew out like an arrow, crashing heavily to the ground and rolling several feet before regaining his footing.

Before the troops behind could react, the sound of horses stumbling and falling came one after another.

"Stop! There's a trap!"

Erkh let out a low growl, gritting his teeth as he said:

"The thieves are cunning; they set up an ambush beforehand!"

The ranks were thrown into chaos; horses neighed, riders cried out in alarm, and the clanging of armor filled the air.

Suddenly, countless torches lit up on the mounds on both sides, and in the flickering light, the black armor of the Ming army that had surrounded them was revealed.